Governor Mike Pence today vetoed two licensing bills because he says they create barriers to the marketplace for Hoosiers and restrict competition. House Enrolled Act 12-42 would have required licenses for diabetes educators, while Senate Enrolled Act 273 would have created a license requirement for anesthesiologist assistants and dietitians, as well as state certification for music therapists. Governor Pence says he is willing to sign license legislation that opens new opportunties for employment or streamlines existing practices and procedures, but that these two did not meet those standards. In the last ten years, there has been a 38-percent increase in the number of Hoosiers holding a professional license, while the state's population has increased just seven-percent over that same time period.
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Read more: Governor Pence Vetoes Licensing Legislation

INDIANAPOLIS (May 8, 2013) – Today, Secretary of State Connie Lawson is reminding investors of the importance of understanding the distinctions between the various types of financial professionals.
“Whether you are just starting a retirement fund or need additional help with growing and managing your money, you may benefit from selecting an investment services professional. It pays to understand the differences between a broker-dealer agent, an investment adviser representative and a financial planner. Each serves a distinct role in helping with your financial future,” said Secretary Lawson.
To help investors understand these differences, the Secretary of State’s office has issued an investor advisory providing basic information on these types of financial services professionals and their obligations to investors. The advisory is available at http://www.in.gov/sos/securities/files/Financial_Professionals_IN.pdf
For example, Securities Commissioner Chris Naylor noted that anyone licensed as an investment advisor must, by law, act as a fiduciary and put the interests of his or her clients ahead of their own.
“With so many brokers and salesmen calling themselves ‘financial advisers,’ or ‘investment consultants,’ it is easy to see how investors might assume these individuals are licensed investment advisors,” Commissioner Naylor said. “That’s one reason why federal securities regulators should require all financial professionals providing investment advice to retail investors to be held to a high fiduciary standard.”
The investor advisory also provides questions to ask your financial professional and warning signs to watch for. For more information, contact the Secretary of State’s office at 1-317-232-6681 or visit us online at IndianaInvestmentWatch.com.
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Read more: It Pays to Understand the Roles of Financial Professionals

(Photo Courtesy of Governor Pence's Office)
Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today signed the state’s biennial budget, HEA 1001, at Crawford Industries in Crawfordsville.
“This is a jobs budget, and it signals that Indiana is open for business,” said Pence. “By preserving Indiana’s strong fiscal position, increasing funding for schools and roads, and giving Hoosiers $600 million a year in tax relief, this budget will encourage investment in Indiana.” 
The historic tax relief package came through a combination of income tax relief, inheritance tax repeal and other business tax reductions. It will help every Hoosier taxpayer, small businesses and family farmers, and make the state more competitive for new jobs.
The budget addresses Indiana’s skills gap with a significant investment in dropout prevention programs and jobs training. It invests $190 million in new money for K-12 education and funds initiatives to increase career and technical education opportunities in Indiana’s high schools, ensuring that graduates leave ready for either college or a career.
The budget also includes more than $600 million for roads and infrastructure, including the first new money for local roads in a decade. It provides $25 million in seed money for a life sciences research institute that will be leveraged by private dollars and will increase growth in Indiana’s life sciences sector
Pence expressed his appreciation for the legislators who worked to craft this budget. “I commend all the members of the Appropriations and Tax and Fiscal Policy committees, and especially the leadership of Chairmen Tim Brown, Luke Kenley, and Brandt Hershman,” he said.
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Read more: Pence Signs Jobs Budget

No one was injured, but an adult male is expected to be charged after two front windows were broken at a Diary Queen in Hobart Tuesday night due to shots fired from a BB gun. Jeremy Ogden, 1^st Sgt. Detective Division of the Hobart Police Department, says the incident occurred around 8:30pm, at the Dairy Queen on Main Street, and that a quick response by officers led to them locating the suspected vehicle, a grey-silver Oldsmobile minutes after the incident took place. Sgt. Ogden says two adult males and two female juveniles in the vehicle were taken into custody for questioning, with the subject expected to be charged with felony criminal recklessness and misdemeanor criminal mischief, confessing to the incident. Hobart Police report a search of the vehicle allegedly yeilded a BB gun, co2 canisters, and BB's.
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Read more: Adult Male Expected to be Charged in Hobart DQ Incident

