Dear Indy,
The Blue Line has been saved.
If you missed the announcement from House Speaker Todd Huston yesterday, the short version is this: Senate Bill 52 is dead, and the Blue Line is alive after lawmakers, city officials and IndyGo reached an agreement.
We don’t yet know the full details of that agreement.
Here’s what we do know: It’s now expected that large portions of the Blue Line will use shared lanes.
But one person familiar with the negotiations said two areas will still likely rely on dedicated lanes: Irvington on the east side and along the former Central State Hospital on the west side.
There’s a lot to catch up on.
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In other news
- Imagine it’s 2020. Much of the country is shut down. You just lost your job and are down to your final $500. What would you do? David Neves, an Indy westsider who immigrated from Brazil, decided to bet on himself. “I starved for this business,” said Neves, who now runs a successful mechanic shop. “I know what I passed through to get here. I dedicated my life — my health — to this. This business is me.”
- When Newfields hired its last CEO, community members outside of the organization were included in the search committee. This time, though? The committee contains only members of the Newfields board. That has members of the public concerned, particularly since the details of former CEO Colette Pierce Burnette’s exit are still unknown.
- Remember that charter school fight in Washingtown Township that we told you about in January? Well, the Girls IN STEM Academy took a key step forward yesterday in what will likely be a long series of zoning requests and appeals. Read more here.
What’s going on around the city
- Tonight: Local arts initiative GangGang hosts “Perceptions: Stories about Re-entry” at the 10 East Arts Club, 3137 E. 10th St. From 6-10 p.m., visitors can find works created by artists previously incarcerated about their experiences following their release. Free.
- Tonight: Sy Smith, the “Queen of Underground Soul,” performs at the Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave. Doors open at 5 p.m. Her latest album, “Sometimes a Rose Will Grow In Concrete,” was released Feb. 16 through her indie label Psyko Records. Tickets start at $15.
- Saturday, March 2: Marriage and family therapist Hazel Owens will host a discussion at the IBEW Local Union 481, 1828 N. Meridian St., to help attendees improve their emotional, spiritual and physical health. Free.
— Breanna Cooper, arts and culture reporter
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
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What else we’re reading today
- Fox59: One of the first acts by new IMPD Chief Chris Bailey is the creation of a bureau focused on improving how police officers respond to mental health issues.
- IndyStar: Could Indiana be the next state to get rid of the tampon tax? It’s something Democrats have been unsuccessfully fighting for at the Statehouse for years, but this year might be different. Now a Republican took up the cause.
- State Affairs: As this legislative session comes to a close, lawmakers are moving to severely restrict the job of the Indiana public access counselor — a role that’s tasked in state law to ensure the public has access to government meetings and documents. The legislation “functionally guts” the office, said Amelia McClure, executive director of the Hoosier State Press Association.
Reporter’s Notebook: Peter Blanchard
Rarely do you see our elected leaders shed tears in front of the public. But that’s exactly what happened Tuesday when Rep. Blake Johnson, D-Indianapolis, got emotional as his Republican colleagues advanced a bill that would have jeopardized the Blue Line.
It was a tough pill for Johnson to swallow. After all, he’s been working on mass transit issues for the past decade, dating back to his time on the City-County Council.
But then, a shocking twist: the Blue Line was saved.
It wasn’t all good news for Johnson this week, though. His House Bill 1019, which would have allowed children to operate a lemonade stand without a permit from the health department, died after not getting a hearing in a Senate committee.
Johnson told me he’s “not that sour” about his fruit dying on the vine. In fact, he believes he’s “planted the seeds for it to grow again” next year.
Johnson was hoping for a shake-up that would enable the legislation.
I’ll see myself out.
— Peter Blanchard, local government reporterHave a question or suggestion for our reporters? Contact them here.
Reflections
Caitlin Clark, who recently nabbed the scoring record in college women’s basketball, announced yesterday that she would declare for the WNBA draft.
Guess who owns the No. 1 pick?
See you soon in Indy, Caitlin.
Ryan
P.S. If you liked something about today’s newsletter, or didn’t, let me know at ryan.martin@mirrorindy.org. It helps us serve you better.
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