Moving Indiana forward
The Indiana General Assembly has adjourned Sine Die, meaning we have completed our business for the 2016 legislative session. It was an extremely productive session filled with several legislative accomplishments, including addressing road funding and ISTEP and supporting farmers. In January, House Republicans set a goal to fund Indiana’s infrastructure needs. During the last few weeks of session, lawmakers from both chambers crafted a plan together that will address our immediate road funding needs, while ensuring legislators come back next year during the budget session to discuss a more long-term plan.
House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1001 directs $186 million immediately toward a newly created local road and bridge matching grant account. About $328 million would go toward state road and bridge upkeep over the next two years. This legislation also sends 1.5 cents of the 7 cents of sales tax on gasoline to the matching account as a source of ongoing funding and collects the current equivalent of 1 cent already being dedicated to road funding. This legislation’s strong point is the task force created to conduct a thorough study this summer on state and local road funding needs and options.
Lawmakers supported a proposal that immediately provides $430 million to local governments for Indiana’s infrastructure. In addition, about $505 million in local option income tax reserves currently held by the state will be returned to local units with $330 million dedicated to roads.
Last year, Indiana transitioned to new, more rigorous academic standards. Almost unanimously, the House and the Senate passed legislation that would decouple teacher performance evaluations and school A-F grades from the spring 2015 ISTEP scores. House Enrolled Act 1003 and Senate Enrolled Act 200 progressed quickly through the legislative process, and within the first month of session, both had been signed into law.
This session, we also took a hard look at the current ISTEP test. If enacted, ISTEP as we know it will no longer exist after July 1, 2017, under HEA 1395. In the coming months, a commission—comprised of mostly educators—will examine our current accountability metrics and find the best possible replacement.
It is important for House Republicans to support farmers and keep our economy moving forward. Hoosier agriculture and related businesses contribute $44.1 billion to Indiana’s economy and support 190,000 jobs. In the past, Indiana’s farmers have faced a 47 percent increase in farmland property taxes. Senate Enrolled Act 308 would provide immediate farmland property tax relief to Hoosier farmers by freezing the farmland assessment base rate at $2,050 per acre until 2017. Legislators supported farmers in this period of depressed commodity prices, which resulted in lagging farm incomes. Since 2007, farmland taxes have increased 63 percent. As a farmer, it is my goal to continue supporting the families in our district and throughout Indiana.
In the coming months, I am looking forward to meeting with interim study committees. During these meetings, we are able to explore a variety of topics, including legislation from previous sessions. While we are out of session, I still continue to work for you and represent your voice. Don’t hesitate to contact me with opinions and concerns at h23@iga.in.gov or (317) 232-9981. Thank you for your continued communication and involvement. It’s your government!
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.
