Politics Broadly and Closer to Home (Yes, I know it is Thanksgiving)

 “The Voice of a Free People is Full of Turbulence and Grace.” Marilynne Robinson Accepts the Lewis H. Lapham Award (Literary Hub)

 Still, it is easy to forget that to experience democracy requires a little quiet and attentiveness, to understand the dignity of ordinary life, to hear the music of a new dialect. The First Amendment has its robust life in our letters as surely as in the hours of jubilant consensus we call protests. When other generations look back to see how and whether we were sufficient to the demands our times will have made of us, they will look at what we wrote and published and read, they will find truth and courage, and also, at best, that fine, egalitarian courtesy to the reader and to this precious work that is the singular elegance of democracy.

It is important to us now as a people, documented or not, to remember what we love and to treat it lovingly. The Constitution and the law are only more to be revered because they are being trammeled. Our solidarity must be cherished because attempts are being made to set us against one another. Our responsibility for the wellbeing of the world must be continuously acknowledged because it is grave and real, and we will have no way to undo the harm we are permitting. And finally we must own up to the grandeur of the project other generations have left to us. This is no small task, and therefore it is urgent, honorable and necessary.

 Kurt Anderson: “Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America” | Amanpour and Company (2020) - no economic left. I read Anderson's Fantasyland while in prison; I recall thinking he caught the craziness that anyone knowing American history would know. Well-written, well researched, and should be read. I also read his novel Heyday; which preceded Fantasyland. My recollection is that I was disappointed by his omitting New Harmony, Indiana from its trek across Indiana in its tour of our Nineteenth Century's experimental organizations. Anderson's website is here. Do listen to the following, then go out and find his books (just follow the links above).

All you need to know about the Indiana Senate leader facing off with President Trump (Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Indiana prepares for 2026 data privacy law with new Consumer Bill of Rights (Indiana Capital Chronicle) -  I did not even know there was such a thing!

Representative Ethan Lawson responded to my email with the subject, Please Reject Mid-Decade Redistricting:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me about redistricting. My goal on this and every decision that comes before me is to seek as much input as I can get from neighbors like you all across our district. So, I’m grateful you took the time to share your input with me, since the Governor has now called for a special session to consider redistricting in Indiana. While I haven’t yet had the opportunity to review any potential legislation regarding redistricting, I will keep your thoughts in mind when any legislation comes up for a vote.

Thank you again for reaching out to me and please do so any time you have thoughts to share, or if I can be helpful.

Sincerely,

Representative Ethan Lawson

District 53

Indiana House of Representatives

My Great-Aunt Elsie would say he sounds like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

States are quietly cutting child care funding — and families are out of options 

Emily Pike, the executive director of New Hope For Families in Bloomington, which cares for children experiencing homelessness, can’t remember a time when no families were coming off the waitlist. Before this year, she said, low-income families could expect to be on the list just a few weeks before they found placement at a center that took child care vouchers, which for most brought their costs down to zero. 

But now, state officials project that no kids will come off the list until at least 2027.

That isn’t the only drastic change. In September, Indiana moved to lower its child care reimbursement rates, meaning the state will pay providers 10 to 35 percent less to care for low-income kids. Centers have had to pass those costs on to parents through higher co-payments.

Already, centers have closed classrooms as a result. Workers have been fired. Parents have pulled their children out of care. 

The GOP Leader Standing Firmly Against Trump’s Redistricting Plan (POLITICO)

The second question: At a time when Congress and so many American institutions are folding under Trump’s pressure campaign, how does a lifelong conservative from a deep-red state in the beating heart of Trump Country hold out? Why is he sticking his neck out?

Bray told me that the changes Trump is demanding could long outlast him — and hurt his Indiana.

“It’s absolutely imperative that we’re able to do hard things here, and in order to do that, to do hard things that maybe not everybody agrees with and maybe even some people get really angry about,” Bray said of the Senate. “They have to have trust in the institution.”

There’s no sign that Bray will back down. In fact, interviews with more than a dozen of Bray’s colleagues, enemies and longtime acquaintances, many of them granted anonymity to speak candidly about an issue that has left the Indiana GOP in open civil war, suggest he’ll keep taking the heat.

“There’s no moving Bray,” a Republican close to the White House said. “He’s going to die on this hill. He thinks he’s morally superior. Bray’s clear opinion is, ‘F*ck you.’” 

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He hasn’t yet convinced his fellow Republicans. Instead, a MAGA revenge campaign is unfolding that, at Trump’s behest, could spend more money and time targeting GOP state senators in primaries rather than dumping money into flipping the 1st. (Mrvan won the district over Republican challenger Jennifer-Ruth Green by less than 6 percentage points in 2022).

Easier to cheat than to compete.

What contributes to Indiana's recidivism rate? Here's what an expert had to say (IPB News)

More than 36% of people released from prison return within three years, according to the Indiana Department of Correction. Issues like finding work and housing, substance use and lack of outside support contribute to the state's recidivism rate.

People involved with the criminal justice system can have trouble getting a state ID. They may not be able to pay the application fee or might be missing essential documents like a birth certificate or social security card. This can make finding work and housing nearly impossible — sometimes putting them back in the same situations that led to their incarceration in the first place. 

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There are also organizations across Indiana that focus on helping Hoosiers re-enter into society including Public Advocates in Community re-Entry, Northeastern Center Connect and Second Chance Indiana.

La Vigne said family support plays a crucial role for justice-involved people transitioning back into society.

She said there should be more programs to prepare the families of people who are incarcerated prior to their release to help reduce Indiana's recidivism rate.

And no mention that Indiana's Bill of Rights makes reform the purpose of Indiana's penal laws, not just punishment. 

And something more amusing about Indiana: Why Travelers Are Flocking To A ‘Hidden’ Amish Community In Southern Indiana. My ex-wife's territory. We used to eat at an Amish restaurant, The Black Buggy. Great food, a buffet.

Since this is Thanksgiving, why are you reading this instead of eating turkey and enjoying the company of your family?

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