March 12, 2012 Advocacy Update

The 2012 Indiana Legislative Session adjourned sine die (which means “without fixing a day for future action or meeting”) as of 1:44 a.m. Saturday.  And what a session is was.  MCCOY was very active monitoring bills, helping to ensure that good legislation passed through, and worked hard to stop or amend potentially harmful policy. All of this while listening to the chants of union protestors and the cheers of Giants and Patriots fans.

            At the beginning of the session, MCCOY was involved in the development of HB1310 Commission on improving the status of children (authored by Rep. Crawford – D Indianapolis). The crux of the bill is that agencies need to work together more effectively.  A commission providing oversight would be a good start to making sure service gaps are eliminated, overlap is prevented, and resources are used wisely. This bill did not get a committee hearing, but we intend to work with our partners over the summer to reintroduce it next session.

            SB267 Education concerning child abuse (authored by Sen. Rogers – D Gary) was another priority bill. We worked with Prevent Child Abuse Indiana to make sure this was heard in the House after it passed the Senate 50-0. This bill is a great step toward preventing child sexual abuse.

            Two bills MCCOY worked hard to amend were SB312 School policies on gangs (authored by Sen. Hershman – R Wheatfield) and HB1169 School discipline (authored by Rep. Koch – R Bedford). Our concerns with these bills were the potentially harmful impact in terms of disproportionality, first amendment rights and broadening the net with which youth come into contact with the juvenile justice system. We met with community members and partners, provided testimony at hearings, sent talking points out, spoke with legislators, and followed with rapt attention the progress of these bills.

Initially, SB312 died, but the language of that bill was amended into another bill before ultimately being killed on the Senate floor.  HB1169 originally began as a bill that gave schools more discretion to suspend and expel students. It was amended to be a study committee looking at all school discipline matters and we support it in its new form.  We hope to be active as a resource for the committee studying this important issue.

You can find information on these and any other bills on the Indiana General Assembly website under Bills & Resolutions http://www.in.gov/legislative/index.htm

March Everyday Champion: Chris Rickelman

Chris Rickelman – Central Indiana Youth for Christ

What is your profession or vocation?   I work for Central Indiana Youth for Christ and am a Campus Life director.

How are you an Everyday Champion for Youth? Teenagers have a deep need to be seen, heard, known and loved.  Our role as Campus Life directors is to come alongside teenagers in order to build bridges of authentic relationships that can hold the weight of truth.  Through weekly programs, shared experiences, and honest conversations we help teens understand that they are valued, loved, and created for a purpose.  We walk with them in difficult times and spur them on to greater things.

	What impact do you hope to make on youth?
	My hope is to help teens navigate the turbulent waters of adolescence.  To walk with them, care for them, and ultimately point them to a life changing relationship with Jesus.

	What's one thing that you wish an adult had told you when you were a young person?
	The reality is that someone did tell me.  They told me that I was created by and designed for a relationship with God.  They loved me, challenged me, showed me authenticity, and pointed me towards a relationship with Jesus.  I hope to communicate those same truths to the teens I work with.

What do you want to do next to support youth?   My desire is to train and equip more adults to do this very thing.  To pour into the life of a teenager.

Celebrate International Women's Day and prevent child sexual abuse

Ladies, come to this event on Thursday March 8^th from 6-8pm to learn how you can protect all of the children in your life. Join other female community leaders at the New Day Meadery in Historic Fountain Square to learn about the Stewards of Children program and the 7 Steps that you can take to prevent sexual abuse.

Tickets are $20 and include wine tasting, gourmet cheese, and chocolate treats. Join us and take action! Click HERE to register or contact Alyssa.Newerth@mccoyouth.org for more info.

This event is generously sponsored by Huntington Bank and The Best Chocolate in Town.

March 2012 Might Mark the Most Influential Month in Indiana’s Juvenile Justices System

 

Written by: Kelly Doria, MCCOY's Chair of the Board of Director
   

The Indiana Supreme Court will have a vacancy on the court following the retirement of Chief Justice Randall Shepard on March 23, 2012.  On February 22, 2012, the Judicial Nominating Committee (7 member commission) narrowed the pool of judicial candidates to the following semi-finalists: Cale Bradford (Indiana Court of Appeals), Mark Massa (Executive Director of Indiana Criminal Justice Institute) and Jane Siegel (Executive Director of the Indiana Judicial Center).  

   

Each semi-finalist was asked to discuss two things that need improving in Indiana courts that a justice might help solve.  Ms. Seigel was the only candidate who cited the need to improve the juvenile justice to keep youth out of the system.  So frequently, the concerns of the juvenile justice system are overlooked that I think having a juvenile justice advocate on the state’s highest court will help focus the judicial system and ultimately improve outcomes for our youth.  Diversity of perspective may be lacking on the bench in Indiana.  According to statistics from the National Center for State Courts, Indiana is one of only three states that does not have a woman on its Supreme Court.

   

In addition to legal competency, ethics, and integrity, let’s hope Governor Daniels considers our youth when he appoints the next Indiana Supreme Court justice.