Dant Chesser's Digest
Monthly Update for October
Welcome to Dant Chesser’s Digest, my monthly newsletter, where I will provide legislative and community updates for you as your state representative for House District 71. Please reach out to my office at h71@iga.in.gov if you have any questions or concerns or thoughts on what you’d like to see in this newsletter.
Thank you for attending my Senior Town Hall!
On Sept. 25, I hosted a town hall to discuss issues seniors in Southern Indiana are facing. It’s a difficult, stressful time for everyone, but many of our older neighbors are feeling immense financial pressure. Our seniors are living on fixed incomes which makes it difficult to afford increases in property taxes, health care services and more. Many have little to no breathing room after they pay their bills.
One of our seniors’ biggest stressors is the waitlist for the Medicaid PathWays for Aging program. There are currently 9,248 people waiting to start this program that helps them age comfortably in their own homes. This means thousands of Hoosiers are going without services, which is causing additional stress for them and their caregivers. This affects their in-home nurses and other essential services they need. I’m worried some may be forced to move while waiting on their benefits from this program.
Despite the number of open slots exceeding the number of people on the waitlist, many have been left without insurance to pay for vital services. Any senior who wants to age comfortably in their home should be able to make that choice. Hoosiers who have worked hard their whole lives deserve our support.
The current issues facing our senior population are deeply concerning, and I look forward to discussing potential solutions at the Statehouse. Below is the most recent webinar the Family and Social Service Administration (FSSA) shared on the PathWays program which may provide additional insight.
I encourage seniors to contact my office at h71@iga.in.gov with any questions or concerns.
Finding a long-term solution to RiverLink
Since RiverLink switched service providers last year, many in our community have experienced billing and customer service issues. The company oversees the three Ohio River toll bridges our community uses daily. Since June, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has been working with the tolling company to resolve the issues we’re experiencing.
On the customer service side, there’s been some minimal improvements. RiverLink has reduced its average wait times and hired more customer service representatives. I’m grateful that INDOT is taking this issue seriously. However, there’s still a long way to go until the problem is completely solved. Many of you are still waiting on refunds for incorrect charges. We've made progress, but many in our community are still uncomfortable with the current situation.
As your state representative, my goal is to keep you up-to-date with statewide discussions. I believe that we may need to look into legislative solutions if the provider doesn’t resolve these issues. There potentially needs to be a discussion between Kentucky and Indiana to improve problems on both sides of the bridge. As I continue to brainstorm solutions to this issue, please share with my office what you’ve experienced at h71@iga.in.gov!
Thank you to our teachers!
Saturday, Oct. 5 was World Teachers’ Day to celebrate educators’ roles in shaping the future generation. The day highlights the importance of community and parental support in the classroom. It’s vital that people around them are excited about education so that our students will be excited about learning too!
This year’s theme was “Valuing teacher voices: towards a new social contract for education,” to emphasize the expert knowledge and input teachers bring to policy discussions. Thank you to all the teachers in House District 71 for the work you do and the time and love you invest in our community!
Intern with the Indiana House Democratic Caucus
Applications to intern with the Indiana House Democratic Caucus for the upcoming 2025 legislative session are now open! Our internship program allows the chance to gain hands-on experience in a variety of fields while helping legislators pass bills that impact the lives of Hoosiers across the state.
This is a spring internship that’s open to college sophomores, juniors, seniors and recent graduates. Interns can apply to work with a specific department with the caucus including legislative and constituent services, policy analysis, fiscal analysis, communications and the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus.
The Indiana House Democratic Caucus internship program helps young professionals develop valuable skills while opening doors to a variety of career paths including business, advocacy work, public service, law and more. All internships are full-time, paid positions. The deadline to apply is Oct. 31, with the priority deadline on Oct. 15.
Click here to apply for the House Democratic Internship
Relevant News
Like states across the nation, post-COVID Indiana struggles to get kids in classrooms
Democratic state lawmaker calls on Indiana legislature to boost K-12 tuition spending in 2025
How did we get here? Historical analysis of property tax reform seeks answers
Clarksville council approves 2025 budget, establish police reimbursement fund
Clark County Council discusses tax levy appeal, court, sheriff and jail budgets
In service,
Wendy
