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Chicago Tribune
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Rep. Vernon Smith receives Sagamore of the Wabash award
For Rep. Vernon Smith, receiving a state award was surprising but still rewarding. 'It's one of the highest awards that you can receive from the governor's office,' said Smith, D-Gary. 'I was absolutely exhilarated to be the recipient.' Smith recently received the Sagamore of the Wabash award, which is the highest honor an Indiana governor can give, according to the governor's office. Smith received the award at a dinner celebrating his recent retirement from Indiana University Northwest, he said. The state representative worked in education in Gary for nearly 60 years, he said, and as a teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Gary Community School Corporation from 1966 to 1992. Smith became a member of the Indiana House of Representatives in 1990, according to the Indiana House Democratic Caucus' website. Before his time at the statehouse, Smith served on the Gary Common Council, starting in 1972. At the statehouse, Smith serves as ranking minority member of the Indiana House Education Committee and is a member of the Local Government Committee. According to the governor's website, former Gov. Ralph Gates created the Sagamore of the Wabash award during his 1945-1949 term. 'Sagamore' is a Native American term that means a subordinate chief or someone a chief would look to for advice, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Since Gates, each Indiana governor presented the award to various Hoosiers, but the total number of recipients is unknown, according to the governor's website. 'I appreciate the award,' Smith said. 'I had a chance to serve with (Gov. Mike Braun) for four years in the House. But, this shows he has respected my tenure, both as an educator and as a public servant. It felt really good that he chose me.' Braun's office did not respond to a request for comment about the award. In a Thursday statement, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton congratulated Smith on receiving the Sagamore of the Wabash. He said the city is proud to call Smith one of their own. Melton and Smith worked together at the Indiana Statehouse while Melton served as state senator. Melton said the two worked to advance legislation that broadened outreach for the state's 21st Century Scholars program. They also collaborated on a House bill to reestablish an elected school board in Gary and a Senate bill to restore local control to the Gary Community School Corporation. 'These victories and honors show what's possible when leaders put the community at the center of every decision and highlight the lasting impact Rep. Smith has made on countless lives through his advocacy, mentorship, and leadership,' Melton said in his statement. 'His voice for education and economic opportunity has guided Gary through moments of challenge and transformation to secure vital resources and hope for our future.' The Gary Common Council recognized Smith for his service to local education and as state senator at its Tuesday meeting. Council members also congratulated Smith for receiving the Sagamore of the Wabash. 'We are so proud of you,' said Councilwoman Mary Brown, D-3rd. Brown said Tuesday that she's known Smith and his family for years, and it's made her proud to watch him progress as an educator and politician. Brown read a proclamation that recognized Smith for his service to the city during Tuesday's council meeting. Other council members recalled times that Smith mentored them throughout their political careers. Councilman Kenneth Whisenton, D-at large, recalled a summer he spent interning at the Indiana statehouse, where he told Smith he would never get involved with politics, and it 'broke (Smith's) heart.' Whisenton was elected to the council in late 2024, after state Sen. Mark Spencer, D-Gary, resigned. 'I called you several months ago, and I said, 'Doc, I think God is talking to me and telling me to get involved with city politics,'' Whisenton said. 'I said, 'I don't know what to make of it.' The first thing he said was, 'Do it. Run.'' Whisenton said he wouldn't be on council without Smith, and he's thankful to have him in his life. Councilman Darren Washington, D-at large, also said Smith played a large role in his political career. He recognized Smith for the work that he's done to help young Black males in Gary and throughout the state. 'I've learned so much from you,' Washington said. 'I'm thankful you've been part of my life.' Smith is grateful he's had an opportunity to impact various lives in Gary, both as an educator and state senator. He wasn't expecting to receive the Sagamore of the Wabash, and he said it's been great to receive the recognition. 'I've had the chance to impact the lives of so many young people from kindergarten through graduate school,' Smith said. 'I'm not the kind of person that's looking for praise … I try to be as humble as I can while serving God's people.'
