What are Brown County legislators up to this year?
To the editor:
Zoom in to learn more about what our state representatives are working on this year. This is a budget year so lots of important issues are on the table including health care, education, infrastructure, environment and much more.
Brown County has a new State Representative, Dave Hall, covering District 62 which includes all of Brown County, part of Monroe and Jackson counties.
Senator Eric Koch remains our state Senator for District 44 which includes all or part of the counties of Brown, Monroe, Jackson, Orange and Lawrence.
All state legislators who represent Brown County and Monroe County have been invited to four virtual town halls, including:
Indiana State Representatives: Dist. 46 Bob Heaton; Dist. 60 Peggy Mayfield; Dist. 61 Matt Pierce, Dist. 62 Dave Hall
Indiana State Senators: Dist. 44 Eric Koch and Dist. 40 Shelli Yoder
Please join the conversation, Saturday mornings, 9:30 am to 11:00 am, starting Saturday Jan. 21, Next will be Feb. 11, March 11 and April 8. Register to get the zoom link at the League of Women Voters Brown County website: https://www.lwvbrowncounty.org/. Scroll down to the Legislative Update registration links for each date.
Brown County legislators are already working on legislation such as elimination of local income tax councils, education/financial literacy, housing, township mergers, limitations on bail and other criminal matters, nuclear reactors, utility infrastructure and allocation of wastewater utility costs, and much more.
These updates are sponsored by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters Brown County, League of Women Voters Bloomington-Monroe County, Brown County Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.
Each town hall will provide an opportunity for legislators to share information on their goals for this legislative session and attending constituents will have a chance to ask questions. What are your questions?
Shari Frank, President, LWVBC
Thanks to community for children’s auction
To the editor:
The 45th annual Brown County Children’s Annual was a huge success because of all of you! Your donations of merchandise, art, crafts, experiences, baked goods, and other unique items and your cash donations enabled us to raise over $28,000!
We were able to purchase clothing for 340 Brown County children this year! And as a bonus, Kohls in Columbus helped us earn $6500 in Kohl’s Cash and we used that “cash” to purchase blue jeans and underwear for God’s Grace.
It truly does take a village to help the children, and we appreciate and thank those of you who donated, volunteered their time, and those of you who participated in our auction! It is one of the oldest Brown County Christmas Traditions to hold the annual Children’s Auction on the first Friday in December, so mark your calendar now for Dec. 1, 2023 so you don’t miss the fun!
Carol Birkemeier, Vice President, Brown County Children’s Fund
Will lawmakers budget for parks and trails?
To the editor:
Time spent in our Indiana parks and natural spaces grounds us. It helps us slow down, helps us connect with friends and family and it helps us experience the wonders of the natural world around us. That excitement we feel when we see a bald eagle, when we with our small children spot a deer, or even the rare glimpse of a bobcat or other shy wildlife, is a feeling that can only be found in nature. That is why I am thrilled that Governor Holcomb has prioritized land conservation and trails in his proposed budget to the Indiana General Assembly.
Our Indiana parks and natural spaces are a Hoosier treasure. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, outdoor recreation adds nearly $13 billion annually to our Indiana economy and provides employment to 107,000 Hoosiers. Use of our parks has never been higher. In fact, in his recent State of the State address, Governor Holcomb proudly called out that our state park inns have the highest occupancy rate in the country! And yet, habitat for wildlife is shrinking.
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, only 15% of the state’s original wetlands remain and in recent years, 85 Indiana counties have lost forest acreage. Any valuable asset requires care and investment in order for that value to be maintained and grow. Please join the Hoosier Environmental Council in asking Representative Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) and his fellow members of the House Ways and Means Committee to approve Governor Holcomb’s budget request for land conservation, trails, and our state parks. Visit hecweb.org for details and learn how you can get involved.
Sam Carpenter, Executive Director, Hoosier Environmental Council
Letters to the editor
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