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Friday, January 31, 2025 Indianapolis Recorder Page A7PUBLICSAFETYTOWNHALLANDQUARTERLYUPDATEADDRESSPRESENTEDBYTHECOMMUNITYRESOURCETEAM(CRT)JANAURY30INTERNATIONALMARKETPLACECOALITION- GLOBALVILLAGE6:30PMTO8:00PM4233LAFAYETTEROAD2025SPONSORSWHERETIMERSVP HERE JANA2025URY30INTERNATIONALMARKETPLACECOALITION- GLOBALVILLAGEWHERE4233LAFAYETTEROAD ADDRESSTIME 6:30PMTO8:00PMSPONSORSBy CLAIRE RAFFORDMirror IndyAn Indianapolis Democrat blasted Gov. Mike Braun%u2019s first budget proposal as racist.Braun%u2019s proposed budget%u00a0would not fund the state%u2019s only predominantly Black university or%u00a0a state grant program%u00a0designed to get more first-generation and minority students to college.%u201cThe active intervention to end or attack anything in the budget that gives state dollars to people of color is sickening,%u201d%u00a0said Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, in a news release. %u201cI won%u2019t mince my words: It%u2019s racist. Black Hoosiers and other minorities pay taxes, so we deserve to benefit from the state budget as much as our white counterparts.%u201dBraun did not immediately respond to Mirror Indy%u2019s request for comment on Porter%u2019s statement.The state sometimes funds private colleges such as Martin, but it%u2019s not routine. However, Braun%u2019s decision comes as he%u2019s signed an executive order to eliminate%u00a0state DEI programming%u00a0and close the state office that focused on equity, opportunity and inclusion. Martin also is facing significant financial struggles, though it%u2019s unclear whether college officials asked for funding.Martin received $5 million in the%u00a02023-25 state budget, which the university used to attract and retain Black students to its teaching, criminal justice and STEM programs, according to%u00a0budget committee documents.%u201cSadly, this decision will continue to kill the hopes, dreams and aspirations of many students,%u201d Porter said in the release. %u201cNo matter how hard they work, they%u2019ll have the rug pulled out from under them.%u201dMartin University spokesperson Keona Williams said in an emailed statement that the school %u201chas monitored and is aware of developments related to the state budget.%u201d%u201cIn the meantime, Martin University remains focused on its mission to serve our students and community,%u201d Williams said.On Jan. 24, the university released an additional statement to media from Joseph Perkins, chair of Martin%u2019s board of trustees. In the statement, Perkins addressed the conversations around Martin%u2019s funding and acknowledged that the university has not traditionally received state funding.%u201cMartin has appreciated the support from the state, but%u00a0it is not the foundation of our operations,%u201d Perkins said in the statement. %u201cOur primary focus continues to be providing higher education for the student population we serve.%u201dBraun%u2019s proposed budget also does not include funding for the%u00a0College Success Program grant, which also received $5 million from the state in 2023. The grant paid for college counselors at state universities in an effort to help 21st Century Scholars, minority and first-generation students navigate college. It%u2019s unclear when that money will run out.Commissioner for Higher Education%u00a0Chris Lowery, which administers the College Success Program, did not respond to Mirror Indy%u2019s request for comment.The Indiana General Assembly, which is controlled by Republicans, will pass a new two-year state budget before the session ends in April. Rep.%u00a0Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, who is chair of the budget-writing House Ways and Means Committee, did not respond to Mirror Indy%u2019s request for comment.The state%u2019s private colleges do sometimes receive state money.%u00a0In 2013, the state provided funding to Marian University%u2019s College of Osteopathic Medicine so the school could create a primary care scholarship program.That scholarship, which still exists today, now%u00a0grants up to $15,000%u00a0to Marian medical students who pledge to work in an Indiana medical shortage area after graduating.Audit casts doubt on Martin%u2019s futureBraun%u2019s budget proposal comes as Martin faces significant challenges.Martin%u2019s enrollment has decreased significantly over the last decade and especially since the coronavirus pandemic. In fall 2013, there were 506 students enrolled at Martin. In 2023, there were 223 students enrolled, according to the most recent available federal data.Additionally,%u00a0a 2023 audit%u00a0found that %u201csubstantial doubt exists about the university%u2019s ability to continue%u201d due to low enrollment, increased borrowing and a%u00a02022 cyberattack%u00a0that damaged the university%u2019s records.As the top Democrat on Ways and Means and a member of the Black caucus, Porter said he hopes to work with Thompson to put funding for Martin and the College Success Program back in the budget.He thinks the state should continue to fund Martin because of its unique status.