INDIANAPOLIS -
Protecting our children is an issue of utmost importance, but it's taken a back seat in this legislative session until now.
Right to work, funding full-day kindergarten and helping State Fair tragedy victims have been on the front burner for the 2012 legislative session in Indiana. But on Wednesday, House Democrats shifted their focus to child welfare.
Lawmakers handed out photocopies of newspaper articles from across the state highlighting cases of child abuse, neglect and deaths, some involving children in the Department of Child Services system.
The debate that took place in committee Wednesday morning indicated that some lawmakers feel there's work that needs to be done.
"We need to make sure that we have the opportunity, the ability and flexibility to talk to people not only on the state level but all the way down to the local level and that there will be no repercussions," said Rep. Gail Riecken (D-Evansville).
Riecken said people may be uneasy about bringing a problem to light.
"Folks are always worried about talking. The folks are really clamoring for us to take action to understand better where the problems are, to make adjustments if in fact policies aren't working. There are questions about if there is money is the issue, why did we not seek that money?"
This is a developing story that will be updated.
