Phil Powell Higher education can lead region’s vision for talent
The data is clear. For Indianapolis talent to enjoy “major-league” status, a larger share of workers must have a college degree. If
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Letter: Indiana lawmakers, focus on smoking cessation
Raising the age to 21 must be complemented by an increase in the state’s tobacco tax, and more resources must be directed to underfunded tobacco prevention programs.
Ed Feigenbaum: Opposition doesn’t stop bill to protect coal plants
One senator says calls and emails from constituents have outnumbered contacts on any other bill this session.
Editorial: Lawmakers should say no to bill to prop up coal industry
Utilities are making the switch to other alternatives, including natural gas and solar, because they are cheaper and cleaner. Those are positive changes for Indiana economically—in both the sheer cost of power and the potential for improvements in health that come from cleaner air.
Editorial: Cost overruns for Carmel-backed hotel deserve deep scrutiny by city council
One point everyone can agree on is that, over the past two years, construction costs have skyrocketed, thanks to higher prices for materials and a severe labor shortage. But other developers who spoke to IBJ say those setbacks alone would not explain a nearly 50% increase in the project’s cost.
Sheila Kennedy: Incels—a new domestic terrorism threat?
If you have never heard of incels, you have lots of company. According to report out of Texas, although they are not a new movement, involuntary celibates are emerging as a domestic terrorism threat “as current adherents demonstrate marked acts or threats of violence in furtherance of their social grievance.”
Viewpoint: Greater accountability in higher education is a must
We are at the point now where some schools are failing to graduate students, leaving many worse off than they would have been if they hadn’t attended college at all. This is a major problem for the employer community, as we are left searching far and wide for candidates to fill jobs in industries of all kinds.
Letter: Senate bill is bad for young offenders
Senate Bill 449, currently up for second reading in the Indiana Senate chamber, would roll back much of the progress already made in Indiana’s juvenile justice system over the last decade.
Cathy Ferree: Why the Indiana State Museum is tackling opioid crisis
Working with more than 50 community partners around the state, we’ve compiled trustworthy, relevant information about this crisis, providing an entryway into this topic that many are hesitant to discuss.
Christine Scales: Hill discipline recommendation raises race bias concerns
The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission’s recommendation of a two-year law license suspension without automatic reinstatement for Attorney General Curtis Hill, who is black, stands in stark contrast to the professional disciplinary actions recently recommended and carried out against two white Clark Circuit judges involved in a downtown Indianapolis shooting with two other men after a night of drinking.
Letter: Solve surprise billing with fairness, common sense
I own a small construction company. In the past five years our health care costs have increased $1.43 per hour; a 30% increase since 2015. For 2020, we were hit with another 10% increase. A company simply cannot absorb those increases and remain competitive.
Editorial: Gambling regulators must be thorough in campaign finance investigation
The allegations in question—which involve a scheme to illegally funnel campaign contributions to an Indiana congressional campaign—are the type that should be especially concerning to a regulatory agency. If true, they demonstrate no respect for the law, government structure and regulation.
Joe Jansen: Land management in state forests is like pulling teeth
We all want clean waters, flourishing native wildlife and healthy forests we can walk together.
Chok Ooi: Protect your career in 2020 by training for next recession
Nearly 90% of employers struggle to fill open tech jobs, so, from BlackRock to AIG and from U.S. Steel to General Motors, highly skilled tech jobs like coding will continue to be in high demand, even in a recession.
Letter: Manufacturing strong despite national report
My advice for 2020? Don’t panic. The stage is set for what promises to be an exciting new decade for Indiana manufacturing.
Ed Feigenbaum: State is failing to look to the future on key issues
The demise of the promising Indiana Future Caucus is unfortunate, because no one else seems destined or determined to take the lead on issues critical to Hoosiers going forward.
Dennis Sasso: Antisemitism is symptomatic of other prejudices
We are living through a political climate that legitimizes a language of racial, ethnic and religious bigotry. Social media and the internet facilitate the proliferation of hateful ideologies that feed into antisemitism.
Letter: A reader’s take on 2020 race
Indiana always leans Republican, but Bernie Sanders is powerful because of his populist message. Who knows? Indiana is a tossup for 2020.
EDITORIAL: Lawmakers should pass bill to build up unemployment fund
Federal officials are worried that Indiana hasn’t built up a big enough surplus to weather the next recession.
Ed Feigenbaum: Legislature will soon turn its attention to health bills
As the first two weeks of the session pass, expect a transition in legislative focus to health care concerns—raised in loud choruses to lawmakers in conversations back home. Unlike