Third house meetings are get-togethers your elected officials schedule to meet the public and have healthy give-and-take discussions about pressing issues. This past Saturday, Sen. Randy Head and I had two morning meetings: one in Kewanna, Fulton County and another in Peru, Miami County. Sen. Head and I traveled together from my home to Kewanna and met around 50 people at the downtown library. Attendees questioned us about the budget, education funding, the gas tax and solar energy. It was a very friendly meeting and lots of information was exchanged.
We then traveled to Peru for our 10 a.m. meeting at Gabriel’s Restaurant. It took us 45 minutes to travel from Kewanna to Peru, but we made it in a timely fashion. About 25 people greeted us at Gabriel’s. The discussion was of a more general nature and included some questions about the Affordable Care Act and what we would do about potential changes that may be forthcoming. Of course, this is all speculation about actions Washington, D.C. may take. State government will need to adapt if changes from D.C. demand it.
Other questions dealt with education funding and concerns about vouchers and preschool funding. After that discussion, I asked (at both locations) if Indiana should mandate kindergarten before venturing into the whole pre-K debate. The response was surprising. Almost every hand went up to require attendance for kindergarten. I’ve asked other groups the same question and received mixed results in the past. Currently, 95 percent of Hoosier youngsters attend kindergarten.
All-in-all, the Saturday morning schedule was extremely enjoyable and productive. Good attendance, great questions and positive attitudes made it so.
I’m happy to say new data released by the Indiana State Police indicates a decline in methamphetamine lab seizures in our communities. Miami, Cass and Fulton counties all saw significant decreases in meth lab incidents between 2015 and 2016. Miami County dropped from 52 to 25, Cass County went from 30 to nine and Fulton County went down from 13 to eight. I am proud of the police force in our state and our community for their continued efforts to keep Hoosiers safe. At the Statehouse, we are continuing the momentum built last year with House Bill 1006. This legislation would expand eligibility to substance abuse treatment programs such as the Recovery Works program, a statewide addiction treatment program for felony offenders. This bill is currently being considered by the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
We are also working to help reserve police officers. House Bill 1555 would create a study committee tasked with studying how the state can better meet the needs of reserve police officers. These citizen volunteers provide valuable services to our communities statewide, and I believe it is important to provide them the support they deserve.
Before I leave you this week, a couple of random topics to consider. The Peru Amateur Circus has been invited to perform at the Smithsonian Institute from June 26 through July 10 as part of a folk festival focused on the circus. I am supportive of our circus and want to help them with this ambitious project. In order for the Peru Circus to travel to D.C., the organization is looking to raise over $200,000 to cover expenses. There are many individuals working to raise the necessary funds. I invite anyone who is interested in supporting the Peru Circus to contribute to the effort. No amount is insignificant. Please be as generous as possible. Checks can be made payable to Circus City Festival Inc. and sent to 154 North Broadway, Peru, IN 46970.
Recently, Logansport Machine Company was honored by Gov. Eric Holcomb for being a business in Indiana for 101 years. Thank you for being a valued member of our community over the past century.
After a recent stint with the bug going around, I urge you to pay attention to your health. I was down for a few days and never saw it coming. I woke up in the middle of the night, and I knew I was sick. Take care, and don’t ignore your health!
More later,
Bill
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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.
