Beaman Home Gets Grant Money
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The state legislature recently passed two bits of legislation, effective July 1, aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence from their tormenters.
State Attorney General Steve Carter met with representatives of the Beaman Home Women's Shelter Thursday to discuss the laws and to present $15,800 to the 14-year-old shelter.
The unrestricted grant comes from a multi-state law suit settlement with Nine West Co. for price fixing women's foot ware. Eighty percent of the $695,000 legal settlement was distributed to the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, of which the Beaman Home is a part.
The YWCA of Indiana, the Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Big Sisters of Indiana also will receive funds.
Beaman Home director Jeanie Campbell said the money will come in handy.
"State and federal grants continue to be reduced," she said. "The money will be used for operating costs."
Also in attendance for the presentation were Maryanne Cox a Beaman Home executive board member and president of the board Genyce DeRico and vice president Shiela Burner.
The recently passed legislation came in the form of two Senate bills.
SB 518 allows eliminates prepayment of filing fees and witness fees for proceedings filed solely to obtain a protective order to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault or to enforce a foreign protection order.
"It's wonderful because a lot of times victims can"t afford to pay the fees," Carter said.
County councils can also adopt an ordinance providing that 40 percent of late payment fees collected by the clerk of the circuit court be deposited in the clerk's record perpetuation fund and 60 percent of the fees are deposited in the county general fund.
It also establishes a sexual assault victims assistance fund to assist rape crisis centers and a sexual assault victims assistance court fee to fund the sexual assault victims assistance fund.
It provides that when the court clerk sends a summons to the respondent in a protective order case, the clerk must send a copy of the petition that excludes information required to be kept confidential to the respondent.
Carter was especially pleased to describe SB 448 which establishes an Address Confidentially Program.
"This is one part of a more secure future for victims of domestic violence," he said.
The law allows people who have obtained a protective order to protect them from domestic violence and wish to keep their addresses confidential from their abusers.
Mailings to the person can now be sent to the attorney general's office and it will be forwarded.
It also enables the person to register to vote without making their address available to the public.
"This legislation is definitely needed," Campbell said. "It's amazing how the abusers can track women down, many times with public records."
Applications for the program are available through the Beaman Home, one of 36 programs in the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence network.
"Of course there is no funding for the program," Carter said. "We anticipate assigning someone to do the mailing work part-time.
He did praise the legislature on passing the legislation, however.
"I do want to compliment them," he said. "Its hard for people to talk about and hard for them to come forward. This is one more way we can protect Hoosiers." [[In-content Ad]]
The state legislature recently passed two bits of legislation, effective July 1, aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence from their tormenters.
State Attorney General Steve Carter met with representatives of the Beaman Home Women's Shelter Thursday to discuss the laws and to present $15,800 to the 14-year-old shelter.
The unrestricted grant comes from a multi-state law suit settlement with Nine West Co. for price fixing women's foot ware. Eighty percent of the $695,000 legal settlement was distributed to the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, of which the Beaman Home is a part.
The YWCA of Indiana, the Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Big Sisters of Indiana also will receive funds.
Beaman Home director Jeanie Campbell said the money will come in handy.
"State and federal grants continue to be reduced," she said. "The money will be used for operating costs."
Also in attendance for the presentation were Maryanne Cox a Beaman Home executive board member and president of the board Genyce DeRico and vice president Shiela Burner.
The recently passed legislation came in the form of two Senate bills.
SB 518 allows eliminates prepayment of filing fees and witness fees for proceedings filed solely to obtain a protective order to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault or to enforce a foreign protection order.
"It's wonderful because a lot of times victims can"t afford to pay the fees," Carter said.
County councils can also adopt an ordinance providing that 40 percent of late payment fees collected by the clerk of the circuit court be deposited in the clerk's record perpetuation fund and 60 percent of the fees are deposited in the county general fund.
It also establishes a sexual assault victims assistance fund to assist rape crisis centers and a sexual assault victims assistance court fee to fund the sexual assault victims assistance fund.
It provides that when the court clerk sends a summons to the respondent in a protective order case, the clerk must send a copy of the petition that excludes information required to be kept confidential to the respondent.
Carter was especially pleased to describe SB 448 which establishes an Address Confidentially Program.
"This is one part of a more secure future for victims of domestic violence," he said.
The law allows people who have obtained a protective order to protect them from domestic violence and wish to keep their addresses confidential from their abusers.
Mailings to the person can now be sent to the attorney general's office and it will be forwarded.
It also enables the person to register to vote without making their address available to the public.
"This legislation is definitely needed," Campbell said. "It's amazing how the abusers can track women down, many times with public records."
Applications for the program are available through the Beaman Home, one of 36 programs in the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence network.
"Of course there is no funding for the program," Carter said. "We anticipate assigning someone to do the mailing work part-time.
He did praise the legislature on passing the legislation, however.
"I do want to compliment them," he said. "Its hard for people to talk about and hard for them to come forward. This is one more way we can protect Hoosiers." [[In-content Ad]]