By State Sen. Erin Houchin (R-Salem) 

Saturday, Nov. 18, marks the beginning of deer-hunting season for licensed firearms hunters in Indiana. 

Many hunters are aware of some confusion regarding what equipment is available for deer hunting this year, and may be unsure of what is legal to use. Last session House Enrolled Act 1415 was passed with the goal of expanding the allowable rifles on private property.

A drafting error in this legislation inadvertently resulted in a ban on all rifles for hunting on public land, regardless of caliber. This was not the intent of the General Assembly, and would have had enormous consequences for law abiding hunters across our state. 

When this error came to light, I immediately sent a letter to Gov. Holcomb requesting that he take action to correct this provision before the start of hunting season. 

In response to my letter, the Department of Natural Resources issued an emergency rule earlier this month, along with a press release stating, in part, “Rifle cartridges that were allowed in previous years on public land for deer hunting are allowed on public land again this year during the deer firearms season,” “ the rifle cartridge must fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger, have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches, and have a maximum case length of 1.8 inches if used on public land. Full metal jacketed bullets are illegal.”

I am proud to support hunters in the Hoosier state, and will work with my colleagues on finding a long-term solution to HEA 1415 in the coming legislative session.

Deer firearms hunting season closes on Dec. 3. For more information about the emergency rule, general safety guidelines and regulations, please visit http://www.eregulations.com/indiana/hunting/.

If you have any thoughts or questions on these or other issues, please contact me by email at Senator.Houchin@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.

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This morning at approximately 5:50 am, troopers from the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg were called to State Road #111 about a half mile North of the Horseshoe Casino for a vehicle crash involving two vehicles.

A 2009 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Dennis R. Masticola, 46, from Louisville, KY, was travelling North on State Road #111 when for an unknown reason he crossed the center line crashing into a 2000 GMC Sierra Pickup truck driven by Eric W. Herthel, 46, from Elizabeth, IN.

The 2000 GMC pickup truck tried to avoid the oncoming 2009 Ford F-150 but was unable to do so resulting in the two vehicles crashing head on.

Both drivers were transported to the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, KY with serious injuries. Herthel was transported by ground ambulance and Masticola by air ambulance.

Both individuals had to be extricated from their vehicles by emergency personnel. Both subjects were wearing seat belts.

The roadway in that area was closed for over three hours while emergency crews cleaned up the scene and Indiana State Police Crash Reconstructionist completed their investigation of the crash scene.

This investigation is continuing.

Assisting agencies at the scene were the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department and the New Chapel Fire and E.M.S.

Donnelly- and Young-Supported Bill Requiring U.S. Amateur Athletic Organizations to Report Sexual Abuse Passes Senate

The U.S. Senate yesterday passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), along with Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that would require amateur athletics governing bodies to report sex-abuse allegations immediately to local or federal law enforcement, or a child-welfare agency designated by the Justice Department.

Donnelly said, “Amateur athletics governing bodies like USA Gymnastics have an obligation to athletes, parents, and the sport to ensure that athletes are safe. This bipartisan bill aims to help prevent the sexual abuse of athletes and would require prompt reporting of abuse to authorities. I have been pushing Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics for answers and accountability from the beginning and Senate passage of our legislation is an important step forward.”

Young said, “Sexual misconduct is grossly reprehensible. This legislation will help protect young athletes in USA Gymnastics and other U.S. Olympic organizations by requiring stringent standards for reporting abuse and holding abusers accountable.”

The bill would further authorize the United States Center for Safe Sport to ensure that aspiring U.S. Olympic athletes can report allegations of abuse to an independent and non-conflicted entity for investigation and resolution, and to make sure that all amateur athletics governing bodies follow the strictest standards for child abuse prevention and detection.

The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act stems from recent allegations of sexual abuse made against personnel involved with USA Gymnastics, USA Swimming and USA Taekwondo and follows hearings earlier this year before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee on athlete safety issues.

Feinstein said, “Sexual abuse is one of the most heinous crimes and our legislation will finally ensure that adults who are responsible for the safety of millions of young athletes will be held accountable for preventing abuse and reporting any allegation of abuse. Passage of our legislation wouldn’t have been possible without the courage of women who came forward to say ‘enough is enough.’ They shared deeply personal, horrific experiences to help prevent other young girls from having to ensure the same abuse and pain. Since I met with several brave women in February, I told them that I would work to pass this bill. Today is their day.”

Thune said, “Combining the best of two proposals, this legislation makes institutional changes within the U.S. Olympic movement and sets stringent new criminal reporting requirements to protect young athletes from sexual abuse. The horrendous crimes of adults entrusted with the care of young athletes prompted this legislation.”

Nelson said, “It’s a stain on our country that many of our own young Olympic athletes were sexually abused for years by the very adults they entrusted to train them and keep them safe. No aspiring athlete deserves to have their dream or moment of Olympic gold stolen from them by the actions of a sexual predator. These heinous crimes and the culture that allowed them to go undetected for so long must come to an immediate end.”

Collins said, “Sexual abuse has absolutely no place in our society and must be eradicated. I have long worked to prevent sexual assault and ensure that survivors have access to every resource and support they need. By requiring amateur athletic governing organizations to promptly report every allegation of sexual abuse to the proper authorities, our legislation will help survivors obtain justice and protect more people from these repugnant crimes.”

Warren said, “Children everywhere deserve to be protected from sexual predators. By establishing new safeguards, this legislation will help curb abuses of power and send a clear message that sexual abuse of young athletes will not be tolerated.”

The bill would amend the Ted Stevens Amateur and Olympic Sports Act, which governs amateur athletics governing bodies, to make it safe and easy for victims to report abuse and mandate oversight to ensure strong sexual-abuse prevention policies are implemented.

The bill also would reform the law that allows victims to sue sex-crime perpetrators by extending the statute of limitations because it’s often difficult for children to recognize that they have had crimes committed against them until much later on into adulthood.

The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act is supported by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), National Children’s Alliance, Rights4Girls, University of Utah Law Professor Paul Cassell, Child Sex Crime Victims’ Lawyer James Marsh, Crime Victims Expert Steve Twist, National Crime Victims Center, National Association of VOCA Administrators, Child USA, National Organization for Victim Assistance, ToPrevail, ChampionWomen, National Children Advocacy Center, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence and Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

The legislation is also supported by organizations within the Olympic movement, including the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the National Governing Body Council and the United States Center for Safe Sport.

Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews plan to remove the existing drainage pipe under State Road 160 east of Salem, replacing it with a new 18-inch pipe measuring 40 feet in length. This requires closing S.R. 160 between Indiana Avenue and Paynter Lane during daytime hours next Monday (NOV 20). 

Motorists are advised to use Paynter Lane as a detour around the worksite.  INDOT officials hope to complete the excavation and pipe installation between morning and afternoon school bus runs.   

The schedule for this Salem Unit maintenance operation is weather dependent.