Jackson testifies on the second draft diploma proposal

Today (Nov. 8), the State Board of Education (SBOE) met to discuss the second draft of proposed changes to Indiana's high school diplomas. At this meeting, SBOE accepted public testimony to close out the public comment period. 

State Rep. Carolyn Jackson (D-Hammond) issued the following statement regarding her testimony: 

“I have been a legislator for six years. Every single year since I have been elected, there has been a massive change in education policy that requires schools to completely redirect how they are teaching our children. It is our responsibility to educate all students in this state. We are failing to meet the responsibility because we continue to move the goal post for our teachers and students. Every time we have a program in place and new goals to achieve, we change direction and expect teachers and everyone else to fall in line. If we expect students to be able to meet the goals we set for them as a state, we need to be firm in our expectations. 

“Additionally, I still have deep concerns about how this program is going to be implemented. To start, who is going to pay for these changes? For school districts already stretched thin, or for those in distressed status, this program will add extreme financial stress. Last year, citizens in my district voted against the referendum that would have increased school funding because they simply cannot afford higher property taxes. Our schools need more support from the state, not more unattainable goals.

“This diploma redesign comes at a time when our state is facing a severe shortage of school counselors. Right now, the average ratio is 694 students per one school counselor. It is virtually impossible for counselors to give each student the guidance and support they need to ensure they are on track to graduate and find success after high school. These changes will add to counselors' workload significantly as they must navigate the new system and may have to take on the additional role of staffing agent to help students find job placement in order to graduate.

“Overall, the lack of transparency and rushed timeline of this whole diploma redesign process is concerning. The most logical course of action is for the SBOE to delay finalizing this proposal until they can answer the pressing questions posed at this meeting and the last. I want to thank all of my constituents who have shared their thoughts with me on this subject, and all of the educators and concerned citizens who testified and submitted comments to the State Board of Education. I sincerely hope that the SBOE takes this feedback into account to address some of these very real issues before proceeding.”

Jackson ‘deeply concerned’ about Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities report

Wednesday, Sept. 18, the Interim Study Committee on Child Services met to discuss the latest Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities Report.

State Rep. Carolyn Jackson (D-Hammond), a member of the committee, released the following statement: 

“No matter how you look at it, the data shown in the latest Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities report is deeply disturbing. Every single child lost to the cruelty of abuse and neglect is a heart-wrenching tragedy. The numbers have been far too high for far too many years. 

“According to this report, between 2016 and 2022, 421 children lost their lives due to mistreatment by the people trusted to care for them. The number of fatalities was consistent year after year. I am concerned about the qualifications of those investigating these tragedies as they just continue to happen at the same rate.   

“These investigations seem to be just checking the boxes. The well-being and lives of children should not be simplified down to a box to check. 

“Thirteen of the children that died this year had previous involvement with the Department of Child Services. Those deaths could have been prevented. We need to take a deep look at our current system and make changes that will provide greater protection for our most vulnerable population. 

“No child or family should ever be put through this horror. As a state, we need to put all possible resources into protecting Hoosier children from falling victim to these tragedies.” 

Jackson named to board of directors for The Truth Initiative Foundation to stop youth nicotine use

State Rep. Carolyn Jackson (D-Hammond) has officially accepted her appointment to the board of directors for the Truth Initiative Foundation. The Truth Initiative is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization that seeks to discourage youth nicotine use through education, policy study, community activism, commercial tobacco control research, and tobacco dependence treatment innovation. It is the largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing nicotine addiction in young adults and empowering users to quit. 

The board of directors is an independent body that oversees the work of the Truth Initiative. As part of the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the National Association of Attorney’s General (NAAG) and the National Governors Association (NGA) appoint members to serve on the bipartisan board. Rep. Jackson was nominated by the NCSL to be the Democratic board member since the current member is retiring.  

“I am honored to accept this appointment to the board of directors for the Truth Initiative Foundation,” Rep. Jackson said. “The work of this organization is essential to combatting the crisis of youth nicotine use. Nicotine is an incredibly harmful and addictive substance that adversely effects brain development as well as the physical and mental health of young people. Using nicotine before age 25 has also been proven to increase the risk of future addiction to cigarettes and other drugs.

“The effort to prevent youth nicotine use is not new and has seen great success in the past. Through public awareness, education, community engagement, research and policy initiatives, the youth smoking rate dropped from about 23% to 2% since the year 2000. However, the tobacco industry has adapted to target young people once again with new products such as nicotine and e-cigarettes that are easily marketable to teens. In 2021, nearly one in five Hoosier high schoolers reported that they used e-cigarettes.

