Today: An extended conversation with Indiana State Senator Eddie Melton (D-Merrillville), on his first (and very busy) General Assembly session. He talks at length about his Senate Enrolled Act 567, which creates the mechanism for a state-appointed emergency manager for the Gary Community School Corp., a financial management board and where the Mayor of Gary, the elected School Board and Superintendent Cheryl Pruitt fit into the efforts in helping resolve the academically- and financially-troubled school district's longtime problems. A public forum with Melton and his north Lake County legislative colleagues will be held on Monday, May 8th at 5:30 p.m. at the Gary Career Center.
A new report on the state of the northwest Indiana workforce came out on Friday and we talked with two people about the data in that report and how the report's writers are recommending changes to educate more people for the jobs of the future. Roy Vanderford is with the Center for Workforce Innovations and Heather Ennis is with one of the report's sponsors, the Northwest Indiana Forum.
We also talk with the organizers of Saturday's local "People's Climate Rally" held at Main Square Park in Highland. And Indiana Public Broadcasting education reporter Claire McInerny reports on tomorrow's nine public school district referenda elections -- four of them being held here in northwest Indiana. You can check out the details on the State Impact Indiana website.
