February is a month full of significant events including Groundhog Day, Ann's and my wedding anniversary, Valentine's Day, Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday which is the first day of Lent, and Presidents' Day. During this month, there is also extreme changes in the temperature, with fog, sleet, ice and snow, which can all seem to show up with little or no predictability. Perhaps these special occasions are needed to overcome the turbulence and chilly February weather.
February 19 is Presidents' Day. I always wish we gave more fanfare to this holiday. Honoring George Washington seems only correct because he truly is the father of the United States. We would be a totally different place had it not been for President Washington.
It is necessary to recognize Abraham Lincoln because he led the U.S. through a terribly difficult and tragic Civil War. Without his steadfast leadership and determination to maintain the Union, we might be a divided and fractured group of smaller, individual states. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves and began providing equality for all people. It was a courageous thing to do and I'm not sure how many leaders would have had the moral strength to complete that act. Presidents Washington and Lincoln are far more than footnotes in our nation's history. Their vision and courage led this country in its infancy and laid a foundation for a system we can all enjoy. Hopefully, we will all recognize these leaders on Presidents' Day.
House Bill 1005 was not called down to the House floor last week and therefore it will not move on to the Senate. The bill would have consolidated townships around the state that had less than 1,200 residents. This did not sit well with some representatives who are from rural districts. There was some additional confusion amongst lawmakers as interest groups that once supported the bill backed out. In response to the confusion, the bill was not brought to the floor for discussion.
In January, the Department of Child Services director Mary Beth Bonaventura resigned from her position. In the wake of her resignation and to better ensure children and families are safe, Gov. Eric Holcomb assigned the Child Welfare Policy Practice Group to review the department. The group is expected to release a report in the coming weeks. In Indiana, 13 of every 1,000 children are placed under state care, more than double the national average. The opioid epidemic has only exacerbated the issue and further strained resources. Lawmakers are working hard to help get this problem under control.
In other news, the Healthy Indiana Plan recently received a three-year extension along with some new updates. The extension funds will also be used to expand the program to ensure more Hoosiers will have access to health care resources. Starting in 2019, HIP’s Gateway to Work program will require 130,000 able-bodied adults to work or attend job training. Currently, this is a voluntary training program and does not affect HIP coverage or benefits. Those that are pregnant, over the age of 59, medically frail, in treatment for substance abuse or caring for a young child, will be exempt from this mandate.
The second half of session is under way and the House is considering Senate bills. You can watch the proceedings at iga.in.gov. It's your state government, stay involved.
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State Rep. Bill Friend (R-Macy) represents House District 23,
which includes portions of Cass, Fulton and Miami counties.
A high-resolution photo of Friend can be downloaded by clicking here.
