Attending the third house meeting in Logansport was an enjoyable experience. About 35 taxpayers came to the Westside Diner to listen to Sen. Randy Head, Rep. Don Lehe and myself discuss legislation. After presentations from the legislators, patrons asked questions and gave their input.
Many of the questions and comments were about education funding and policy, gas tax and road maintenance and the redistricting of legislative districts. My responses were that this session is halfway over, and, now, the really hard decisions will be made. With regards to the budget and school funding, the April revenue forecast will have a major impact on all the final determinations included in the biennial budget.
An interesting comment made during the meeting was that kindergarten should be made mandatory before pre-K is funded. Since 2011, Indiana has fully funded all-day kindergarten, and 97 percent of Hoosier children enroll in this option. Many parents have asked about requiring kindergarten for their children. I’ve heard from others who say that some children are not ready for school, and they object to a mandate for kindergarten. It’s a very reasonable debate to have on their behalf. Honestly, I believe parents have the best interests of their child in mind and can choose if their child should attend early education.
There was also some discussion on the bill to change our state’s elected Superintendent of Public Instruction to a position appointed by the governor. Some are in favor; some are opposed, and some are neutral. In reality, the position is administrative and not a policy-making office. Education policy is assigned to the General Assembly, and the superintendent is tasked with executing that policy. Allowing the governor to appoint a superintendent that is philosophically aligned with the administration would avoid most of the tension we have experienced the last several years. This is what is best for students, and the issue needs to stay alive.
Some patrons questioned the non-vote on the redistricting bill that came before the House. The chair of the House Committee on Elections held a very extensive and well-attended hearing on the bill to create a non-partisan commission to draw the legislative districts. The thought behind the bill was that political gerrymandering would be eliminated to a large degree. For several explainable and logical reasons, the chair did not take a vote on the bill, and it appears dead for this session.
Some Cass County residents complained that they used to have one representative they all knew, and now they have three representatives from different counties. I can understand this concern. My response is that now you have three votes representing your voice, not just one. Discussions on this topic will continue. There will still be time after this session to enact a redistricting commission before Indiana draws new district lines based on the 2020 U.S. Census.
I only have a few comments on the road funding legislation, House Bill 1002. Taxpayers want better roads and highways, and I believe they understand some increase in road user fees is necessary to accomplish that goal. Raising taxes on my constituents is an issue that I take very seriously. Our funding plan has been studied extensively for several years and is based on the recommendations made by the Funding Indiana’s Roads for a Stronger Safer Tomorrow Task Force. Infrastructure is extremely important to the agriculture, manufacturing and logistics sectors of our economy. If we’re going to increase our investment in roads and bridges, why shouldn’t we follow the ‘user pays’ principle, such as fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees? Hoosier taxpayers, especially those who drive very little, should not be asked to pay full freight for the Crossroads of America. Moreover, our state’s other priorities should not be sacrificed to subsidize the travel of non-Hoosier motorists. Why shouldn’t out-of-state drivers and companies be asked to pay their share for the upkeep of our roads? Only user fees will accomplish that fairly and equitably.
As we move through the second half of session, changes will occur to adjust the road funding bill. Stay tuned in and in touch. Your input is needed and respected. You can contact me at 317-232-9981 or h23@iga.in.gov.
More later,
Bill
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Rep. Bill Friend (R-Macy) represents House District 23,
which includes portions of Cass, Fulton and Miami counties.
A high-resolution photo of Friend can be downloaded by clicking here.
