Tag: SB1

GOP candidates for Monroe County commissioner field questions on economic development

At a Wednesday afternoon forum hosted by the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation at the Monroe Convention center, three rounds of county commissioner candidates from both major parties fielded questions from a moderator and the audience.

That included the two Republican candidates for the party’s District 3 county commissioner nomination.

Competing for the GOP nomination for the District 3 county commissioner seat are Joe Van Deventer and Paul White, Sr.

All registered voters in the county can cast a ballot in a District 3 race. The geographic districts for county commissioners are used only to define the area of the county where candidates have to live.

Primary Election Day is May 7, but in-person early voting has been underway for a couple of weeks, at the Monroe County election operations center at 3rd and Walnut streets.
Continue reading “GOP candidates for Monroe County commissioner field questions on economic development” →

Life Chain demonstration against abortion gives Bloomington annual test of its ‘digital divide’

Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)
Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)
Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)
Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)
Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)
Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)
Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)
Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)
Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)
Life Chain, Bloomington, Indiana (Oct. 1, 2023)

On Sunday, the reaction to the annual Life Chain demonstration against abortion, from motorists along Bloomington’s 3rd Street, could be measured in the difference between the digits of the human hand—a thumb turned up in approval, versus the middle finger turned skyward in scorn.

That’s what one local organizer of the event, Carole Canfield, calls the annual “digital divide” that is provoked by the demonstration.

It’s part of a national Life Chain demonstration, which is an annual event that started in 1987.

Clusters of people, in some cases families, were gathered along 3rd Street heading west into town, holding signs reading “Stop Abortion Now,” “Abortion Kills Children,” “Adoption: Loving Option,” and other similar statements. Continue reading “Life Chain demonstration against abortion gives Bloomington annual test of its ‘digital divide’” →

Bloomington OKs $100K for emergency reproductive services, meant to counter effect of SB1

Bloomington city council president Susan Sandberg (Oct. 19, 2022)
Bloomington city council (Oct. 19, 2022)
Bloomington corporation counsel Beth Cate (Oct. 19, 2022).

On a unanimous vote at its regular Wednesday meeting, Bloomington’s city council approved a $100,000 appropriation for this year (2022) to pay for “an emergency reproductive health care program to help address the impacts of Indiana’s near-total abortion ban.”

Last week the council adopted a budget for 2023 that included another $100,000 for the same purpose.

From the public mic on Wednesday came opposition to the appropriation as well as support for it.

The expenditures are supposed to provide “lawful assistance to residents of Bloomington” who are affected by SB1, a law that prohibits most abortions in the state of Indiana, effective Sept. 15. Continue reading “Bloomington OKs $100K for emergency reproductive services, meant to counter effect of SB1” →

Photos: Protesters mourn effective date of Indiana’s law prohibiting most abortions

Maqubè Reese vice president of the Monroe County NAACP. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Right: Bloomington city councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Bloomington director of public engagement Mary Catherine Carmichael. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Maqubè Reese addresses the crowd on the Monroe County courthouse lawn. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Members of the Monroe County council recessed their budget hearings so they could attend the rally outside on the courthouse lawn. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Right: Monroe County councilor Geoff McKim exchanges fisbumps with deputy mayor Don Griffin. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Amalia Shifriss co-hair of the steering committee for Hoosier Jews for Choice and former board member of Monroe County NOW (National Organization of Women). (Sept. 14, 2022)
From left: Monroe County commissioners Julie Thomas and Penny Githins. (Sept. 14, 2022)
(Sept. 14, 2022)
(Sept. 14, 2022)
Bloomington mayor John Hamilton. (Sept. 14, 2022)
From left: Monroe County commissioners Julie Thomas, Lee Jones, and Penny Githins. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Monroe County commissioner Julie Thomas. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Bloomington deputy mayor Don Griffin. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Community advisory on public safety commissioner Renée Miller. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Shelli Yoder, Indiana state senator representing District 40. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Charlotte Zietlow, former Monroe County commissioner and Bloomington city councilmember. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Semhar Araya, vice president of the Indiana University chapter of the NAACP. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Vice chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party Shruit Rana. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Members of the Monroe County council. (Sept. 14, 2022)
Bloomington corporation counsel Beth Cate. (Sept. 14, 2022)

On the evening before the effective date of SB1, Indiana’s new law that prohibits most abortions, around a hundred people gathered on the southeast lawn of the Monroe County courthouse in an event that was billed as a vigil to mark the occasion.

Attending Wednesday evening’s event (Sept. 14) and addressing the crowd were county and city officials as well as leaders of nonprofit groups. Continue reading “Photos: Protesters mourn effective date of Indiana’s law prohibiting most abortions” →

$129M in 2023: Bloomington mayor asks city council to approve 21% bigger budget for next year

Bloomington city council (Aug. 29, 2022)
Bloomington mayor John Hamilton (Aug. 29, 2020)

The 2023 budget  that has been proposed by Bloomington mayor John Hamilton comes in at $129.2 million, which is about 21 percent more than last year.

That’s the figure in city controller Jeff Underwood’s memo, which was released on Monday at 2 p.m. A  news release came a few minutes later.

Hamilton delivered the proposal to the city council on Monday evening.

The budget reflects a 5-percent pay increase for non-union workers, plus a $250 quarterly bonus, for a total of $1,000 in bonuses.

Hamilton’s presentation was followed by a financial overview from city controller Jeff Underwood and an overview of compensation by human resources director Caroline Shaw.

After that, the council received departmental budget briefings from several departments: human resources; clerk’s office; legal department; information and technology services; city council; controller; and office of the mayor.

The departmental budget breakdowns were released last Friday.  The departmental budget presentations to the council will continue over the next three nights, all starting at 6 p.m.  The B Square will report reaction from councilmembers separately.

The $129 million reflects all of the city’s departments, but does not include city of Bloomington utilities, Bloomington Transit, or the Bloomington Housing Authority. Adding in the budgets for those three entities brings the total to about $229 million.

Changes residents will notice

Part of the budget proposal includes reductions in some city services, increased costs to residents, or changes to current practice.

Continue reading “$129M in 2023: Bloomington mayor asks city council to approve 21% bigger budget for next year” →

County council warm to Bloomington’s pitch for convention center transfer

From left: Bloomington deputy mayor Don Griffin and Greater Bloomington Chamber president Eric Spoonmore address the Monroe County Council (Aug. 9, 2022)
Greater Bloomington Chamber president Eric Spoonmore addresses the Monroe County Council (Aug. 9, 2022)
County councilor Jennifer Crossley (Aug. 9, 2022)
View looking south from the top of the 4th Street parking garage of property that could be used for the convention center. The convention center is in the right of the frame. (Aug. 9, 2022)

While a lot of details remain to be worked out, Monroe County councilors appear receptive to the basic idea of transferring ownership of the county’s convention center and related properties to the city of Bloomington.

The city’s hoped-for timeline for getting the deal done is the end of September.

At their regular meeting on Tuesday, county councilors took turns responding to a pitch from Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Eric Spoonmore, who is their former colleague, and Bloomington deputy mayor Don Griffin. The two gave a somewhat longer version of the proposal that county commissioners had heard during public commentary at their regular meeting last Wednesday. Continue reading “County council warm to Bloomington’s pitch for convention center transfer” →