Marking the halfway point of session
The legislature has officially passed the halfway point. The deadline for bills to be heard and passed out of their chambers of origin has come and gone. Many bills have switched chambers as both the Senate and House finished deliberation on their respective bills, while most did not advance. Ultimately, there is only so much time to seriously consider proposals. I would like to review a handful of important bills concerning education, highway funding, fighting methamphetamine labs, Sunday alcohol sales and police body cameras.
As always, education remains a top priority for House Republicans. So far this session, we have worked hard to ensure that students, teachers and schools are not unfairly affected by the 2015 ISTEP scores as the state transitions to more rigorous standards. Two bills have already been signed into law decoupling teacher and school evaluations from last year’s ISTEP scores. Speaker Brian C. Bosma (R-Indianapolis) authored legislation that would create the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, which would support top performing high school graduates and current college students studying education with the commitment they will teach in an Indiana classroom upon graduation.
Many other education bills were passed by the House over the last few weeks, including legislation that would replace ISTEP. Additionally, there are bills that would give schools more flexibility in their retirement plan offerings and create career development and mentorship programs for teachers. Education is a vital part of our community and state, and I will continue to support measures that keep us heading in the right direction.
House Republicans are also prioritizing our state’s road and bridge funding needs. House Bill (HB) 1001 focuses on three principles: fiscal responsibility, data-driven metrics and sustainability. In addition to creating a long-term, comprehensive road funding plan, the House also passed a bill that will provide local communities faster access to revenue from their own Local Option Income Tax reserves held by the state. We know that local governments are best positioned to fix problems in their areas. Under HB 1110, each county in House District 23 would receive more than $1.5 million. With these additional funds and the flexibility offered under our plan, local communities could choose to invest in roads and bridges. Both of these bills have passed out of the House.
Perhaps one of the most pressing issues we have been addressing this session is the methamphetamine epidemic that is ravaging Hoosier communities. For the third consecutive year, Indiana led the nation in meth lab incidents. This problem stems from meth cooks’ easy access to ingredients, including pseudoephedrine (PSE). By carefully balancing legitimate consumer access to those cold medicines with commonsense measures to keep them out of the hands of meth cooks, HB 1390 would give pharmacists the flexibility to determine if a customer medically needs PSE. Under this proposal, Hoosiers would still not need a prescription if they already have an established relationship with a pharmacist or are willing to accept either tamper resistant PSE or smaller packages. A companion piece of legislation would require drug felons to have a prescription to both purchase and possess PSE. Electronic tracking would issue “stop sale” alerts to pharmacies when a drug felon attempts a purchase. Both bills are now being heard by the Senate.
This year, there was another attempt to address carry-out alcohol sales on Sundays. This legislation did not get voted out of committee and thus could not be considered by the full the House. This bill would have allowed businesses to sell alcohol on Sundays while also providing guidelines for clerks ringing up the purchase. Since it missed the deadline, the bill is dead for this session.
For law enforcement agencies choosing to incorporate body cameras and other technology in their departments, HB 1019 would provide clear guidelines for handling recordings. It’s the product of extensive study over last summer. This legislation aims to strike a balance between transparency and the right to privacy. If enacted, HB 1019 would allow a person who is involved in the recording or a member of their family to review the footage. Members of the public can petition for a court order to review this footage if they feel a recording serves the public interest. This legislation passed out of the House and can now be considered by the Senate.
Outside of the Statehouse, this past Thursday, I attended the funeral for Mr. Jack Slaz of Peru. He was a great man of faith and a prayer warrior. Slaz leaves behind his wife Earline and son Tony. Our community will miss “Happy Jack!”
Thanks for all your communications and messages this session. Our government depends on your participation! You can contact me at h23@iga.in.gov or 317-232-9981.
More Later,
WCF
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Rep. Bill Friend represents portions of Cass, Fulton and Miami counties.
He also serves as Speaker Pro Tempore.
