A round of applause filled the council chambers after Bloomington City Council unanimously passed the critical step in the years-long Monroe County Convention Center expansion project.  
​
The council greenlighted $46,825,000 in lease rental revenue bonds to renovate the center. ​

NOTE: This news article featuring Senior Director of Government & Community Relations, Christopher Emge, was originally published by IDS - Safin Khatri on Sunday, January 26th, 2025.

On a cold and snowy Saturday in Bloomington, Book Corner buzzes with life, providing an escape from the elements. College students browse the shelves, stopping to read the back cover. A few blocks away, Cherry Canary Vintage Clothing hums with the sounds of hangers sliding across the racks, as colorful garments from past decades surround shoppers in the search for the perfect retro piece. These scenes are increasingly common in Bloomington as many members of Gen Z find comfort in retro and vintage lifestyles. 
​
Edward Hirt, a professor of social psychology at IU, said in an email that nostalgia through stories, movies and depictions of events can give people a sense of meaningfulness in their lives, even if they have not physically lived it themselves.  

We wanted to bring your attention to a significant update regarding the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements. 
 
What Happened?
On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, a federal district court in Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction that: 

• Enjoins enforcement of the CTA and its regulations related to BOI reporting requirements. 
• Stays all deadlines for compliance, including the January 1, 2025 deadline for reporting companies to submit their initial BOI report. 

 
Following this ruling, the Department of Justice, representing the Department of the Treasury, filed an appeal on December 5, 2024.
 
What This Means for Reporting Companies
As long as the preliminary injunction remains in effect: 

• Reporting companies are NOT required to report BOI to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). 
• Companies will NOT face liability for failing to report their BOI. 

 
However, FinCEN has clarified that companies may still voluntarily submit BOI reports if they choose to do so. 
 
What Lies Ahead?
The future of the CTA and its reporting requirements remains uncertain. The Texas district court’s decision is just one of several ongoing legal challenges. There are conflicting rulings from other federal district courts, and three related cases are currently under appeal. Because of this, it is crucial to stay updated on developments, as the situation could evolve rapidly.
 
Next Steps
We are continuously monitoring these developments and will advise clients as needed. Be prepared that the requirement to comply in the future if the CTA is ultimately upheld is a possibility. For further information, please visit the FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting and the AICPA beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting pages.
 
If you would like more detailed information on the legal case, please refer to Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al. v. Garland, et al., No. 4:24-cv-00478 (E.D. Tex.) injunction.

The League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County has invited state legislators representing any parts of Monroe, Brown, and Johnson counties to provide the public with an online legislative update.

The event, co-sponsored by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, the League of Women Voters of Brown County, and the League of Women Voters of Johnson County, will be 9:30-11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, on Zoom.

State legislators will report on their work and priorities for the current session of the Indiana General Assembly. They will first give brief updates on the workings of the Indiana legislative session to date and will then take questions from attendees.

To sign up for the Zoom meeting, go to https://lwv-bmc.org/legis-updates.

This is the first of three planned legislative updates sponsored by the Leagues and the Chamber on Zoom. Subsequent updates are set for Feb. 17 and March 2. All legislative updates are free and open to the public. Community Access Television Services through the Monroe County Public Library has been invited to record the events, with the video available on the CATS website shortly after each update.
​
​The work of the Indiana General Assembly can be followed on its website, http://iga.in.gov, which provides a wealth of information and offers the possibility to track the progress of individual bills.

At the helm of a city with an unhoused population mired in mental health and substance abuse issues, Kerry Thomson asked a panel of state lawmakers last week what they will do about the statewide crisis.

“It cannot be addressed just at the local level,” the Bloomington mayor's written query stated.

There was discussion of the challenges, but no answers offered when Thomson suggested the state lead the way toward healthcare and recovery instead of the criminal justice system for vulnerable people not receiving care.
​
Last year, state lawmakers passed bills to boost funding for mental health services across the state. One increases funding to local mental health centers and another directs $100 million to mental health services.