Chicago Tribune
12-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Lake County council appoints NWI Oilmen president to sports commission
Don Popravak, president of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen baseball club, said the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission will work across the region to create a 'cohesive professional sports development area here.' 'It will help drive tourism. It will help drive economic development for cities and towns across those counties,' Popravak said. 'There is unlimited potential here.' The Lake County Council appointed Popravak to the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission Tuesday as proxy for council president Christine Cid, D-East Chicago. House Bill 1292, authored by Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, would establish a Northwest Indiana professional development commission and a professional sports development fund. The commission would be tasked with exploring and implementing strategies to attract one or more sports franchises to Northwest Indiana, Harris said. The bill outlines the 17-member commission, which include mayors from East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Michigan City, LaPorte, Portage and South Bend, while the remaining members would be appointed by various people, including the executive director of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, and Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph county leaders. Under the bill, the commission would explore attracting professional football, baseball, basketball, hockey or soccer teams. But, since the Chicago Bears have been looking for a new home, Harris said when he proposed the bill in the 2024 session it got attention then as a possible new location for the team. The Chicago Bears purchased the former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights in February 2023 and hopes to build a new enclosed stadium with a big entertainment and residential development. In December, the Bears and Arlington Heights reached an agreement to set taxes at $3.6 million per year. Earlier this month, the Chicago Tribune reported that team officials have shifted their focus for a new stadium away from the city's lakefront back to Arlington Heights. But, Harris said his bill allows Northwest Indiana to be considered as the Bears consider a new home. Northwest Indiana is in the Chicago market, he said, so the fan base for the Bears – or any Chicago team – is there, he said. 'This makes it more attractive for them to come to Northwest Indiana. It provides another option,' Harris said. 'I think there is an opportunity for them if they can't work things out in Illinois.' Lake County Councilman Charlie Brown, D-Gary, asked Popravak if he can assure the council that the commission will secure a shot at moving the Chicago Bears to Northwest Indiana. Popravak said that about $3 billion would help secure the Chicago Bears. Given that the Chicago Bears are debating stadiums in Chicago and Arlington Heights, that would be a difficult assurance to ask for, he said. 'I can't guarantee things like that. Those are a little bit out of my reach,' Popravak said. 'Those are big stakes.' Cid asked Popravak to keep the council updated on the progress the commission makes. Popravak said he would, and that the commission has a meeting planned in July. Since he was elected, Harris has touted Northwest Indiana's resources like the lakefront, the Gary/Chicago International Airport, the South Shore railroad, casinos and the planned Lake County Convention Center. A stadium for a sports franchise is the next step, he said. Nearly 30 years ago, Harris said his late father proposed legislation to bring a sports stadium to Northwest Indiana, also aiming to draw the Chicago Bears to the region. 'To be able to pick up the ball, as his son, I'm very proud and happy about that, and I'm sure he would be also,' Harris said. 'I'm glad to see this bill has made the movement that it has and it will make it through the process, and excited about what it will mean in terms of professional sports, economics and jobs in Northwest Indiana.'
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A fight challenge, musical moments and long meetings: Inside committee day at the Statehouse
Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, introduces a bill before the House Ways and Means Committee on March 26, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) It was a 10-committee day for Indiana's General Assembly — and your favorite reporters! That means 150 lawmakers dashing from room to room to hear testimony, explain bills, broker compromises. Lobbyists, residents and staff also fill up the halls. Add in caffeine and sugar from the snack shack, and you've got a typical Wednesday at the Statehouse. It's an early start for the House Education Committee, with a fairly full House chamber. In what has become a weekly ritual, committee chairman Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, has to ask Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, to 'Please, speak into your mic!' as others chuckle. It's not uncommon for other lawmakers to rib the grandfatherly Smith over microphone bloopers. The committee quickly settles into what would be an hours-long meeting to amend and vote out three bills, and hear testimony on two others. The House's Family, Children and Human Affairs Committee starts 15 minutes late but is quick to get through two bills already heard last week. Senate Bill 498, on child services, passes 12-0. That prompts Rep. Elizabeth Rowray, R-Yorktown, to joke, 'I just want to know if we are going to hold hands and sing kumbaya?' But the consensus ends quickly, as Democrats oppose Senate Bill 463. It loosens child-staff ratios in licensed child care centers — mirroring laws in contiguous states instead. Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, stays jovial, saying, 'I've got a lot of friends who are Democrats.' But Rep. Vanessa Summers, D-Indianapolis, says the ratios were previously tightened for a reason. She has served on the committee for much of her 34-year tenure. 'Our children were in danger,' she says. 'When we did this, it wasn't out of ignorance. It was out of need for the time and I can't say that the time is better or worse than it was years ago.' The meeting concludes within the hour, with members scattering to their other obligations. Richmond Republican Rep. Brad Barrett has three bills moving this session — and Sen. Ed Charbonneau, who chairs the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee, opts to hear all three at once. Charbonneau, a Valparaiso Republican, dubs the hearing 'Chairman Brad Barrett Day,' which coincides with National Spinach Day, according to lobbyist Matt Bell. But testimony on Barrett's first proposal, the wide-ranging House Bill 1003, drags for hours. Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, kicks off the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee's meeting promptly at 10:30 a.m. and adjourns it in less than three minutes — so quickly one member votes before he can even sit down. Lawmakers have long sought to offer former public servants guaranteed annual benefit boosts, with earlier retirees getting 13th checks and more recent retirees racking up cost-of-living adjustments. That hybrid system's onset would be delayed to 2029 under changes Rogers brought to House Bill 1221 Wednesday. All retirees would get 13th checks annually until then. Committee members accept the edits by consent within the meeting's first minute, and complete a unanimous vote before the third — despite a late arrival. The attorney calling the roll pauses as Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, dumps a bag and other belongings on the table and leans down to the microphone to vote. The House Education Committee is still trudging along, but testimony gets heated for proposed amendments to Senate Bill 373. One would create an optional pilot for groups of traditional, charter and private schools to share facilities and transportation through a newly created local board. It would also establish an Indianapolis alliance to conduct a facilities study and create an implementation plan before 2026. More than a dozen charter school families speak excitedly about efforts to expand busing, because most charters lack it. Among the supporters are several elementary schoolers, whose testimony — and fabulous reading skills — elicit compliments from lawmakers. But Indiana School Boards Association leader Terry Spradlin diverges. 'This is an amendment that we're struggling to understand the genesis of, the need of, the justification for,' he says. 'We have clear lines of authority between the superintendent, the CFO and the school board. This is only going to blur the lines of local governance and lead to a lot of confusion about authority on tax levy dollars.' The committee doesn't vote on the final bill, leaving it on the agenda for next week. This time, we're the ones late to the party — too many meetings to cover, and not enough Capital Chronicle reporters! The House's Elections and Apportionment Committee members are debating changes to Senate Bill 10, which would end the use of public college and university identification cards at the voting box. Fifteen amendments are filed, but committee members spare us. They accept — along party lines — one detailed, Republican amendment altering voter list maintenance and data-sharing. And they defeat three Democratic amendments along the same margins before consenting to one considering consular reports of births abroad proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill is approved on a 9-4 vote. Lawmakers move on. Senate Bill 137 — intended to block people with only temporary credentials from registering to vote at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles — manages to draw bipartisan support from prominent state officials. But Julia Vaughn, leader of elections watchdog Common Cause Indiana, testifies that the BMV's data is outdated and could ensnare naturalized citizens. Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, criticizes Vaughn's description of her group as 'nonpartisan,' claiming that 99% of its 2024 donations were to Democrats. Vaughn interrupts him, voice wavering. 'Excuse me, representative, we don't make campaign contributions, so I'm not quite sure who you are referring to. … Please don't say things that simply aren't true,' she asserts, prompting Prescott to reply, 'I'm sorry — the employees.' Vaughn calls his accusation 'really unfair,' while Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, says it 'was very inappropriate' and that the committee should focus on the legislation. 