Recent editorials published in Indiana newspapers

The (Munster) Times. December 8, 2017

State safety board not living up to name

A recent ruling by a state panel that's supposed to promote Hoosier safety highlights why only we as individuals can look out for our own best interests.

In what should have been an obvious ruling in favor of safer building codes, the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission unanimously rejected earlier this week a Michigan City carbon monoxide detector ordinance.

Michigan City came before the governor-appointed panel, seeking approval for an ordinance that would have required carbon monoxide detectors in all new construction.

Most of us are familiar with the dangers of CO. Threats from the odorless, colorless, fatally poisonous gas - often produced by malfunctioning home appliances - has been well publicized.

Members of the state safety panel no doubt know it, too. And if they don't, they have no business serving in that capacity.

The well-known dangers notwithstanding, the 11-member commission ruled Michigan City's ordiance defective due to "language" issues that weren't further explained to town leaders.

It appears to be the latest in a series of unnecessary hoops the board is forcing communities that want safer building codes to jump through.

A similar move by Chesterton also has been struck down by the panel. Similar ordinances passed in Porter and St. Joseph counties are pending.

LaPorte finally won approval for a carbon monoxide detector requirement - but only after a bureaucratic dance that required three attempts at passage.

When it comes to public safety, there should be no such dances.

Michigan City's ordinance was modeled on LaPorte's successful language.

Serious questions must also be raised of the panel's membership.

Michigan City Fire Marshal Kyle Kazmierczak said the panel is primarily made up of building and construction industry representatives. Of the 11 members, only two are firefighters, he added.

"What they're doing, in my opinion, is trying to draw it out as long as possible so we just go away," Kazmierczak said.

He's right to suggest the panel create a template for acceptable carbon monoxide detector ordinances, drawing on LaPorte's approved ordinance for a guide.

But Gov. Eric Holcomb also should be watching this process and intervening if necessary. The governor should revisit the board's makeup and ensure more folks with a professional safety background are considered.

Indiana lawmakers also should consider requiring carbon monoxide detectors in new construction as a matter of state law, not just local ordinances.

We realize Hoosier government often is leery of regulating business, and we understand the value of Indiana's business-friendly atmosphere to growing our economy.

But the paramount function of any government is public safety. Nothing trumps protecting our state's most important assets - its residents.

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The Anderson Herald Bulletin. December 6, 2017

Help needed to fill empty stockings

For some, it's the most wonderful time of the year.

But for so many Madison County residents, it's the most awful time of the year.

Bobby, age 8, loves Christmas but knows his family is struggling and knows that chances are pretty good that there won't be gifts, or a stocking filled with goodies.

And Allison, age 6, who only wants a Barbie doll.

So many children will awake Christmas morning without toys. Without a stocking. Without breakfast.

And, unfortunately, winter is also on its way. Needs for clothing, shelter and necessities will increase.

The Herald Bulletin's annual Empty Stocking Fund is seeking donations to help make the season brighter for many local children.

$10,000. That is the goal of the fund, which kicked off Thanksgiving Day.

And, we have a long way to go.

As of Tuesday, the campaign was nearing $1,000.

Names of donors, such as Don and Jean Galamore, Deena Chambers and Maxine Ewing, are published at least weekly in the newspaper.

Some have donated $25. Others, $200.

Donations, which go to the Salvation Army, will help provide not only Christmas gifts, but food and other essentials. And, all of the funds donated stay in Madison County.

Last year, $10,400 was contributed to the fund. Let's not only reach the goal but surpass last year's amount.

No matter what the amount, donations can help fill those empty stockings for children such as Bobby and Allison.

Let's all dig deep and help those who might otherwise not have any presents or a warm holiday meal.

Watch for Empty Stocking Fund Updates in The Herald Bulletin and at heraldbulletin.com.

