The following is for your information.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ray Boomhower <rboomhower(a)statelib.lib.in.us>
To: H-INDIANA(a)H-NET.MSU.EDU <H-INDIANA(a)H-NET.MSU.EDU>
Date: Thursday, June 25, 1998 2:04 PM
Subject: Dept. of Indiana Heritage?
From: Noraleen A. Young <nyoung(a)tcon.net>
Date sent: Thur, 25 June 1998
Subject: Dept. of Indiana Heritage?
The Indiana General Assembly has established the Interim Study Committee on
State Government Issues to look at three issues: 1) Access to public
records; 2) petitions to change a town to a city; 3) Creation of a
Department of Indiana Heritage.
The first hearing was held on Tuesday, June 23, 1998. The primary topic was
on access to public records and testimony was heard from state officials,
the media, and the public on the difficulty many have in accessing public
records. Work groups will be established with both state officials,
legislators and representatives of the pubic to look at compliance,
mechanics, definitional concerns, and copying fees.
The next hearing, tentatively scheduled for July 28, 1998, 1:30 p.m., will
continue to look at public records access but also at the feasibility of a
Department of Indiana Heritage to put all those Indiana State agencies that
deal with the history of Indiana under a joint agency similar to
organizational structures found in other states.
Agencies mentioned in a position paper dated October 29, 1997 include the
Division of State Museum and Historic Sites (presently under the Dept. of
Natural Resources), the Indiana State Library, the Indiana War Memorials
Commission, the Division of Historic Preservation and Archeology, the
Indiana Main Street/Heritage Tourism Program, the Indiana Historical
Bureau, and the Indiana State Archives (Commission on Public Records).
If you are interested in commenting on either issue you can reach the
committee by:
Interim Study Committee on State Government Issues
c/o Legislative Services Agency
200 West Washington Street
Suite 301
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2789
(317) 232-9588
fax (317) 232-2554
You may also gain information on the committee by calling John Rowings,
with the Legislative Services Agency at (317) 232-9555. You may request
that you be placed on the committee's mailing list for meeting notices.
You can read about the committee's June 23 meeting, or follow its progress,
or that of the governor's task force on public records by checking the Indy
chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists at their web site:
http://indyprospj.iupui.edu/indypro/home.html
Noraleen A. Young C.A.
Public Historian
nyoung(a)tcon.net
http://mem.tcon.net/users/5010/5955/noraleen.htm