Waynedale Political Commentaries

One of Indiana’s biggest long-term challenges is the skills gap that exists between available jobs and available workers. For example, nearly a third of Indiana employers responded to a survey conducted by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce saying they felt that filling an open position is their biggest

I recently congratulated four teams of developers and social service agencies that were awarded Rental Housing Tax Credits (RHTCs) for their projects located in Fort Wayne.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) recently announced 17 applicants statewide that will receive just

In Indiana townships, the citizens elect not only a trustee, but also a Township Board. The Board is the legislative body of the township, and its members serve four-year terms. As the legislative body, the Board adopts and oversees the township budget, sets tax rates and approves salaries for township

The Indiana General Assembly concluded the 2018 legislative session earlier this month, passing 210 bills, 99 percent of which received bipartisan report.

Among these bills are those that accomplish our legislative agenda. At the beginning of the year, my colleagues and I considered the issues facing

That was the message from the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, and if you stopped by our office this past month you would have seen on the wall in our lobby the big colorful posters shouting out that message. Step up closer to it and read in smaller print, IndianaDisability

I want to offer my congratulations to Steve McDaniel as he’s been appointed as the new director of the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department effective April 2.

Steve is a 26-year veteran of the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department. He’s served as deputy director of asset management

The Wayne Township Trustee Office is taking applications for the 6th Annual Recognizing Achievement Scholarship that it offers to graduating high school seniors who are moving on to higher education. And for the second year we are offering the Academic Encouragement Award, for students in grades 11

Opioid abuse is a growing issue in our state, costing Indiana billions of dollars and destroying Hoosier lives. For example, 488 opioid pain reliever-related deaths occurred in Indiana in 2016 alone, which is a nearly 2,000-percent increase since 2000.

At the national level, deaths caused by drug overdoses

I recently congratulated four teams of developers and social service agencies that were awarded Rental Housing Tax Credits (RHTCs) for their projects located in Fort Wayne.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) recently announced 17 applicants statewide that will receive just

During the first half of the legislative session, my colleagues and I researched, discussed and voted on legislation authored by members of the Senate. Now, with the 2018 session in its second half, we have started considering bills passed by the House of Representatives.

Below are some of the major

The growth and momentum in our community continues as the City of Fort Wayne New Markets Revitalization Fund, LLC (FWNMRF) will receive $55 million in New Markets Tax Credits allocation authority.

Of the 230 Community Development Entities (CDEs) that applied for New Markets funding from the U.S. Treasury

Townships exist in various forms in about twenty of the United States. In my previous column I promised to talk about the difference between survey and civil townships. Simply put, a survey township is a plot of land with boundaries that have been drawn to establish regular parcels for ownership.

In the years following 1787, the new government of the United States surveyed the lands of the old Northwest Territory—an area now comprised of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota—into blocks of 36-square mile parcels called townships. Those townships became the

The Indiana General Assembly recently reached the half-way point, meaning the Senate and House of Representatives will begin considering legislation passed by their counterpart since session began January 3.

Nearly 440 bills were authored in the Senate this year, and of those, a number continue to

I want to take this opportunity to update you on some exciting initiatives taking place in the City of Fort Wayne.

We’re now in position to move forward with the next steps for the North River property. The City now owns the property, which is comprised of 29 acres bounded by Clinton, Fourth and

An opioid epidemic continues to plague our state and the rest of the nation, affecting individuals, families and entire communities in the process.

In 2016 alone, 488 Hoosiers died of an opioid-pain-reliever overdose, an almost 2,000-percent increase compared to the number of deaths in 2000, according

I recently joined Police Chief Steve Reed to provide a public safety recap of 2017 and highlight efforts designed to make the City of Fort Wayne as safe as possible.

Data from 2017:
*Overall crime was down 5 percent
*Officers responded to over 157,000 calls for service
*The FWPD’s

I recently saw a cartoon calling this past January “The Cruelest Month,” and I could relate. We’ve had record cold temperatures, an awful flu season, dangerous ice and snow, short days and long nights…okay, you’re right, it’s winter; I should be used to it. Still, you can’t blame me

Happy New Year, and welcome to winter! The snow and cold that we’ve recently experienced is making for greater energy usage in all of our homes leading some people to worry about keeping the heat on. I’d like to offer a few tips to counter that.

The first thing I do when the cold sets in is to

I hope that your New Year is off to a great start. I’m looking forward to working with all of you to make 2018 a successful year in Fort Wayne.

One of the areas we’ll be focused on in 2018 is tackling the opioid challenge we have in our community. The City of Fort Wayne has filed a public nuisance

The Indiana General Assembly is now in session, and I recently joined some of my fellow senators to announce the Senate Republicans’ 2018 Agenda.

This year, we are working to continue to fight the drug epidemic, improve Indiana’s workforce, support Hoosier schools, reform civil forfeiture laws,

I recently joined the Public Works Division to celebrate the 2017 construction season, which saw $25 million invested in neighborhoods throughout the City of Fort Wayne. Similar improvements in hundreds of neighborhoods across the City will take place in 2018 as $30 million is planned to be invested

I grew up in a family of eleven children and learned at an early age about not having an abundance of material possessions. While I was surrounded by love as a child, I still had difficulty at Christmas understanding why I couldn’t have all the gifts I wanted. And, looking back now, I know the adults

The Indiana General Assembly reconvenes next month for the 2018 legislative session. Between January 3 and mid-March, my colleagues and I will conduct research, listen to testimony, and author and vote on legislation that addresses issues facing our state.

It’s important for me to get feedback from