The Logansport Chamber of Commerce hosted a third house meeting on Saturday morning, and all our state representatives were able to attend, along with State Sen. Randy Head. Thirty or so constituents were in attendance, and they asked very thoughtful questions. There were questions about education funding, mental health and addiction funding and, of course, highway maintenance funding.
One of the attendees posed the question: “Why don’t you raise the gas tax by 25 cents per gallon? The roads are terrible, and you need a lot of money to fix them.” Our general response was this: A 10-cent increase in the gas tax is a big step, but 25 cents is huge. In the coming weeks, the conference committee working on the funding of highways will need to grapple with gas, diesel and electric vehicle taxes, as well as the study of tolling possibilities.
The tolling of interstates, as well as the possibility of additional lanes, will be a major issue to study. Our citizens are going to learn about tolling very quickly as they use the new bridges over the Ohio River going into Kentucky. There have been discussions on the tolling of Interstates 65, 69, 70 and 74, and they will continue. The imperatives of maintenance and expansion may force the issue. Finding user-based fees to finance improvements are never easy or pleasant, but I am confident we will find an equitable solution. Hoosiers should not pay full freight for out-of-state drivers and companies passing through Indiana.
Education funding is always a difficult issue to address, and there are many who say we never spend enough on education. Here are the facts: 52 percent of our entire state’s general fund is spent on K-12 education, 12 percent is spent on higher education (Purdue, Indiana University, Ball State, etc.), and about 3 percent is spent on retired teacher pensions. That means 67 percent of our entire budget is obligated to education in some form. With two-thirds of our budget going to education, that only leaves one-third to take care of public safety, Medicaid, general government expenses and other obligations. Highway maintenance funding is almost completely separate from the rest of the budget, so please don’t confuse these appropriations.
Unfortunately, Indiana, like the rest of the country, has underfunded mental health and addiction treatment relative to the need. Local professionals struggle to address patients working to overcome their addictions and the problems caused by drug dependence. Advocates must keep speaking up. Legislators are extremely supportive, but resources are limited.
Here’s a cautionary tale: I had a couple of issues brought to me in January that required legislation to fully address the problem. That is too late in the legislative process to draft a bill. If an individual wants an issue considered by the legislature, the bill drafting deadline is typically mid-December. After that, the option is to amend another bill, and that can be a very frustrating experience that doesn’t always work. By law, the 2017 session must end before midnight on April 29. The moral of the story is to talk with your legislator between now and early December on the issues you want addressed during the 2018 legislative session.
We’re still waiting on the Pet Pals TV program featuring Buddy. He is a little anxious because of the contacts from possible media agents. In the meantime, he is just relaxing and enjoying his new-found fame. Stay in touch.
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.
