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Policy Update, January 3, 2013
Dear Reader:
 
Happy New Year! 2014 brings a new format for the IaUW Policy Update. Our readers shared how they value information and desire a few new features, including:
  • categorizing articles into our Policy Priority areas of Education, Financial Stability, Health, Charitable Sector and our regular Statehouse/Capitol Hill updates; 
  • highlighting when to "Take Action" -- now in RED; and
  • making it easier to read on mobile devices.
The Policy Update will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our advocacy partners. Thank you for caring about sound public policy in Indiana. Contact us anytime with your feedback or questions.

Lucinda Nord, 317-921-1394 or cell 317-502-8504

IaUW Policy Priorities 2014
IaUW Priorities Cover
The IaUW Public Policy Committee and staff work to align the policy priorities with the programs, investments and strategic objectives of members and partners. Review the 2014 Policy Priorities:
  • The Education/Early Childhood priority includes helping children prepare for and succeed in school. IaUW believes all children should have access to consistent, high-quality and affordable early learning opportunities. See article below for specific policies.
  • Income/Financial Stability - Every Hoosier should have the chance to become self-sufficient, stable and independent as their abilities allow. IaUW supports streamlined access to eligibility benefits and policies that smooth out the "cliff effect." IaUW supports job training and tax policies that incentivize employment and savings. 
  • Health - IaUW supports evidence-based programs and policies that increase the number of insured Hoosiers, improve the quality of health services and reduce risky behaviors. In 2014, we continue to educate partners and policymakers about healthcare options and the new law. We support coverage expansion that results in Hoosiers having insurance with access to healthcare.
  • Strong Communities- Communities thrive when all three sectors are strong: business, government and charitable sectors.
    • 2-1-1 - IaUW supports universal access to 2-1-1 as the central source of human service information. IaUW advocates for Indiana's 2-1-1 network to provide an effective alternative to duplicative 1-800 numbers, databases and outreach campaigns.
    • Charitable sector - IaUW champions charitable giving incentives, volunteering and nonprofit accountability.
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State Capitol Indiana General Assembly kicks off Jan. 6

The "short session" of the Indiana General Assembly reconvenes Monday, January 6, and will conclude by March 14. Legislators are filing bills through Jan. 10 in the Senate and Jan. 13 in the House.  Check out the new Indiana General Assembly website and the links most used by our readers:
In the coming weeks, IaUW will post its bill list by priority areas. Check back on the IaUW Policy page

Attend a "Third House" session with your legislator(s)
State legislators hold "Third House" or "Meet Your Legislator" sessions throughout the legislative session. Legislators share the latest updates from the Statehouse and usually take questions and feedback from constituents. IaUW updates the Third House calendar in two formats: a clickable calendar with map links and a downloadable document. Are you aware of other sessions? Email us.  

Register for the Legislative Update Webinars
IaUW partners with Indiana Coalition for Human Services (ICHS) and Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network (NRN) to provide three webinars throughout the legislative session. Sessions require pre-registration and will be held on Thursdays, 3pmET/2pmCT. Participants receive related documents. All staff and volunteers in human service organizations are invited to register through the links below:
  • January 23 - Session starter provides overview of introduced bills and ways to advocate.
  • February 20 - Mid-session update provides an overview of bills that "crossed over" to the second chamber.   
  • March 20 - Post-session wrap-up explaining newly enacted laws.
Woman in Live United T-Shirt Plays Drums with Children Child care and pre-k legislation
We expect bills focused on child care and early education introduced this legislative session--bills that may be filed and heard in committee before our mid-January issue of the Policy Update. We support:
  • Standardizing common sense health and safety rules for child care, including child-staff ratios, group sizes, minimum square footage, training for staff, and death and injury reporting. See our fact sheet on Child Care in Indiana.
  • Ensuring taxpayer funds are used only in safe, research based, quality early education programs.
  • Defining pre-kindergarten (pre-k) education as being evidence-based, age-appropriate and in both school- and community-based programs; and
  • Increasing pre-k options to allow more children access to voluntary high-quality, taxpayer-subsidized programs.
Health Priority Area - Take Action
Cover Indiana at Statehouse on January 7
Advocates for healthcare coverage expansion plan to rally at the Statehouse on Tuesday, January 7, 9am - 12:30pmET. Cover Indiana is a campaign to increase health insurance coverage. Between 182,000 (according to a Kaiser study) and 348,500 (according to the State) Hoosiers fall in the "coverage gap" where they earn too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid and too little to purchase health insurance in the new Marketplace. See Close the Gap fact sheetOr like Cover Indiana on Facebook.
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IaUW Public Policy
  
IaUW is a nonpartisan organization that works to advance policy principles and compromise solutions for the common good. We focus on programs and policies that help:
  • children prepare for and succeed in school;
  • individuals achieve and sustain financial stability;
  • individuals access quality healthcare; and
  • communities thrive, including a strong 2-1-1 network and charitable sector.
Our policy priorities are developed and guided by our Public Policy Committee and our IaUW members, based on their work in Hoosier communities.
Frequently Requested Links / Documents
  
iauw.org - Learn about the Indiana Association of United Ways, current trainings and conferences and the ways we support local United Ways/Funds, partners and communities.

IaUW Policy / Advocacy info - Review and download IaUW Policy Priorities, Third House calendar, bill lists, fact sheets, talking points and testimony.
 
Advocacy Action Center - Contact your member of Congress or State Legislator, provided through our partnership with United Way Worldwide.

IaUW Policy Update Archive - Read prior issues, special articles and key documents produced by IaUW related to public policy and advocacy.

IN211.org - Search for human service information available through the referral database or by calling 2-1-1. Download reports about resources, needs, gaps and trends from Indiana 211 Partnership.
  
NRN Calendar - Register for high-quality and affordable training for nonprofit staff and volunteers by the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network.

Funding and Other Opportunities Click on this to explore current requests for proposals, funding and recognition opportunities. 

Indiana General Assembly - Check the hearing or floor schedule, watch a live or recorded hearing or floor session and look up your legislators. 

Library of Congress - Look up bills introduced in Congress. Note that the THOMAS site will be maintained through 2014 and fully replaced by Congress.gov.

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