Errington's Summary: Monthly Report for District 34

Oct 29, 2024

Welcome to Errington’s Summary, my monthly newsletter, where I will provide legislative and community updates for you as your state representative for Muncie. Please reach out to my office at h34@iga.in.gov if you have any questions, concerns or thoughts on what you’d like to see in this newsletter.

ENVIRONMENTAL ROUNDTABLE

On Oct. 22, I hosted an Environmental Roundtable at the Muncie Public Library, Maring-Hunt Branch. The roundtable focused on creating systems to move beyond traditional recycling methods to embrace a circular economic approach, where products and materials are kept in continuous motion to minimize waste.

Participants included Director of the Board at Circular Indiana Pam Francis; Circular Indiana Board Member Kenneth Miller; Ball State Associate Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Management Dr. Joshua Gruver; Recycling Club Sponsor and Japanese teacher at Muncie Central High School Allen Kidd; and Muncie Sanitary District Superintendent of Sanitation and Recycling Jason Donati.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to listen and ask questions during the roundtable discussion. Preserving our natural environment is necessary for the health of all Hoosiers. I am thankful to everyone who came out to learn more and discuss our state's environmental concerns.

A STROLL THROUGH DUTRO-ERNST WOODS

Just before my Environmental Roundtable on Oct. 22, I strolled through Dutro-Ernst Woods, a 33-acre urban nature preserve in my district. Owned and protected by Red-tail Land Conservancy, the trail leads through a prairie-in-restoration and early successional woodland. The beautiful trail is home to many native species of plants and wildlife and is free for the public to enjoy year-round.

Julie Borgmann and JoAnna Darda, the executive director and outreach coordinator of Red-tail Conservancy, joined me on the trail. Julie and JoAnna took time to highlight key areas of the preserve and give me more insight into the restoration progress. I am grateful to Julie and JoAnna for taking the time out of their day to teach me more about the property and the organization's efforts to protect our vital ecosystems.

To learn more about Dutro-Ernst Woods, click on the video below:

inhousedemocrats

A post shared by @inhousedemocrats

To learn more about Dutro-Ernst Woods and Red-tail Conservancy, click here.

SOLAR 101 COMMUNITY WORKSHOP

On Oct. 17, I attended the Solar 101 Community Workshop hosted by the Center for Energy Education. During the meeting, we discussed utility-scale solar developments, environmental benefits and the economic impacts of utility-scale solar projects. By encouraging the development of various solar initiatives throughout Indiana, we could not just help our environment; such initiatives would also help bolster the state's economy, particularly in rural areas.

Muncie is the proud home of the nation's largest ground-source, closed-loop district geothermal energy system at Ball State University. This facility has repeatedly shown the benefits of renewable energy initiatives and the effect that we can have on our local environments. I am optimistic that by furthering public knowledge on the benefits of solar energy, we will see similar success with future solar energy projects in Muncie.

Thank you to the Center for Energy Education for educating Hoosiers around the state about how renewable energy can help their communities.

ERRINGTON ENCOURAGES PUBLIC COMMENT ON SECOND DRAFT DIPLOMA

On Oct. 9, the State Board of Education (SBOE) and Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) released the second draft of the Indiana high school diploma proposal. Despite the numerous concerns voiced by legislators, educators, parents and students, the second draft does not address student transportation, counselor shortages, workplace safety or long-term funding.

The IDOE is currently accepting comments and concerns on the second draft proposal until Nov. 8. To fill out the online form, click here.

There will also be a public hearing on the diploma proposal on Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. ET in the Indiana Government Center South (302 W. Washington Street, Conference Room B, Indianapolis, Indiana). I encourage parents, students, educators and stakeholders to share their thoughts and opinions on the proposal.

For more information on the second draft, you can read a news article at this link. As always, please contact our office at h34@iga.in.gov with any questions or concerns.

GET READY TO VOTE

Election day is quickly approaching! Voting is one of the most important actions you can take to ensure that your voice is heard and you are represented in our democracy. We want to encourage you to make a plan for how you are going to cast your ballot on or before the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Early voting is open now at the Election Room on the first floor of the Delaware County Building, 100 W. Main St in Muncie. Voting is open 8:30 am - 4 pm now through Saturday, Nov. 2. It is open again on Monday, Nov. 4 from 8:30 am - noon. To check your registration status, see a list of candidates on the ballot, find information about early voting, request an absentee ballot, or find polling locations near you, visit indianavoters.in.gov. Remember, if you are casting an absentee ballot, voted ballots must be received by 6 PM (close of polls) on Election Day in order to be counted.

In order to vote at the polls, you must have a valid Photo ID. Acceptable forms of ID include: driver's license, passport, military ID or picture ID from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The criteria for acceptable ID include:

Photograph
A name which matches the voter registration record
An expiration date after Election Day
Must have been issued by the U.S. government or the state of Indiana
A student ID from an Indiana State school may only be used if it meets all of the four criteria specified above.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

Every October, communities and advocacy organizations work to raise awareness about domestic violence, uplift survivor stories and provide additional resources to leaders and policymakers.

According to data from the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s (NNEDV) 18th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report Indiana Summary, a total of 1,963 victims were served by emergency shelters, transitional housing, hotels, motels or other housing provided by local programs in 2023. Similarly, domestic violence hotlines received 668 calls that same year.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the free 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline by dialing 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Alternatively, you can text “START” to 88788 or visit the Domestic Violence Hotline website for other ways to connect with live advocates.

For a list of Indiana resources, visit the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s website or call 1-800-332-7385.