'Duly noted,' says chair Rep. Tim Wesco, R-Osceola. The committee unanimously agrees to advance it, then speeds through proposals dealing with ballot counter oaths and absentee ballot retractions in 30 minutes. That involves the party-line defeat of edits from Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, about names with special characters. The confused-looking committee is about to vote on the edits when the Election Division's Democratic co-director walks to Errington and whispers in her ear. Errington says she's been informed that the Voting System Technical Oversight Program requested the changes. 'V-STOP has not contacted me at all about it,' Wesco remarks. '… Call the roll.' Extensive committee questioning and lengthy testimony — 21 witnesses signed up — slows the Senate's health committee to a crawl. Charbonneau urges self-imposed limits, saying he doesn't want to set a timer. 'I implore you to please make your point,' Charbonneau says just before 11:30 a.m., with more testimony ahead. The appeal doesn't curb the drawn-out speeches and exchanges. Testimony doesn't end until 12:19 p.m. and the committee still has three bills to go. During a lunchtime worship hour, music from the adjoining meditation room bleeds into the ongoing Senate health committee meeting. Aides deliver water, coffee and soda to parched senators. After Barrett's first bill is finally voted out, his second flies by in less than 10 minutes despite a flurry of revisions. Barrett's third and final bill concludes at 1:05 p.m. But committee members must stay for one more measure — though both people who signed up to testify have already left. Members amend the last bill and adjourn at last. Lawmakers and lobbyists alike leave the room wearily, with little time to rest before the next round of committees. Just a few minutes after leaving the health meeting on the fourth floor, Sen. Liz Brown promptly starts the 1:30 p.m. committee she chairs down in the basement: Judiciary. Members hear one bill to potentially add judicial officers to counties depending on caseloads. Brown, R-Fort Wayne, invites Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, to speak on House Bill 1144 — saying he's 'looking so sharp in his spring blazer.' Six proposed amendments are added. It's passed on a 10-0 vote in under 30 minutes. But there is more work to be done. Brown warns of a plan that could reallocate judges around the state based on population shifts. Counties with low caseloads might lose judicial officers. Stay tuned. Back up on the Statehouse's fourth floor, Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, gavels the Senate Public Policy Committee meeting into order. House Bill 1272, dealing with inactive state groups and inter-state compacts, gets amendments and a vote in five minutes flat. Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, settles into the witness chair to introduce House Bill 1073, which would let the Indiana Gaming Commission regulate bare-knuckle fighting, boxing, wrestling and more. It's amended and unanimously voted out within another five minutes. 'In the spirit of the bill … I'd like to challenge Sens. (Justin) Busch and Walker to a bare-knuckle fight here on the floor of the committee (room),' Baldwin says, in jest. Committee members jokingly make a motion and second it, before someone quips that they'd like to finish the meeting first. Baldwin starts, 'This bill is pretty simple, besides what's about to happen to Walker —,' '(Sen.) Kyle Walker!' interjects Sen. Greg Walker. Both 'Walkers' are on the same committee. The House Ways and Means Committee gets off to a slightly late start, with Chair Jeff Thompson holding his glass 'penalty jar' aloft. He uses it to ensure lawmakers and the public mute their cell phones. 'We're looking a little light, so feel free to leave your phones on,' the Lizton Republican wisecracks. The money is ultimately donated to charity. Lawmakers speed through their seven-bill agenda, advancing four bills in just half an hour. Nearly every bill today is 'amend and vote only' — no testimony. Republicans traditionally bat down Democratic suggestions, but Thompson surprises some by accepting back-to-back amendments from Rep. Greg Porter on Senate Bill 516. One would require the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to notify the state budget committee before it buys land, while another would require that companies invite the entire committee on tours — not just GOP leadership. Thompson asks if Porter will agree to incorporate the edits by consent. 'It gives my heart great joy,' the Indianapolis Democrat replies. The committee holds one bill back for another week, and zips through another legislative effort from Rogers. She heads back to the education panel in time for another vote. Thompson closes the meeting shortly after, but warns committee members, 'Do not expect the meeting to be this short the next two weeks.' 'No' votes largely outweigh affirmative votes during the afternoon's Senate education meeting. Republican senators shoot down a slew of Democratic proposals offered on a school deregulation bill, including one requiring the Indiana education secretary to hold at least a bachelor's degree. Another failed edit would have required the secretary to reside in Indiana. Amendment discussion echoes a morning debate in the House Education Committee, when those members contemplated whether school superintendents should have to hold high-level academic degrees. Senate committee amendments on a measure to bar transgender women from playing on collegiate women's sports teams also fail along party lines. Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport, the bill's sponsor, is polite — but brief — in the few remarks she makes in opposition to Democrats' attempts to rollback the legislation. 'Thank you … but I just ask that this be defeated,' she says at multiple points in the discussion. The ban moves on a party-line vote and heads for the Senate floor for further consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Chicago Tribune
