Rep. Vernon G. Smith to serve on three committees this summer

INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Vernon G. Smith (D-Gary) today announced that he has been selected to serve on three interim study committees in preparation for the 2021 Legislative Session.

The interim committees explore a range of legislative topics. At the hearings, members listen to the testimony of experts and the general public. During the legislative session, permanent committees in both chambers often consider bills based upon the interim committees’ findings.

This year, Smith will serve on the County Redistricting Commission, the Interim Study Committee on Education and the Commission on the Social Status of Black Males (ICSSBM).

“I’m pleased to once again be able to use my voice when it comes to redistricting in Lake County,” Smith said. “This year is especially important and I anticipate a lot of input from my constituents on what they think is valuable moving forward.

”Regarding the state of Indiana’s education system, I expect there to be much discussion about how 2020 has affected the learning of our students and what the General Assembly can be doing to get them back on track. I plan on speaking up for Indiana’s traditional public education system, as I do every year, to ensure that schools like those in Gary, Merrillville, Griffith and Lake Ridge school corporations get the resources they deserve.”

The ICSSBM is a year-round commission that reviews a spectrum of issues impacting Black males in Indiana. The commission has offered multiple recommendations during its 25-year history, several of which have become new laws designed to improve the economic, educational, professional and social status of Black males. Smith authored the original bill in 1993 which created the ICSSBM.