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U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) applauded unanimous Senate passage of their Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act of 2024. The bipartisan legislation will now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The JUDGES Act of 2024 would address judicial emergencies and shortages across the country by increasing the number of federal district judges in the most overworked regions of the country, including the Southern District of Indiana.

“Too many Hoosiers and Americans are being denied access to our justice system due to an overload of cases and a shortage of judges. Our bipartisan bill will help alleviate this shortage and ensure all Americans have the opportunity to have their day in court,” said Senator Young. “Senator Coons and I have worked diligently with our colleagues to ensure this legislation effectively addresses these judicial shortages and fairly distributes the additional judgeships across multiple presidential administrations. The Senate’s unanimous support is a testament to bipartisanship and common-sense legislating. I urge the House to pass this important legislation so that it can become law as soon as possible.”

“I’m grateful the Senate has unanimously passed our bipartisan bill to address the crisis facing overworked federal judges across the country. For decades, Congress has failed to authorize new federal judgeships, creating a massive backlog of case filings for our nation’s federal judges–especially in Delaware, where there are only four active judgeships. I’m proud of the work Senator Young and I did to gather unanimous support for this legislation first in the Senate Judiciary Committee and now on the Senate floor. I urge the House to swiftly pass this bill, and once President Biden signs it into law, I’m hopeful we can restore stability to our judicial system and help ensure access to justice for all Americans, no matter where they live,” said Senator Coons.

Senator Young first introduced the legislation in 2020 and re-introduced it in 2y021 and 2023. The JUDGES Act of 2024, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a unanimous vote in June, would act on the findings in the nonpartisan 2023 Judicial Conference of the United States report by creating the recommended judgeships during future presidential administrations. Additionally, the bipartisan bill includes new transparency requirements and provisions to ensure greater access to justice in certain high-need areas of the country.

Courts across the country are overburdened and facing a shortage of federal judges. As of March 31, 2023, there were 686,797 pending cases in federal district courts across the country, averaging 491 filings per judgeship over a 12-month period. In March of 2023, the Judicial Conference of the United States, a nonpartisan policy-making body for federal courts, recommended that Congress create 66 new district court judgeships, including one in the Southern District of Indiana, to help alleviate this crisis. The Southern District of Indiana would be part of the first tranche of the newly-created judgeships under this bill.

Congress bears the constitutional responsibility of establishing judgeships in the district courts of the United States. However, the last comprehensive authorization of new judgeships, which established 11 additional circuit court judgeships and 74 district court judgeships across America, occurred in 1990. Since then, targeted legislation enacted between 1999 and 2003 created 34 additional district court judgeships. It has now been two decades since Congress last authorized additional district judgeships.

In addition to Senators Young and Coons, Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) also cosponsored the JUDGES Act of 2024.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is alerting Hoosiers of important consumer protection concerns for products recalled in July. The office encourages consumers to take advantage of opportunities available for those who purchase recalled items that could be harmful to their families.    

“The summer is coming to an end and kids are spending their final days outside before returning to school,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Don’t let the beautiful weather be ruined by an outdoor item breaking down. If you have one of the recalled products, stop using it immediately and pursue resolution from the manufacturer immediately.” 

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the following consumer products were recalled in July:  

If you believe you recently purchased a recalled product, stop using it, and check its recall notice (linked above for all products). Then follow the notice’s instructions, including where to return the product, how to get the product fixed, how to dispose of the product, how to receive a refund for the product, or what steps must be taken to receive a replacement product.   

To view recalls issued prior to July visit the Consumer Protection Safety Commission website.    

The National Fossil Act has now passed the Senate. This bill names the mastodon as the U.S. national fossil, and was introduced by Senator Mike Braun and Senator Gary Peters and cosponsored by Senator Eric Schmitt and Senator Maggie Hassan.

This is Senator Braun’s fifth standalone bill to pass the Senate just this year, and if signed into law will be his tenth in the 118^thCongress (2023-2024) to become law, including provisions on veterans healthcare, opioids, and budget reform.

The National Fossil Act aims to celebrate the unique natural history of the United States, and encourage interest in paleontology.

If the National Fossil Act is passed by the House and signed into law, the mastodon would join the bald eagle, bison, rose, and oak tree as enduring national symbols of the United States.

