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Local Communities Receive Funding for Economic Development
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This week state leaders announced that several counties in northeast Indiana - including Huntington and Wabash counties - will collectively receive $45 million through the Regional Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0 program.
The READI program was launched by the state in 2021 to help fund community projects in regions across Indiana.
The funding will be managed by the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority, whose Vice President says the grant money will be used to increase job growth, create new housing opportunities, expand childcare, and invest in education and quality of life for communities in northeast Indiana.
To learn more about READI 2.0, click here. |
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Maintaining Fair Elections
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Fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy, and Hoosiers have a right to know when candidates and campaigns are using artificial intelligence (AI).
A new law I supported requires that if campaigns use AI images, audio or video that is so realistic a reasonable person might not know they're fake, they must label the content so voters know what's real and what's not.
Without these new guardrails in place, anyone could use AI to create lifelike videos or imitate someone's voice in order to deceive Hoosiers in the upcoming elections. This new law requires campaigns using AI-generated content to include a disclaimer on their material.
I also supported a new law this year that helps election offices across the state make sure voters' information is up to date and allow the state to more easily identify noncitizens who are registered illegally.
To learn more, click here. |
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Thank You, Indiana National Guard
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Each day, I am grateful for the fifty brave men and women (pictured above) who volunteered for deployment in El Paso, Texas as a part of Operation Lone Star.
Thank you for protecting Hoosiers from illegal human trafficking and drug trafficking activity at the border.
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Honoring the Lives of Mayor Thomas Henry and State Sen. Jean Breaux
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Today, several of us came together to honor and celebrate the life of Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry.
Mayor Henry was a remarkable husband, father and friend, but above all, he was a true public servant dedicated to bettering the lives of Hoosiers in northeast Indiana.
I am honored to have known and worked with Mayor Henry for several years, and even more so grateful
for the friendship we shared.
I am also saddened by the recent and sudden passaging of my colleague State Sen. Jean Breaux of Indianapolis. I cherish the time I spent working alongside Sen. Breaux in the Indiana Senate, and am thankful for her dedication to serving Hoosiers and making Indiana an even better state to live in. |
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To help further protect children, this year I supported a new law that allows the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) to use a child advocacy center to coordinate a team of specialized individuals to respond to reports of child abuse or
neglect.
To learn more about the signs that may indicate a child is being abused or neglected, click here. |
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Wishing a "Happy Birthday" to the following residents of Senate District 17 for the month of April!
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Michael Heet, 80 years old
Kathleen Blinn, 81 years old
Russell Slone, 82 years old
Sandra Speicher, 83 years old
Stephen Neal, 84 years old
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James Hoefer, 85 years old
Barbara Petek, 86 years old
Gerald Ross, 87 years old
Bruce Lemar, 88 years old
Shirley Love, 89 years old
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