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South Bend Tribune. December 8, 2017

Kids' insurance program is not a bargaining CHIP

The Children's Health Insurance Program stands out in hyperpartisan Congress, a popular program that is supported by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Or maybe it's not so unique, after all: The program, which covers children and pregnant women with incomes that are just above Medicaid eligibility levels, expired on Sept. 30. And since then, Congress has been unable to agree on a plan to renew the roughly $14 billion a year it spends on the program.

The program is in limbo, along with the nearly 9 million children who are covered by CHIP.

It's a new low point that lawmakers have allowed the program, conceived in 1997 by Sens. Ted Kennedy, a Democrat, and Orrin Hatch, a Republican, to become bogged down by partisan bickering. Some earlier spending proposals failed to gain traction as Republican lawmakers made repeated attempts to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act.

Both sides agree about funding CHIP for five years. The disagreement is over how to pay for it. A House bill that passed mainly along party lines in November would take funds out of the ACA and Medicare.

Here in Indiana, more than 100,000 children are covered by the program. According to a statement from the state's Family & Social Services Administration, Indiana's CHIP program "has sufficient funding to continue normal operations for the next several months."

That doesn't lessen the urgency for Congress to act.

Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, a longtime advocate for CHIP, said in a statement he "will continue to push for the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program by the end of the year. Nearly 115,000 Hoosier children are counting on Congress to act. If this vital program is not reauthorized, Hoosier children could lose access to health care."

In a statement, Rep. Jackie Walorski says she's "optimistic" that "Congress will send legislation to the president's desk soon to ensure Hoosier families continue to get the help and support they need to thrive."

Some expect congressional leaders to provide temporary relief tucked into a short-term spending bill intended to avert a government shutdown. By the time you read this, that may have happened.

That's preferable to inaction, but it also kicks the can down the road. It's further evidence of Congress' dysfunction and inability to attend to a basic duty: protecting the most vulnerable among us. These are children, not bargaining chips. Reauthorize the CHIP program.

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The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette. December 7, 2017

Every opportunity, lowering school age to 5 small but vital change

There are 82,771 first-graders enrolled in Indiana schools this fall - about 500 fewer students than were enrolled in kindergarten last year. Likewise, there were more first-graders in 2016 than second graders this year. Those numbers don't suggest hundreds of children missing out on early learning.

But educators know there are some who arrive in Indiana classrooms without any formal learning experiences.

"That has created problems for some of our at-risk students," said Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick. "There is too much on the line academically."

Which is why the state superintendent wants the General Assembly to change the compulsory school attendance age from7 to 5. While free education is available to all children at age 5, Indiana is one of just 15 states that doesn't require students to enroll in school before age 7 or 8.

The fiscal note on an unsuccessful bill to change the compulsory school age filed in the last session references parents "forced" to enroll their children and parents who "prefer" to start their children at a later date. It claimed a minimum cost of $6.2 million in the first year.

Compulsory kindergarten won't compromise the rights of any parents who home-school their children. But it can be a powerful boost for the at-risk children McCormick cites, as well a strong signal that Indiana values early learning.

A review by the Education Commission of the States last month found 10 states and the District of Columbia require students to attend school at age 5. Massachusetts - the nation's top-performing state in K-12 education - doesn't require attendance until age 6 but makes a free education available to all at age 3.

"Lowering the age requirement for compulsory attendance ensures that students have access to the social, emotional and cognitive exposure and learning they need to be successful in future years," writeresearchers Louisa Diffey and Sarah Steffers in the Education Commission of the States review.

Objections to kindergarten at age 5 often come from college-educated parents worried about their children's maturity level. Some choose to "redshirt" their children for a year - to borrow a sports term - allowing them to grow physically and behaviorally before entering school. But their children are more likely to benefit from other opportunities - a high-quality preschool program, trips to zoos and museums, books and toys that promote learning.

It's children without those learning experiences who need teachers trained in developmentally appropriate instruction. State requirements for compulsory education could ensure at-risk children are off to a strong start.

Indiana lawmakers should heed the state superintendent's call for this small but important change to Indiana education law.

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