Touting newsletters - one from Senator Lanane and one from our mayor

Senator Lanane is sending out a weekly newsletter of Senate bills. Here is a an example from this week:

Education

Local schools would be able to choose how best to use state mandated professional development and parent-teacher conference days under SB 544. The proposal seeks to provide school corporations with the authority to dismiss students for three full days instead of six half days required by current law. The bill would save an estimated $8 million in school transportation costs. SB 544 is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development. In other action, members advanced SB 213 which would extend the number of student instructional days from 180 days to 200 days by the 2010-2011 school year.

Commuter rail study

As an alternative to building more roads and paving over more of Indiana farmland, members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Transportation and Veterans Affairs explored a different approach this week while considering a bill I authored, SB 105. The legislation would require the Indiana Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study regarding implementation of a commuter rail system with service between Muncie and Indianapolis. The proposal calls for the study to include possible routes, the consideration of stops along the rail system in the growing communities of Anderson, Noblesville and Fishers, and estimated costs and potential usage of the proposed rail system. In addition, the bill authorizes the department to apply for any federal grants available to conduct the study and requires completion of the study by August 2008. SB 105 was approved and now goes before the full Senate for further consideration.

I think he is doing a good job with this. No grandstanding, just the facts of what is going on. Sign up by going to his web page.

I wish I could be a bit happier with the Mayor's newsletter. I find myself disturbed that the Herald-Bulletin did not care to report on this:

This past Thursday, the City of Anderson sponsored a breakfast for a business delegation from Israel. In addition to providing them information about why Anderson is the right place for business, Flagship Enterprise Center director Art Patterson was on hand to introduce our small business incubator advantages. And it was good to see Sherwin Pomerantz again. We met Sherwin during our business trip to Israel where he works to development economic opportunities for Israeli businesses in Indiana. In addition to Art, Sam Pellegrino of Old National Bank and Outside Sales Representative Greg Winkler rounded out our representation.

It could use a better proofreader but at least the Mayor is trying to keep us informed of what he is trying to do. this is the first to get this newsletter, so I will withhold any other criticism. You can sign up for this newsletter here.