A missed opportunity
Last week, two local lawmakers, Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, and Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, were involved in a highly-publicized confrontation at the Statehouse.
The incident involved Republican lawmakers shouting and booing Black lawmakers who were sharing concerns over a bill concerning "discriminatory" school district boundaries.
Reports allege that Lucas walked out of the session and Eberhart got into a physical altercation with Rep. Vanessa Summers, D-Indianapolis, after she called him a racist.
Both Eberhart and Lucas had the opportunity to speak with their constituents on the matter during a virtual Third House session on Monday, but neither lawmaker attended.
Eberhart and Lucas also didn’t attend the first Third House session in January.
It’s disappointing the legislators both missed the session, as they could’ve addressed the concerns of their constituents — the people they represent — directly. The two should make time out of their schedules to attend the next Third House session on March 22.
Prioritizing public concerns
COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into a lot of government planning, but some essential projects need to be brought back to the forefront.
In 2020, Bartholomew County officials listened to public outcry and decided to purchase body and car cameras for the sheriff’s department.
While the equipment arrived in Columbus from Arizona last October, it is still currently sitting on a shelf not being used.
Local officials have said the reasoning for the delay is due to the large number of projects that have quickly accumulated for the county’s Information Technology staff.
The Bartholomew County Council has voted 6-1 to change the salary ordinance to allow an additional IT specialist, and move $50,000 into a fund for that person’s salary and benefits.
It’s understandable that there are a lot of IT issues at this time, but the county needs to make good on its promise and get those cameras operating sooner than later.
Important discussions
Local Black leaders have put on multiple virtual events this February as part of Black History Month, but the most recent discussions hit the closest to home.
This past Saturday, a four-person panel discussed "My Black Experience in Columbus, Indiana." The event included a range of topics, including the need for the local Black community to be more unified and better promote its resources to help new Black residents succeed. Panelists also talked about systematic racism and how it has impacted their lives in Columbus.
Another important discussion, called "Black History in Columbus Over the Last 40-plus years," was held on Monday. In this presentation, local Black leaders recalled the horrors and triumphs the Black community has experienced in Bartholomew County in recent years: from the Ku Klux Klan parading around the Bartholomew County Courthouse in 1977 to J. Irwin Miller leading the fight in workplace equity on a local and national level.
Both events can be viewed on the NAACP Columbus/Bartholomew Facebook page. The sessions are informational for all county residents, and we encourage all to watch.
