Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, issued the following statement in the wake of two armed African American men being shot and killed by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers in August.
Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago.
“I am deeply disturbed by these two incidents, and we in the IBLC will continue to monitor the investigations thoroughly. In order for communities to thrive, it is imperative that there be trust between residents and the law enforcement officers who are sworn to protect and serve. If these investigations find the officers acted inappropriately and without just cause, I urge IMPD leadership and prosecutors to take action to prevent bad actors from tainting their department.
“Furthermore, these incidents require us to look more deeply at the permitless carry bill that was passed through the Indiana General Assembly in 2022 by the Republican supermajority. Despite strong pushback from law enforcement officers, including Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter, Indiana Republicans championed a bill that allows any Hoosier over the age of 18 without criminal history to carry a firearm without a permit. This dangerous bill puts the lives of civilians and police officers alike at risk. With an increase of guns in the streets naturally comes an increase in gun violence throughout the state.
“One of my biggest concerns with this law is how it will impact African Americans who are practicing their new right to carry a firearm without a permit. In a perfect world, someone’s race would not have any bearing on the outcomes of an interaction with a law enforcement officer. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, and we’ve heard of countless tragedies where Black men, women and children are killed by officers during what should be routine traffic stops and interactions. When you add a firearm into the equation—whether or not the individual has a permit for the weapon—it increases the risk of a police interaction turning deadly. Republicans were warned about this potential outcome, and they passed permitless carry anyway.
“Roughly one year since Gov. Holcomb signed the permitless carry bill into law, Indiana has continued to see unacceptable waves of gun violence. As previously stated, law enforcement officers face increased risks during routine traffic stops because they have no way of knowing if the individual they are interacting with has a gun. Increased access to guns results in heightened police apprehensions, and almost by default, elevate the likely use of deadly force during encounter.
“And African American Hoosiers who are simply taking advantage of a permitless carry law like countless other Hoosiers are at an increased risk of being hurt or killed during an interaction with police due to a lack of implicit bias training and the systemic racism that leads people to unfairly view African Americans as threatening or dangerous.
“Moving forward, I hope concerned citizens continue to call for thorough investigations of police-involved shootings and that, if necessary, IMPD holds bad actors accountable. However, with Indiana’s permitless carry law in full effect, my fear is that African Americans will continue to face higher risks and worse outcomes than white Hoosiers while practicing this right. I hope we in the General Assembly can work together to find common ground and compromise in the future regarding common sense gun reform. We must work together towards promoting justice.”
U.S. Sen. Todd Young was selected as the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Birch Bayh-Richard Lugar Government Leader of the Year. He will receive the award at the Chamber’s 34th Annual Awards Dinner Nov. 14 at the Indiana Convention Center.
Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar: “Senator Young is a true public servant in every sense of the word. What he helped accomplish with the ‘CHIPS Act’ is so far reaching and really will benefit not only America but the whole western world.”
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana.
Young: “Reshoring our manufacturing capacity of semiconductors is essential if we want to wean ourselves off of dependency on countries that either don’t share our values or might harm our interests in the future. I think it’s really important that we remember the CHIPS and Science Act is about a lot more than chips. The whole ‘Science’ component of this legislation is focused on a host of other technologies.
“[The award is] humbling because both Sens. Lugar and Bayh have earned such respect from Hoosiers and Americans, and even people outside of our country on account of their statesmanship and professionalism. But it’s also, for me, a validation that the solutions-oriented approach I have taken to this role is still meaningful and important in our state.”
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb departed Indiana Thursday on an international economic development trip to Japan, marking the governor’s third official visit to the state’s largest foreign investor.
Governor Eric Holcomb smiles in front of the American and Indiana state flags.
Holcomb: “The Indiana-Japan relationship is storied and strong, and I look forward to again visiting our friends in Japan and identifying new opportunities to further grow our cultural and economic partnerships. Japan and Indiana share so many industry strengths and, with our shared commitment to building economies of the future, we are together poised to lead, innovate, and develop the future of advanced manufacturing, energy and mobility.”
United States Cold Storage (USCS), a provider of public refrigerated warehousing and related logistics services, announced plans this week to establish operations in northwest Indiana, creating up to 60 new jobs by the end of 2028. UCSC will invest $124 million to expand to Lake County, establishing operations across a 110-acre site off I-65 at Highway 2 and Colorado Street in Hebron.
Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg: “This is an exciting day for Lake County and for Indiana as we celebrate the impact of the READI program and our commitment to economic and community development. USCS’s decision to establish a second facility in Indiana reflects the company’s confidence in our skilled Hoosier workforce and in the northwest Indiana community.”
Dave Butterfield, senior vice president, central region at USCS: “The state of Indiana and Lake County have been great to work with in support of our project. Not only do they support our new Hebron, Indiana, project but state officials also express continued interest in our USCS Lebanon, Indiana, location. Through grants and other funding measures, Indiana continues to invest in infrastructure and improvements. This all helps to make it attractive for talented people to become part of the USCS Family. We appreciate the state’s ‘business-friendly’ climate and approach. It truly enables USCS to attract and provide a people-first culture.”
Foster Success is launching a new program to help teens and young adults who have been in the foster care system overcome barriers to mental health treatment. The Mental Health Acceptance, Promotion & Support (M.A.P.S.) Initiative works to connect participants to continuous mental health services, while concurrently providing up to eight free therapy sessions to address immediate needs. M.A.P.S. is funded by the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction through a two-year, $291,250 grant.
Foster Success Senior Director of Impact and Programs Angel Crone: “Many of the young people we support suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of the abuse and neglect that led to them being placed in foster care. That’s one reason this new initiative is desperately needed. Studies show that 30% of foster youth will experience PTSD symptoms, which is twice the rate of U.S. war veterans.
“The M.A.P.S. initiative is a gap filler. It can be overwhelming and difficult to find providers and our young people typically face waiting lists of four to eight weeks—if they can even find a provider at all. This initiative allows us to provide therapy immediately while we help them overcome barriers to a more permanent mental health provider.”
This week, Mayor Joe Hogsett joined the Mayor’s Office of International and Latino Affairs (OILA) and the Immigrant Welcome Center to announce the inaugural class of the International Leaders Academy. The first session of the International Leaders Academy took place on Aug. 31. It is a free leadership program aimed at empowering and connecting with immigrant Hoosiers.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.
Hogsett: “Every resident of Indianapolis has a stake in the future of Indianapolis—that includes close to 90,000 residents who are foreign-born. By offering a new and accessible path to greater civic engagement, the International Leaders Academy reinforces what makes living in our diverse community so special.”
Gurinder Kaur, CEO of the Immigrant Welcome Center: “I am really excited at the launch of the International Leaders Academy. With more than 10% of residents of Indianapolis who report speaking a language other than English at home, this academy will serve as a gateway for our increasingly diverse immigrant community members to be engaged civically in a more intentional and meaningful manner.”