Funeral services are in Bremen this Friday (May 10) for former Indiana Governor Otis “Doc” Bowen, who died last Saturday at the age of 95. His wake is today and tomorrow in Bremen at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
This morning, Governor Mike Pence joined Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann, Speaker of the Indiana House Brian Bosma and other statewide elected officials at the Statehouse memorial for Bowen. Governor Pence signed the condolence book, which will be presented to the Bowen family on Friday, and laid a wreath near the portrait and bust of former Governor Bowen.
Governor Pence encouraged Hoosiers to visit the memorial during Statehouse hours, 8:00 to 5:00 EDT, today and tomorrow to also sign the condolence book and learn about Bowen's life and public service.
[Photo provided/Indiana Governor's Office]
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Read more: Gov Pence at Gov Bowen Memorial

Indiana Governor Mike Pence joined executives from Subaru of Indiana today to announce the company's plans to expand its operations and add production of the Subaru Impreza in Lafayette, creating up to 900 new jobs by the end of 2016. The company will invest between $400-$450 million dollars to expand the facility's production capacity by about 100-thousand vehicles a year. Construction is slated to begin this fall and is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. Incorporated in Indiana in 1987, Subaru of Indiana has produced more than 3.9 million vehicles since it began production in 1989. This includes a company record of 271,583 vehicles in its fiscal year that ended on March 31^st of this year.
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Read more: Subaru Adding 900 New Jobs in Lafayette

Indiana School Superintendent Glenda Ritz is on the road today (Wed May 08 2013), in northwest Indiana. This morning Ritz is touring the Hammond Area Career center and meeting with administrators and teachers. This afternoon, she's touring the Porter County Career and Technical Center, followed by a meet and greet with educators at the Valparaiso University Department of Education.
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Read more: Supt Ritz Visiting Region Schools

In Lake County, prosecutors say a 26-year-old Crown Point man who was reportedly wearing a shirt that had "Jasper County Sheriff" on it faces multiple charges after police allegedly found two explosive devices, handcuffs, a loaded handgun, and police scanner in his car. The Porter County Bomb Unit was called to assist. According to a report in the Times today, court records state Ryan Cohn told authorities he collected police items as a hobby, and when asked about the devices, allegedly said he likes “things that go boom.” He faces two felony counts of possession of a destructive device and resisting law enforcement, and a misdemeanor charge of unlawful use of a police radio. He was stopped Friday after police got a report of a suspicious person and vehicle in a church parking lot in the Crown Point area, and according to nwi.com was released Tuesday after posting bond of just under five-thousand dollars.
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Read more: Man Accused of Having Explosives in Car

Here's a story to make you smile... according to La Porte Police, a citizen went to the department to turn in a wallet she found while picking up trash along Highway 35 over the weekend. There was some cash inside, and personal ID and papers, and when the owner was notified, he said it must have fallen off his vehicle while visiting a local convenience store. La Porte Police said “Another great citizen caught doing the right thing! Not only cleaning up litter to help beautify her community,” but also ensuring “someone's lost property got back to them. Terrific example setting!”
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Read more: Citizen Cleaning Highway Finds Wallet

