Hoosier thoughts

Voter ID law
The Times

MUNSTER - Raymond Lopez's tale is proof of the need for Indiana's controversial voter ID law.

Lopez, chairman of the East Chicago and Whiting Republican organization, told the Lake County election board last week that "busloads" of people from Illinois and downstate Indiana showed up May 6 at the polls in East Chicago and Whiting.

Republican poll workers told Lopez they turned away Illinois residents and downstate students hoping to vote in the extreme northwest corner of Indiana.

Indiana law requires voters to show a valid photo ID to ensure they are voting in the right location. Voters who fail to bring their photo ID can cast provisional ballots and then have 10 days to produce a photo ID so their ballot can be counted.

As the voter ID law in Indiana is under continued attack - most recently from the League of Women Voters of Indiana, which filed a lawsuit Friday - it is important to consider Lopez's allegations.

The potential of that scenario playing out in the future is one reason we need the voter ID law. Protecting the integrity of elections is vital to maintain faith in the democratic process.

Child protection laws
South Bend Tribune

Many Hoosier children are at risk from abuse and neglect. Last year, 53 of them died at the hands of a parent or caregiver. Thousands more were referred to Child Protective Services, which intervenes in incidents of suspected abuse.

In a state that has a serious problem with violence against children, let us hope that a 4-1 decision this month by the Indiana Supreme Court did nothing to dissuade concerned observers from getting involved.

The court, in a ruling that is as concerning to us as it was to dissenting Justice Frank Sullivan Jr., reversed a battery conviction against a Marion County parent who had whipped an 11-year-old with a belt or extension cord, raising bruises on his body.

When the child showed the marks to a school nurse, the nurse notified CPS, which investigated. The parent was charged with battery and convicted.

The court based its reversal on what seems to be a very broad conclusion: Because the injuries were not permanent or serious, battery had not occurred.

While we are certain that the court did not intend to put its stamp of approval on beating children, we share Sullivan's concerns. It seems that the issue of corporal punishment has been muddied rather than clarified.

Big Ten-Comcast
Journal & Courier

LAFAYETTE - College sports fans who are Comcast customers will finally get their fix via the Big Ten Network after sitting on the sidelines last year.

Comcast and BTN reached an agreement that apparently both can live with, leaving the question of whether Comcast customers want to live with it.

The Big Ten market in Lafayette is virtually guaranteed, and the conference fans are intensely loyal to their schools and the rivalries. The allegiance to Comcast might not be so thick depending on what bills look like after the BTN hits the air on Aug. 15.

Customers have complained about Comcast service after the switch from Insight. The complaints range from a decrease in the quality of service and signal and an increase in subscription costs.

If the Big Ten Network's debut coincides with other expanded channels and is accompanied with a fee increase, customers might accept that.

However, if Comcast hikes its fees and the only improvement in channels is one college sports network, the cable company will be doing a disservice to its subscribers.