The mastodon lived more than 13,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era, predominantly on land that would eventually become the United States of America. A fully grown mastodon was over 10 feet tall, weighed more than 11 tons, and was preceded by a pair of 16-foot-long tusks. Unlike its distant cousin, the mammoth, the mastodon was found exclusively in the United States, with its bones being unearthed in every state across the continental U.S.

Mastodon fossils are frequently found in Indiana and Michigan.

The mastodon was made the Indiana state fossil in 2022.

Mastodons have been found in nearly every Indiana county, including notable discoveries in Hebron, Fort Wayne, and Seymour.

“Mastodons embody the spirit of exploration, resilience, and strength that exemplifies our great nation. As a uniquely American symbol, mastodons inspire us to embrace our heritage and to protect our country’s natural treasures. I hope making Indiana’s state fossil our national fossil will inspire young Hoosiers to take an interest in our country’s rich natural history that may be in their own backyard.” – Senator Mike Braun

“Michigan made history when we uncovered one of the most complete skeletons of the Mastodon ever found, and we continue to find traces of this prehistoric giant all throughout our state,” said Senator Peters. “The Mastodon represents a unique piece of both Michigan’s and our nation’s history. By establishing the Mastodon as our national fossil, we can better preserve that history and inspire a new generation of scientists and researchers to continue their pursuit of discovery.”

The National Fossil Act:

Section 1 designates the bill as the National Fossil Act.
Section 2 establishes findings on the role of the Mastodon in American public life.
Section 3 designates the Mastodon as the national fossil under Title 36 U.S. Code, and makes necessary conforming amendments.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is inviting Hoosiers attending the Indiana State Fair to meet the team, learn about the office, and reunite with your unclaimed property.

The Indiana State Fair runs from Friday, August 2, to Sunday, August 18, and is closed on Mondays. Attorney General Rokita’s booth is located in the Mercantile Building and will be staffed from 9 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET each day.

“The Indiana State Fair is a cherished tradition for Hoosiers of all ages,” Attorney General Todd Rokita said. “It is also a great opportunity to interact with our team, learn about the Attorney General’s Office and the services our office provides - including reuniting Hoosiers with theirunclaimed property.” 

Representatives from the office will be available to assist Hoosiers with unclaimed property and provide information to help consumers protect themselves and their family from ID theft and other clever scams. Copies of Attorney General publications like the Parents’ Bill of Rights, Gun Owners Bill of Rights, and Indiana Constitution will also be available.

Attorney General Rokita’s office has returned over $45,000,000 so far this year and much more is ready to be claimed.  With more than $1 million returned to Hoosiers every week, don’t miss out on your chance to be next!

Grab a funnel cake, take a stroll down the Midway, and search for what you may be missing at  IndianaUnclaimed.gov.  

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is co-leading 17 states in asking a federal appeals court to rule in favor of the religious liberty of a former Brownsburg High School teacher forced to resign because he declined to use the preferred names and pronouns of transgender students — an action that violated the teacher’s sincerely held beliefs.

John Kluge, who taught orchestra, was originally permitted to call all his students by their last names so transgender students would not feel singled out. The school district, however, withdrew its initial approval and insisted Kluge use students’ preferred names and pronouns.

Leveraging the voices of likeminded attorneys general from other states to empower parents, Attorney General Rokita is asking the 7^th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court’s ruling that the school district could not accommodate Kluge’s religious beliefs without experiencing “undue hardship.”

“By addressing all students by their last names, this teacher conscientiously worked to treat everyone equally and respectfully while also staying faithful to his own religious convictions,” Attorney General Rokita said. “But no concession short of full surrender will placate the powerful forces devoted to making sure we all march in lockstep with the transanity agenda.”

In rejecting Kluge’s attempts at a compromise, school leaders cited litigation risks under Title IX and concern for the educational environment. Such concerns, however, should not override the First Amendment’s protection of religious liberty in this case.

“Title IX does not mandate the use of a student’s preferred name or pronoun,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Nor does requiring use of preferred names and pronouns help schools fulfill their academic mission. To the contrary, kicking this teacher to the curb sends students the wrong messages about America’s heritage of respecting religion. And, at a time when teachers are in short supply, this kind of intolerance of faith among faculty members is sure to push additional good teachers out of the classroom.”