“Protecting youth in America from falling victim to the commercial tobacco industry's profit-driven schemes takes commitment across different sectors. The Truth Initiative brings together industry leaders, experts from the nation’s top institutions and state officials from all three branches of government including governors, attorneys general and legislators. I look forward to joining this critical organization to help establish their long-term agenda, their priorities and to ensure this initiative is as effective as possible when it comes to reaching America's young people.” 

For more information about Tobacco Prevention & Cessation in Indiana, or to find youth services, visit this Indiana Department of Health page. 

Jackson and Summers call state leaders to action during Black Maternal Health Week

It’s Black Maternal Health Week, and we want to shine a spotlight on the unique issues that Black moms in Indiana face and discuss how to improve the standard of healthcare they receive before, during and after pregnancy. Across the board, Black mothers do not receive the same level of care as their white counterparts, resulting in deadly consequences.

The last thing an expecting mother should worry about is feeling unheard by the medical team charged with their well-being. And yet, these fears ring true for far too many Black mothers. The most recent data from the CDC lays out the grim reality faced by Black women across the country: Black mothers die at a staggering rate of 2.6 times that of white mothers. 

Looking at the numbers for Indiana further showcases this racial disparity. Indiana has the 3rd highest maternal mortality rate in America, and most of those deaths are Black mothers. A recent report shows that in Indiana in 2021, Black women represented 13% of live births but 21% of maternal deaths.  

Simply put, there is a crisis in our state. This crisis is fueled by a multitude of policy failures, including Black mortality rates, implicit bias within the healthcare system and a lack of dedicated funding for solutions. It doesn’t help that Indiana has an abortion ban in place – women know when they are able to carry an unintended pregnancy healthily, and the ban makes it so that the most vulnerable will be the ones carrying unintended pregnancies to term.

Unfortunately, the Republican supermajority at the Statehouse has not previously greenlit a wealth of legislation that would go far toward saving Black moms’ lives, but the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus is committed to offering and passing solutions of substance. At the same time, we are proud to celebrate the legislative wins that have passed and been signed into law.

Rep. Summers co-authored a 2022 law to end the practice of shackling pregnant inmates when they give birth. Birth should not be a traumatic experience, but until just two years ago, the system was failing women who were forced to give birth while incarcerated. She has also fought to create a grant program for community organizations fighting the maternal mortality crisis, but Republican supermajority voted down her amendments to do so during the abortion special session and haven’t yet heard her grant program legislation in committee.

Rep. Jackson has filed legislation for several years now to end the practice of doctors performing non-consensual pelvic exams on patients while they are sedated. In a positive development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently instructed teaching hospitals to obtain written consent before performing sensitive exams, but codifying this common-sense practice in state law is necessary. Our healthcare system has failed Black women time and time again by abusing the relationship of trust that should exist between doctor and patient. This would go a long way toward restoring that trust.

Unfortunately, it is well documented that pregnancy and domestic violence go hand in hand. Rep. Ragen Hatcher (D-Gary) offered a bill this session to make it easier for victims of domestic violence to file forms requesting a protection order and remove affidavit requirements from parts of the process for establishing probable cause. A holistic approach to improving mortality rates is necessary, and that strategy includes protecting moms and moms-to-be from abusers. 

Expanding access to substance use disorder recovery efforts is a critical part of solving this issue because addiction is currently the number-one cause of maternal mortality in Indiana. Rep. Renee Pack (D-Indianapolis) has worked on this issue by offering a bill to ensure that Medicaid patients are not given lifetime restrictions on receiving substance use recovery treatments. 

Defunding harmful organizations that only contribute to misinformation about pregnancy and abortion is important if we’re going to fund organizations truly working on behalf of vulnerable moms-to-be. Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis) offered an amendment during the 2022 abortion special session to require that Real Alternatives, which receives state funding and operates so-called “pregnancy resource centers” throughout the state, must provide medically accurate information to patients. However, House Republican lawmakers voted it down. 

Finally, Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) has repeatedly filed a bill to require that healthcare professionals and community health workers undergo cultural awareness and competency training every two years. Working to break down the harmful biases that some doctors hold about Black women will ensure that every pregnant woman’s doctor cares about her unique circumstances and needs as she undergoes pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period.

While we’ve made strides in improving maternal health outcomes, the fact remains that there is much more work to do. If we are able to deploy those resources and enact policies to make healthcare truly equitable, Black maternal mortality can be greatly improved, but that’s only if we can muster the necessary support behind the notion that Black mothers’ lives are worth protecting.