Articles

Holcomb signs 3 DCS-related bills, 5 others await action

A bill that would have given immunity to guardians ad litem and court appointed child advocates stalled in the Indiana House, but other measures covering foster parents and placing new requirements on the Indiana Department of Child Services all passed through the Statehouse with little or no opposition.

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Indiana lawmakers approve bill banning eyeball tattooing

The Indiana Legislature has approved a bill to effectively ban the practice of eyeball tattooing. Under the Indiana proposal, tattooists would be prohibited from coloring the whites of an individual's eyes. The bill imposes a fine of up to $10,000 per violation.

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Holcomb appoints 2 women to judgeships

In his first judicial appointments of 2018, Gov. Eric Holcomb has tapped two attorneys with prosecutorial experience to serve as superior court judges in Elkhart and Tippecanoe counties.

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DCS consultant: Twice as many Hoosier kids out of home

A consultant hired by the state said Thursday Indiana has more than double the number of children in out-of-home care compared to the national average. The finding was among the highlights of an initial report commissioned by Gov. Eric Holcomb after the resignation of former Department of Child Services director Mary Beth Bonaventura.

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Holcomb extends CBD oil order through legislative session

Gov. Eric Holcomb on Friday extended the moratorium on seizures of CBD oil from retailers’ shelves — as well Indiana State Excise Police’s education period on products derived from cannabis — while lawmakers consider bills regulating those products.

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Child support network faces fear of collapse

Several times while talking about the statewide computer system that keeps track of child support money, John Owens rapped his knuckles on the nearest piece of wood. Indiana’s technology, dubbed ISETS, processes almost $1 billion in child support payments every year. However, the Department of Child Services says in a report that ISETS is “built on dying technology” from the 1980s. The concern is one day, it will crash for good.

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Ex-DCS chief Bonaventura joins AG’s staff as special counsel

Former Indiana Department of Child Services Director Mary Beth Bonaventura will join the Indiana Attorney General’s Office as special counsel Monday, a move that comes less than a month after she resigned from her DCS post with a scathing resignation letter to Gov. Eric Holcomb.

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Indiana governor pledges ‘transparent’ DCS review

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb pledged in his State of the State address Tuesday night to conduct a “transparent” review of the Department of Child Services, but offered little more than platitudes about an agency that his critics say is enveloped in crisis. “I’ll state right now: There’s no one who cares more about Hoosier children than I do, and I’ll do whatever is necessary to ensure the success of our agency and its mission.”

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