U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) introduced the bipartisan Critical Materials Future Act to establish a pilot program for the Department of Energy to support domestic critical mineral processing projects.

“Our reliance on global supply chains for critical materials poses a significant national security threat, especially as the Chinese Communist Party continues to manipulate this market,” said Senator Young. “Our bill will take innovative steps to identify opportunities for American leadership and investment in critical material projects, strengthening domestic supply chains and boosting our economic and global competitiveness.”

“China is rivaling American dominance by controlling the critical minerals market,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “Boosting our domestic processing is how we’ll maintain American leadership in the world.”

The U.S. critical minerals list contains 50 minerals – including graphite, nickel, and cobalt – that are essential to our economy, infrastructure, and military capability. Critical minerals are used in smartphones, semiconductors, batteries, advanced defense equipment, and more.

China currently controls 90% of the global processing capacity for rare earth elements and over 80% of the processing for other critical minerals like cobalt, gallium, and graphite. Experts have become increasingly concerned with U.S. dependence on China for critical materials, arguing it poses a significant risk to national security. In August 2023, China announced export controls on gallium and germanium, critical minerals used in semiconductor manufacturing. In October 2023, China introduced export license requirements for graphite, essential for battery anodes. And in June 2023, a cobalt mine in Idaho was forcedto shutter its operations before it opened and lay off hundreds of workers as China flooded the market with cheap cobalt.

Specifically, the Critical Materials Future Act grants the Secretary of Energy the authority to deploy innovative financial mechanisms, such as contracts for differences and advanced market commitments, to support critical material processing projects in the United States. The bill also requires the Secretary of Energy to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of these financial tools on market dynamics and processing projects within the critical materials sector, and to provide recommendations for expanding their use to strengthen America’s processing capabilities.

In addition to Senators Young and Hickenlooper, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) also cosponsored the legislation.

The Critical Materials Future Act is supported by BPC Action, American Critical Minerals Association, and Employ America.

Full text of the Critical Materials Future Act is available here. 

The Indiana Natural Resources Commission (NRC) has opened public comment for proposed changes to allow the limited, regulated trapping of bobcats. In March, the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation (Senate Enrolled Act 241) that directs the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to have rules in place by July 2025 for bobcat harvest. Public comments can be submitted at IN.gov/nrc/rules/rulemaking-docket using the “Submit Comments Here” link under the Bobcat Amendments Proposed Rule. Comments can also be mailed to the Natural Resources Commission.

The deadline for submitting public comments is Nov. 14, 2024. A public hearing will also be held on Nov. 14, 2024 between 5-7 p.m. ET at the Southeast – Purdue Agricultural Center located at 4425 East 350 North, Butlerville, IN 47223. Interested members of the public can attend in person or online anytime during that timeframe. The public hearing will also be webcast on the NRC’s rulemaking docket website at IN.gov/nrc/rules/rulemaking-docket during the time of the public hearing and comments will be able to be made through the online webcast. Sign up for updates at on.IN.gov/dfw-rule-changes

For more information on the proposed rule changes and submitting comments, visit on.IN.gov/dfw-rule-changes.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is asking the Indiana Supreme Court to set an execution date for the convicted murderer who fatally shot Beech Grove Police Officer William Toney on Sept. 29, 2000.

“Most Hoosiers and I expect justice without delay, especially when someone murders a police officer, one of the many, many brave men and women we thank and respect daily," Attorney General Rokita said. “This convicted cop killer has been on death row far too long — 22 years — and it's past time for him to pay his debt to society.”

Attorney General Rokita filed a formal motion today asking the Supreme Court to set a date for the execution of Benjamin Ritchie.

For several years, the State of Indiana paused executions due to the Indiana Department of Correction’s difficulty obtaining the drug pentobarbital, which is used to carry out executions. That issue has been resolved.

On Sept. 11, the Indiana Supreme Court set an execution date of Dec. 18 for another convicted murderer, Joseph Corcoran, after Attorney General Rokita filed a motion asking the court to set a date. Corcoran killed four people.

By Becky Killian, Staff Writer

City employees will receive an eight percent raise in 2025, while emergency responders will each get a $7,000 raise. Those are the most recent numbers approved by a majority vote during the Monday, Sept. 9, meeting of the Salem Common Council. The raises don’t apply to elected positions.

Council members who voted in favor of the raises were Dan Libka, Dylan Moore, Steve Crane, and Randy Lee Jr. The opposing vote was cast by Roger Pennington.

The latest vote came on the heels of two special Common Council meetings during which the struggle of attracting and retaining quality public safety employees was discussed. Many towns, cities and counties have difficulty offering competitive wages to public safety employees, which can lead those employees to take more lucrative jobs elsewhere.

After those special meetings, the Council approved a $5,000 raise for each police officer and fire fighter and a six percent pay increase for all other city employees effective in 2025.

Before the Sept. 9 vote that increased the raise for emergency responders, a representative from Reedy Financial, the city’s financial consulting firm, explained that the 2025 budget revenue would be sufficient to cover the additional costs; however, “minor” revenue shortfalls could occur in 2026 and 2027.

The 2026 and 2027 budget forecasts include three percent raises for all city employees.

Moore asked Salem Police Chief Eric Mills if he would be willing to enact a hiring freeze during the two years of forecasted shortfalls if it is deemed necessary. Mills didn’t dismiss the possibility outright; however, he did say he would need to consider the impacts it might have.

Libka pointed out the dangers that emergency responders face.
“There’s always a chance that something bad is going to happen,” Libka said, adding that the city’s civilian employees needed to be considered, as well.

Pennington said the city’s starting salaries aren’t as low as they may seem when you consider paid holidays, retirement pensions, and clothing allowances.

Libka made the motion to increase the emergency responder pay raises to $7,000 and to give all civilian employees an eight percent raise in 2025 provided the budget can accommodate those increases. His motion was then approved in the majority vote.

During the special meetings, officials also approved a $2,000 stipend for police and fire personnel and a $1,500 stipend for all other city employees for this year; however, the payment of those stipends is contingent upon whether Clerk-Treasurer Sally Hattabaugh can find the funds in the current year’s budget to cover them. As of Monday, Sept. 16, Hattabaugh had yet to find the funding for those stipends.

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