%u201cWe need to help (Indiana%u2019s) only predominantly Black university,%u201d Porter told Mirror Indy, %u201cto give them the tools in the tool chest %u2014 with accountability %u2014 to persevere and help students of color.%u201dThis story was updated Jan. 24 with additional comments from Martin University.Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire at%u00a0claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org%u00a0or on%u00a0Instagram/X/Bluesky%u00a0@clairerafford.Martin University (Photo provided/Martin University)By HANNA RAUWORTHhannar@indyrecorder.comA study by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) shows that Indiana voters overwhelmingly support measures to protect and manage the state%u2019s water resources.The survey collected responses from 80 registered voters across the state and found a strong bipartisan agreement on the importance of safeguarding water resources and the restoration of wetland protections.The survey found the following:95% of voters agree that water is a public resource that should be protected, with 76% strongly agreeing.82% of voters support the creation of a statewide policy to manage Indiana%u2019s water resources, demonstrating a clear public mandate for legislative action.Protecting Indiana%u2019s water resources is an important issue for 81% of voters when making decisions in state elections. 72% of respondents expressed confidence in the safety of their tap water, while 25% indicated a lack of confidence, highlighting the need for continued improvements in water quality assurance.The survey also found that Indiana voters share support for protecting the wetlands, which were repealed by state lawmakers in 2021. Wetlands are areas like bogs, marshes and fens that filter water and absorb falling rain. Indiana has lost 90% of its original wetlands, and 73% of voters support their restoration. Voters also backed incentives for farmers to practice sustainable farming and for developers to protect wetlands. %u201cThese results send a powerful message that Hoosiers value clean and accessible water as a cornerstone of our state%u2019s future,%u201d said John Ketzenberger, director of government relations for TNC in Indiana. %u201cThe strong bipartisan support shown in the survey results underscores now is the time to protect Indiana%u2019s water resources for generations to come.%u201dThe survey reveals Hoosiers%u2019 concerns for the problems Indiana faces like water-intensive industries and pollution from pesticides, fertilizer and storm water runoff.%u201cTNC believes people and nature can thrive together, but we need help from Indiana%u2019s lawmakers to safeguard our natural resources and not exploit them,%u201d Ketzenberger said. %u201cWe hope the General Assembly recognizes Hoosiers understand water is a resource for everyone and that lawmakers will act accordingly.%u201dThe Midwest is poised as a center for fresh water, considering the Great Lakes hold about 20% of the world%u2019s supply. Indiana has only a small portion of the supply, but Indiana is also rich in ground water and aquifers. The only problem? Little is being done to protect the supply.According to Megan Freveletti, an attorney with the Conservation Law Center at Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana is well behind neighboring states when it comes to water policy.Ohio, Michigan and Illinois have all established statewide policies that guide water quality and use. Freveletti is researching states like Texas, who divides their state into regions that assess their water needs based on industry, agriculture and population updates.%u201cIt%u2019s a data-oriented approach, and the planning is critical in the process,%u201d Freveletti said.TNC hopes their survey emphasizes the need for change and pushes lawmakers to fight for equitable water policies for all Hoosiers.For more information about TNC and their work in Indiana, visit nature.org.Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.One thing Hoosiers can agree on: waterIndiana has lost 90% of its original wetlands, a cause of concern for Hoosiers who hope state legislators take action. (Photos/TNC)%u2018It%u2019s racist.%u2019 Indy lawmaker blasts Braun for not funding Martin UniversityMartin received $5M from the state in 2023 to boost enrollment and retention of Black students