Important Voting Dates To Remember
Here are some important dates to remember if you want to vote in this year's general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Tuesday, October 11 -- This is the deadline to register to vote. You can either do this by dropping by the Morgan County Election Office in the basement of the County Administration Building on South Main Street in Martinsville or by registering online at: www.indianavoters.com.
Wednesday, October 12 -- Early voting begins at the county Election Office in Martinsville. People can vote between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. every weekday except for Wednesdays, when the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. These voting times will extend through Nov. 4. The office also will be open on two Saturdays, Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Monday, October 24 -- Early voting begins in Mooresville in the basement of the Government Center. It will be open weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. except on Wednesdays when it will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. These voting times will extend through Nov. 4. The office also will be open on two Saturdays, Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Nov. 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Vote By Mail -- If you are unable to vote on Nov. 8 or unable to leave your home to vote, you can vote by mail. Call the Election Office at (765) 342-1029 for an application.
Tuesday, October 11 -- This is the deadline to register to vote. You can either do this by dropping by the Morgan County Election Office in the basement of the County Administration Building on South Main Street in Martinsville or by registering online at: www.indianavoters.com.
Wednesday, October 12 -- Early voting begins at the county Election Office in Martinsville. People can vote between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. every weekday except for Wednesdays, when the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. These voting times will extend through Nov. 4. The office also will be open on two Saturdays, Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Monday, October 24 -- Early voting begins in Mooresville in the basement of the Government Center. It will be open weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. except on Wednesdays when it will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. These voting times will extend through Nov. 4. The office also will be open on two Saturdays, Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Nov. 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Vote By Mail -- If you are unable to vote on Nov. 8 or unable to leave your home to vote, you can vote by mail. Call the Election Office at (765) 342-1029 for an application.
Competent, confident, compassinate and committed: Penny Githens is ready to face Mayfield in November
Penny Githens
Editor's Note: This article is reprinted from the Martinsville Reporter-Times, September 15, 2016
By Volitta Fritsche, Correspondent
MARTINSVILLE
Penny Githens has degrees from both Indiana University and Purdue University, including a master’s degree in education psychology. She understands the importance of supporting public education and the hazards of not doing so. Githens, the Democratic candidate for the District 60 State Representative seat, insists that the current educational system needs rejuvenated.
“We need to restructure the way we test our children, and we need to give teachers and administrators more local control over what is taught,” she said. “And, we need to give kids a reason to want to learn.”
At a meet-and-greet in Martinsville Tuesday, Githens listened as several Metropolitan School District of Martinsville teachers shared their concerns about the way children are stressed by the pressure of doing well on ISTEP tests. They shared horror stories of children getting sick to their stomachs and others crying.
“During a test week, I saw an above average female student I knew in the hallway,” high school teacher Shannon Adams said. “ I could tell she was upset. I asked if she was okay and she became tearful and said, ‘I’m never going to graduate, I did worse this year than last year.’ I put my arm around her shoulder to console her and the girl almost collapsed to the floor.”
The teachers collectively said students are excessively pushed to do work well over their level — especially in reading and math — just so they can pass the state test. One teacher even said he felt it was so stressful to children that it was almost child abuse.
“I was an elementary teacher,” Rick Hansen, from the local teachers’ union, said, “but I had to change to middle school because I could not stand by any longer and watch the young children be put under that kind of pressure anymore.”
Justin Oakley talked about a developmentally disabled child’s struggle with ISTEP.
“I have challenged both Rod Bray and Peggy Mayfield to come and sit through the testing time and see the effect that it has on our kids.” According to Oakley, neither have taken him up on the offer. “I’m tired of feeling like I’m not being represented at all.”
Githens said she has education on her radar as she runs against incumbent Mayfield.
“Providing good education is planning for the future and I don’t believe this administration or my opponent are doing that,” she said.
To support her claim, Githens passed around a handout from the Indiana Coalition for Public Education titled the ICPE Report Card 2016. The group rated incumbents who filed for re-election in 2016, grading them based on their votes on five bills that either expanded private school vouchers, increased tax credits for the Indiana Scholarship Granting Organizations giving taxpayer money to student in private schools or otherwise damaging public education.
Githens’ opponent Mayfield received an F. According to the handout, the methodology for assigning grades was a vote of “no” on each of the five bills used in this report card. Grades were assigned by the number of “no” votes.
Githens isn’t only concerned about education. She also believes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) has made Indiana the laughingstock of the country.
“All Hoosiers need to be assured that they will be treated with dignity and respect and fully protected under the state Constitution.” She said, “We have got to have non-discrimination written into our laws.”
Restoring and rebuilding our infrastructure is also a high priority, Githens said.
“We need to find a common-sense approach to the I-69 project,” she said. “I believe the current administration floated the bonds in the manner they did so that the debt for the project would not show up as a debt to the State.”