Using the state’s new public accountability law, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office Tuesday took legal action against the former business manager of Lake Ridge Schools who is accused of misappropriating more than 133-thousand dollars in school funds. In Jasper County Superior Court, Zoeller’s office got a temporary restraining order freezing the financial assets – including bank accounts and vehicles –of James W. Huddleston of Wheatfield until a full audit can be completed. Huddleston resigned in April.
Here is the news release from the Indiana Attorney General's office:
RENSSELAER, Ind. – Using the state’s new public accountability law, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office today took legal action against the former business manager of Lake Ridge Schools who is accused of misappropriating more than $133,000 in school funds.
In Jasper County Superior Court today, Zoeller’s office sought and obtained a temporary restraining order freezing the financial assets – including bank accounts and vehicles – of James W. Huddleston of Wheatfield, Ind., until a full audit can be completed. Until resigning in April, Huddleston had been the business manager of Lake Ridge Schools in Gary, Ind.
The Attorney General’s motions for a temporary restraining order and prejudgment attachment were filed under a state law the Legislature passed in 2009 at Zoeller’s urging:  House Enrolled Act 1514-2009, the public accountability law.
“This new legal tool allows the State Board of Accounts to notify the Attorney General’s Office through a preliminary audit of potential fraud on public funds much earlier, and allows us to intervene in court to prevent defendants from transferring or concealing assets – preserving them to recover later to reimburse the public treasury,” Zoeller said.
The investigation began in April when the Lake Ridge School Corporation in Gary requested a special audit by the State Board of Accounts or SBoA after the school’s credit union reported suspicious transactions within a school savings account that Huddleston, the business manager, had opened without the knowledge of the superintendent or school board knowledge. Huddleston was the only authorized signature on that account.
A preliminary audit by SBoA examiners found that more than $150,000 – primarily refunds from employee healthcare and prescription drug benefit programs intended for the school’s self-insurance fund – had instead been deposited into Lake Ridge’s savings account. Huddleston had withdrawn $133,624.21 in cash and checks from the account between July 2011 and April 2013, causing the school to incur $525.85 in credit union fees. Huddleston spent the school funds on personal expenses such as credit card payments, electric and gas utility bills, medical, dental and orthodontist bills and payments to auto dealerships and wholesale stores, the preliminary audit found. State law prohibits using public funds to pay for personal items or expenses not related to government business. When school officials became aware of it, Huddleston resigned, the audit said.
In addition to the more than $133,000 misappropriated, the SBoA incurred nearly $7,000 in auditing costs. The total amount of restitution SBoA seeks from Huddleston is $141,149.15.
The State Board of Accounts conducts regularly scheduled audits of government units and, when completed, routinely certifies them to the Attorney General’s Office for collection if audits discover misappropriation of public funds. The 2009 state law allows the SBoA and Attorney General to take action earlier in the process based on a preliminary audit, when public funds would be at risk if the State waited for the regularly scheduled final audit to be completed.
In the motions filed today, the Attorney General’s Office asked the Jasper County Superior Court to freeze Huddleston’s assets, including real estate located in Wheatfield, four vehicles and any bank or retirement accounts. The Attorney General’s Office asked the court to order that Huddleston’s assets not be transferred, concealed or distributed, so that funds would be available to reimburse the school district if the court were to enter a judgment later. Garnishment of any contributions to or benefits from retirement accounts also is sought.
Based on the eventual final audit report, the Attorney General’s Office could file a complaint to recover public funds at a later date, to seek civil collection of the final amount from Huddleston in order to reimburse the school treasury.
Although the misappropriation occurred in Lake County, the State’s motions were filed today in Jasper County because Huddleston resides there. Jasper County Superior Court Judge James R. Ahler granted the temporary restraining order today against Huddleston and set the hearing on the motion for prejudgment attachment and garnishment for May 16.
There was no requirement that the school carry a surety bond or insurance coverage on its former business manager, so any judgment against Huddleston would be his personal responsibility to repay, Zoeller said.
“When a school official is accused of paying personal bills with school funds it is an egregious violation of the public trust, and my office will use all means at our disposal to claw back taxpayers’ money and reimburse the school treasury,” Zoeller said.
The Attorney General’s jurisdiction is civil only, to collect misappropriated public funds that have been misappropriated. Criminal charges, if any, would be the jurisdiction of the county prosecutor and police.
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Read more: Legal Action Against Former School Bus Mgr