The Chamber is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Bloomington/Monroe County for a monthly Legislative Update series, starting on Saturday, Jan. 16 from 9:30-11 a.m.

The virtual event will be conducted via Zoom. Click here to register.

State legislators representing Monroe County will give overviews of their activities in the Indiana General Assembly and will take questions from the audience.  Each session will be taped by CATS and replayed on scheduled dates or on request.
 
Subsequent updates are planned February 13, March 6, and April 10.

Indiana legislators have started to file bills for the 2021 General Assembly session, which runs through April 29. Find a list of the proposed bills for the Senate and House of Representatives here.

​The Chamber's Legislative Council will be tracking bills of interest to the business community. And legislators representing all or parts of Bloomington/Monroe County will give their insights on the upcoming session at the Chamber's Legislative Preview on January 15. Click here to register.

The Monroe County Board of Health announced new updates to its regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, to take effect at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

In addition to the updates, the board announced that Monroe County will follow Gov. Eric Holcomb's Executive Order 20-48, but with added restrictions for each color-coded level. Those levels are based on the average of scores for these two metrics: 1) weekly number of cases per 100,000 residents, and 2) the 7-day positivity rate for all tests. As of the week of Nov. 16, Monroe County is in the Orange level.

Click here to read the new Monroe County Board of Health updates.

Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a statewide mandate for wearing face coverings on July 23, to take effect Monday, July 27.

The order is intended to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Monroe County health officials had previously issued a health order to take effect July 31, that included mandatory face coverings and other requirements. The mayor of Bloomington subsequently moved to implement that order earlier in the City of Bloomington, effective July 23.

The governor's order would make it a Class B misdemeanor if you fail to wear a face covering under certain conditions. Class B misdemeanors carry possible fines of up to $1,000 and a possible sentence of up to 6 months in jail.

Read the governor's executive order 20-37 here. Read more about local requirements here.

Andy Ruff prevailed in a field of 5 candidates for the Democratic Party nomination to the 9th District Congressional seat and will face incumbent Republican Trey Hollingsworth in November.

Here's a rundown of other winners in competitive races on June 2:

• State Senate District 40: Shelli Yoder (D)
• State Representative District 60: Peggy Mayfield (R)
• State Representative District 62: Jeff Ellington (R)
• Monroe County Council At-Large: Trent Deckard (D), Geoff McKim (D), Cheryl Munson (D)
• Monroe County Circuit Court Division 1: Geoff Bradley (D)
• ​Monroe County Circuit Court Division 8: Kara Krothe (D)

Click here for a full list of Monroe County election results in the June 2 primary. Candidates will move on to compete in the general election on Nov. 3. 

The Indiana Election Commission approved moving the state's primary election from May 5 to June 2, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has effectively shut down the state, nation and many parts of the world.

​The commission, at its March 25 meeting, also ordered that any registered and qualified Indiana voter can vote using an absentee ballot by mail. Normally, voters must provide a specific reason for absentee voting.

These actions were enabled by Gov. Eric Holcomb's declaration of a public health disaster emergency effective March 6, 2020, in response to the pandemic.

Read the Election Commission's order here.  More information on absentee voting is on the Monroe County Election Central's website.

In a letter sent to the Indiana Election Commission, Chamber CEO Erin Predmore asked commissioners to eliminate restrictions for voting by mail in the May 5 primary election, due to COVID-19 concerns.

"During these unprecedented times, Hoosiers who are registered voters should be able to receive and cast their ballot by mail rather than voting in person," Predmore stated. "This proposed change has received strong bipartisan support. We urge the Indiana Election Commission to take decisive action to help protect the health of our state’s residents while maintaining the basic functions of democracy."​

This change has received support from the state GOP and Democratic parties. Currently, voters must provide a reason to cast an absentee ballot by mail. Those reasons include being at least 65 years old, being unable to get to the polls because of illness or lack of transportation, or having disabilities, among other reasons.

Want to weigh in? Emails can be sent to Indiana Election Commissioners at elections@iec.in.gov.

Click here to apply for an absentee ballot by mail. More information about the May 5 primary is available on the Monroe County Election Central website.

In collaboration with other Bloomington and Monroe County organizations, the Chamber has created a resource site to help businesses navigate the impact of COVID-19. 

In addition to guidance from the Small Business Administration, Centers for Disease Control and others, the site provides legal resources, economic recovery resources, and links to updates from the Monroe County Health Department, City of Bloomington, and local educational institutions.

We've also compiled a listing of updates, information and resources provided by our Chamber members. The resource categories include food, kids activities, housing and utilities, among others. Do you have an update to include? Click here to submit your information and we'll add it to the list.