Githens believes the project would have more accountability if it was overseen by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Githens, a mother of two boys, said when she is committed to something, she works to see it through. In 1998, her six-year-old son Nathan was diagnosed with autism, she learned her family’s health insurance did not cover autism. Githens took on the health insurance industry and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce to ensure her son and others would receive fair treatment by their health insurer.
While the first bill to mandate health insurance for those with autism didn’t pass in 1999, Githens didn’t give up — she organized a group of families who found themselves in the same situation. They took their children straight to the State Capital for meeting after meeting. In 2001, the bill passed and included coverage for all Indiana state employees, making Indiana one of the first states in the union to cover families with children with autism. Today, 44 states have followed suit.
“I’m proud to say that in 2017, the federal government is going to step up and add coverage for autism for federal employees,” Githen said.
Githens said she would love to put her commitment and passion to work for all who live in Indiana House District 60. She is looking with confidence to the November election, ready to take on the issues.
By Volitta Fritsche, Correspondent
MARTINSVILLE
Penny Githens has degrees from both Indiana University and Purdue University, including a master’s degree in education psychology. She understands the importance of supporting public education and the hazards of not doing so. Githens, the Democratic candidate for the District 60 State Representative seat, insists that the current educational system needs rejuvenated.
“We need to restructure the way we test our children, and we need to give teachers and administrators more local control over what is taught,” she said. “And, we need to give kids a reason to want to learn.”
At a meet-and-greet in Martinsville Tuesday, Githens listened as several Metropolitan School District of Martinsville teachers shared their concerns about the way children are stressed by the pressure of doing well on ISTEP tests. They shared horror stories of children getting sick to their stomachs and others crying.
“During a test week, I saw an above average female student I knew in the hallway,” high school teacher Shannon Adams said. “ I could tell she was upset. I asked if she was okay and she became tearful and said, ‘I’m never going to graduate, I did worse this year than last year.’ I put my arm around her shoulder to console her and the girl almost collapsed to the floor.”
The teachers collectively said students are excessively pushed to do work well over their level — especially in reading and math — just so they can pass the state test. One teacher even said he felt it was so stressful to children that it was almost child abuse.
“I was an elementary teacher,” Rick Hansen, from the local teachers’ union, said, “but I had to change to middle school because I could not stand by any longer and watch the young children be put under that kind of pressure anymore.”
Justin Oakley talked about a developmentally disabled child’s struggle with ISTEP.
“I have challenged both Rod Bray and Peggy Mayfield to come and sit through the testing time and see the effect that it has on our kids.” According to Oakley, neither have taken him up on the offer. “I’m tired of feeling like I’m not being represented at all.”
Githens said she has education on her radar as she runs against incumbent Mayfield.
“Providing good education is planning for the future and I don’t believe this administration or my opponent are doing that,” she said.
To support her claim, Githens passed around a handout from the Indiana Coalition for Public Education titled the ICPE Report Card 2016. The group rated incumbents who filed for re-election in 2016, grading them based on their votes on five bills that either expanded private school vouchers, increased tax credits for the Indiana Scholarship Granting Organizations giving taxpayer money to student in private schools or otherwise damaging public education.
Githens’ opponent Mayfield received an F. According to the handout, the methodology for assigning grades was a vote of “no” on each of the five bills used in this report card. Grades were assigned by the number of “no” votes.
Githens isn’t only concerned about education. She also believes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) has made Indiana the laughingstock of the country.
“All Hoosiers need to be assured that they will be treated with dignity and respect and fully protected under the state Constitution.” She said, “We have got to have non-discrimination written into our laws.”
Restoring and rebuilding our infrastructure is also a high priority, Githens said.
“We need to find a common-sense approach to the I-69 project,” she said. “I believe the current administration floated the bonds in the manner they did so that the debt for the project would not show up as a debt to the State.”
Githens believes the project would have more accountability if it was overseen by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Githens, a mother of two boys, said when she is committed to something, she works to see it through. In 1998, her six-year-old son Nathan was diagnosed with autism, she learned her family’s health insurance did not cover autism. Githens took on the health insurance industry and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce to ensure her son and others would receive fair treatment by their health insurer.
While the first bill to mandate health insurance for those with autism didn’t pass in 1999, Githens didn’t give up — she organized a group of families who found themselves in the same situation. They took their children straight to the State Capital for meeting after meeting. In 2001, the bill passed and included coverage for all Indiana state employees, making Indiana one of the first states in the union to cover families with children with autism. Today, 44 states have followed suit.
“I’m proud to say that in 2017, the federal government is going to step up and add coverage for autism for federal employees,” Githen said.
Githens said she would love to put her commitment and passion to work for all who live in Indiana House District 60. She is looking with confidence to the November election, ready to take on the issues.
