Voting Integrity Bill passes Committee and goes to full Indiana House
In order to protect the integrity of Indiana elections, a new House Bill has passed committee, which will require Indiana voters who request mail-in ballots to swear under possible penalty of perjury that they won’t be able to vote in person at any time during the 28 days before Election Day. The Bill is now being sent to the full House for discussion and vote.
Representative Tim Wesco of Osceola has sponsored the Bill as an updating of the state’s mail-in ballot law to reflect the greater availability of early in-person voting opportunities, which have now been in place for several years. The current language in Indiana Election Law specifies that in order to vote by mail, they must either be 65 or older, confined to their homes, scheduled to work throughout the 12 hours Election Day polling sites are open, or will be absent from their home counties on Election Day. None of those restrictions currently involve the early voting period.
Ross Grimes appointed to vacated MCCSC School Board position
Bloomington resident Ross Grimes has been appointed to serve out the next 3 years as the MCCSC District 6 School Board Member. The Monroe County Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees held a special meeting last week, where they interviewed four candidates for position which was vacated by the resignation of Jacinda Townsend Gides, whose current term began January 1, 2021. He was sworn into his new role last evening during the MCCSC School Board regularly scheduled meeting.
Grimes has lived in Bloomington since 1985, graduated from Indiana University, and works for EarthCam, a webcam content, technology, and services company. He is the father of 6 children, 3 of which graduated from MCCSC schools, and 3 of which are currently enrolled. Grimes is also a past PTO President at University Elementary.
New humanities living-learning program to be housed in Collins Living-Learning Center at IU
According to an Indiana University statement, Students applying to live at the Ralph L. Collins Living-Learning Center for the fall semester will have the option to be part of the new ACT Humanities Program, which promotes the integration of “action, community, and thought” as the foundation of student training. The ACT Humanities Program will open in fall 2022 as Collins reopens to students after a $23 million renovation project.
The humanities program is one facet of a comprehensive humanities recruitment initiative from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Arts and Humanities Council. The initiative will also include new campus tours, in-person recruitment days, student activity fairs and a student ambassador program. The recruitment initiative and ACT Humanities at Collins is said to promote a new, more active version of humanistic training. Program organizers intend to recruit students committed to “self-cultivation and mindful social action.”
Residents enrolled in the humanities program will enjoy Collins’ upgraded facilities and resources while also having access to the Cook Center for Public Arts and Humanities, unique behind-the-scenes experiences with campus humanities programs, and career workshops with alumni and other experts. Internship and travel opportunities related to students’ career plans will also be provided.
Collins, an historic residence hall at IU Bloomington’s campus, was unoccupied for the entirety of the 2021-22 school year. It will reopen in the 2022 fall semester, along with the new ACT Humanities Program, which will be located in the Smith building. Housing applications for Collins open in February.
This Week in Hoosier History
1978 – The “blizzard of ’78” paralyzed much of the state. Blowing snow, ice, and snow drifts made travel nearly impossible and closed many schools. Winds gusted to 55 mph, and snow was 20 inches deep in areas.
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