Indiana AG Rokita files lawsuit to stop vaccine mandates on Indiana health care workers
On Monday, Attorney General Todd Rokita filed a third lawsuit aimed at stopping President Joe Biden’s unlawful COVID-19 vaccine mandates, this one against a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule requiring vaccination of all health care workers at facilities participating in Medicare or Medicaid.
“No pandemic gives President Biden the authority to ignore the Constitution and the rule of law,” Attorney General Rokita said. “And my office will use every means at our disposal to protect Hoosiers’ liberties from this president’s gross executive overreach.”
Attorney General Rokita filed the most recent lawsuit in partnership with the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and West Virginia. On a practical level, this particular vaccine mandate causes grave danger to the vulnerable persons whom Medicare and Medicaid were designed to protect, by forcing the termination of heroic caregivers who are essential to providing health care services.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Rokita filed legal actions aimed at stopping two other mandates. In the first lawsuit, AG Rokita challenged a rule requiring vaccination for everyone working for federal contractors, including some state entities. On November 12th, Indiana and the other states in that case asked the court to enjoin the contractor mandate immediately, while the lawsuit is pending.
In the second lawsuit, Attorney General Rokita on Nov. 5 challenged an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule forcing all employers with 100 or more workers to require all employees to be vaccinated (or produce weekly negative COVID-19 tests). As in the contractor mandate case, Attorney General Rokita asked the court to act immediately to prevent enforcement of the OSHA rule.
In the case of the OSHA rule, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has already ruled against this mandate as “fatally flawed” in response to a lawsuit brought by other states. Multiple OSHA lawsuits will be consolidated into a single circuit via a lottery selection. As with the first two lawsuits, in this new lawsuit regarding the Medicaid/Medicare rule, Indiana and the other plaintiff states are asking the court to act immediately to prevent enforcement of the vaccine mandate.
City of Bloomington set to hire infrastructure developer for fiber network creation
The City of Bloomington and Meridiam, a public infrastructure developer, investor, and manager specializing in greenfield infrastructure, have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the firm to build and operate a fiber network to bring high-speed internet to Bloomington residences. By the end of the year, the City plans to enter into an agreement with the infrastructure developer to construct an open-access fiber-optic network delivering gigabit-class (and greater) broadband service throughout Bloomington, including the city’s low-income neighborhoods. Meridiam intends to begin construction in 2022.
The City and Meridiam plan to execute a full agreement by December 31. Meridiam will then complete its detailed engineering analysis to plan and design the build-out of the open-access fiber network. Meridiam plans to contract with at least one internet service provider to use the new network to deliver high-speed services within Bloomington. Additionally, Meridiam expects to build the network without a financial commitment from the City.
Investigation into alleged student’s violation of Martinsville HS Code of Conduct
The following statement was sent out to parents of students at Martinsville High School by Principal Eric Bowlen, regarding a recent incident:
Hello MHS Parents,
Martinsville High School is continuing to investigate a report that was made Thursday involving an allegation that students had violated the MHS Code of Conduct. The Martinsville City Police and Prosecutor’s Office have been notified; the Martinsville City Police and Prosecutor will handle all legal matters, if necessary.
The MSD of Martinsville takes seriously any allegation that breaches our Code of Conduct and will pursue this matter to the fullest extent to ensure the district is a safe environment for our students and staff.
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), we are unable to disclose discipline information concerning our students as a result of the investigation.
Our priority is to educate our students in a safe environment. We encourage students to contact their teacher, principal or any staff member if they feel our Code of Conduct has been breached. In addition, we offer a Tipline on the homepage of our website, msdofmartinsville.org, that is anonymous and monitored regularly.
Respectfully,
Eric Bowlen, MHS Principal
Statement from Martinsville Police Department on the matter
“The Martinsville Police Department is currently working with the MSD of Martinsville to investigate allegations regarding the victimization of some students of the Martinsville High School. When the MSD of Martinsville was first notified of possible victimization, the district notified the Martinsville Police Department.
“As the school began investigating the claims, alleged victims began coming forward. A full investigation is currently underway and is being led by the Martinsville Police Department Detective Division. At this time the extent of the victimization is unknown, but all allegations are being fully investigated. Anyone having information about any incidents of victimization is asked to contact the Martinsville Police Department at (765) 349-4900.”
This Week in Hoosier History
1921 – Pedestrians along Washington Street in Indianapolis were amazed to hear music being played on a phonograph two miles away. According to the newspapers, it was made possible by “wireless telephone.” The demonstration was conducted by radio engineer Francis F. Hamilton, who soon established the city’s first broadcasting station.
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