Officers seeking ‘distracted drivers’
Indiana will join other states on Thursday, April 8th as part of the national movement, ‘Connect to Disconnect’, in which police target distracted drivers with the larger hope in providing education. Indiana law enforcement agencies will reportedly be seeking drivers in violation of the state’s recently adopted “Hands Free Law.” Since July of 2020 it has been illegal in Indiana to even hold a phone which is turned on while driving your vehicle. Since the law was enacted, there have been nearly 3000 citations issued for violation.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development update on ARPA.
You are currently filing a claim under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. The American Rescue Plan Act increased the maximum amount of benefits available under the PUA program from 50 weeks to 75 weeks. Any weeks in which you received regular unemployment insurance (UI) or Extended Benefits (EB) since Jan. 27, 2020, will be subtracted from this amount.
There is no new PUA application that must be filed to receive this benefit. Continue to file your weekly voucher for the PUA program if you remain unemployed. You will also need to complete the To-Do on your Claimant Homepage to File a New UI Claim. These additional PUA benefits may only be collected for weeks ending on or after March 20, 2021. The last payable week for PUA is week ending Sept. 4., 2021.
Additionally, for each week of PUA eligibility, you will be eligible for the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. Starting with week ending March 20, 2021, if you are eligible for at least $1 of your underlying unemployment benefit amount for any week of unemployment, you will also receive a $300 supplemental FPUC payment. You do not need to take any additional action to receive this supplemental payment. The last payable week for FPUC is week ending Sept. 4., 2021.
Indiana’s 2021 State of the Judiciary
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush has delivered the 2021 State of the Judiciary to the Governor and the Indiana General Assembly. Typically, the Chief Justice provides the formal update on the work of the judicial branch in person. However, the 2021 address was released by video this year due to social distancing. The address focuses on Indiana courts revolutionizing operations and crafting new ways to resolve disputes with safety, efficiency, and accessibility. In addition to the remarks from the Chief Justice, judicial branch stakeholders discuss court technology, problem-solving courts, juvenile justice, pretrial reform, equity, judicial branch independence, and strategically moving the judiciary forward. Chief Justice Rush explained, “The unique format allows judges from around the state a platform to directly tell their story. You will hear from our frontline about the courts’ adaptability over the past year.”
The Chief Justice is required to provide lawmakers with an update on the “condition of the courts” according to Article 7, Section 3, of the Indiana Constitution. Past addresses are available online.