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Sewage seeps into politics as lawmaker's Gary agency sues cities she represents
A dispute over wastewater treatment user rates is pitting a Gary state lawmaker against communities she represents in the Indiana General Assembly. State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary, whose District 3 seat includes Gary, Hobart, Lake Station and New Chicago, is also the executive director of the Gary Sanitary District. On Jan. 15, the GSD and the city of Gary filed a federal lawsuit against Hobart, Lake Station and the Merrillville Conservancy District seeking a declaratory judgment to pave the way to raise user rate fees for treating their wastewater. A declaratory judgment typically spells out the legal relationship between the parties and their legal obligations. Gary contends the user rates for the three communities are decades old and too low to meet the requirements of a federal consent decree. In the 1980s, the Environmental Protection Agency cited the GSD for the pumping of toxic sludge laced with PCBs into a small lagoon in violation of the Clean Water Act. A judge later ordered a cleanup. The lawsuit has further soured relations between Hatcher and Lake Station and Hobart officials. In last year's primary, leaders in the two cities supported Hatcher's opponent Heather McCarthy who's also Hobart city attorney. Hatcher went on to win the primary and the general election to earn a fourth term in the General Assembly. In January, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton named Hatcher, an attorney who also holds an MBA, as executive director of the Gary Sanitary District, and she left her post as the city's community development director. Meanwhile, Hatcher represents Gary, Hobart and Lake Station during the week in Indianapolis in Statehouse matters. The session ends April 29. Few officials opted to talk about the rate dispute. Hobart Mayor Josh Huddlestun declined comment and a representative from the MCD didn't return a call for comment. Hatcher also declined to comment, citing the pending lawsuit, and attorneys for both sides didn't return calls for comment. Earlier, she said in an interview at a city event March 10 that an independent study was ongoing on the rates. 'What we know right now about Merrillville, Hobart and Lake Station is they are paying less than what it costs to treat their wastewater.' The complaint alleged the shortfall impacts Gary residents. 'Specifically, MCD and Hobart's user charge rates have placed a disproportionate burden on the citizens of Gary, who are paying substantially higher rates than those directly supported by MCD and Hobart,' the complaint said. Lake Station Mayor Bill Carroll, however, disagreed. He said he doesn't feel Hatcher serves the interests of the communities she represents. 'If I can't be paid as a fireman… but yet Ragen Hatcher can be a representative for the communities she's trying to increase the user rate on, I think it's a huge conflict of interest,' said Carroll, a Democrat like Hatcher and Huddlestun. After he became mayor, Carroll joined the Lake Station Volunteer Fire Department, but he doesn't accept pay from the city as a fireman because the city pays his salary as mayor. 'It's not fair to the communities she represents to try to put these huge rates on her constituents. There's no way the IURC (Indiana Utility Rate Commission) or anyone in their right minds think it's fair.' It couldn't be determined if Hatcher's dual roles represented a conflict. It could be a question for the state's public access counselor, but the office is vacant. A spokesman for Gov. Mike Braun said the job would be filled by the end of March. A public access counselor's ruling, however, is non-binding. After talks broke down, Indianapolis-based Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP filed the lawsuit for the GSD and Gary in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana in Hammond. The case was assigned to Judge Philip P. Simon and Magistrate Judge Abizer Zanzi was also added. The Merrillville Conservancy District along with Hobart and Lake Station hired Dentons Bingham Greenbaum LLP, of Jasper, to represent them. The same law firm also filed a petition for a review of rates and charges on Nov. 26, 2024, with the IURC. The GSD first entered a wastewater treatment agreement with Lake Station in 1982. The complaint said the agreement expired in 2002, and GSD continued to provide treatment services under an implied fact contract at the 1982 rate. Hobart entered a contract with GSD in 1984 and GSD signed a pact with the MCD in 1995. Hobart city officials weighed building their own sewage treatment plant in 2001 because of rising GSD rates, but ultimately didn't do it. The communities have been haggling over user fees for several years. In 2016, they contended GSD sludge disposal costs increased 69% over 2015 levels. The federal case is ongoing with the last filing submitted March 17. 'At the end of the day, we want the communities to come together and work together,' said Carroll. Technically, we're all fighting for money and that hurts our districts.'
