We just wrapped up the third week of the session and legislation is moving quickly as we approach critical deadlines to keep bills alive.
My proposed legislation on low head dam safety, House Bill 1099, passed out of the Natural Resources Committee unanimously this week! We heard powerful testimony from experts in this area, including Dr. Jerry Sweeten of Miami County, a mother who lost her son on a low head dam in 2015, and a gentleman who was a victim of a low head dam himself in 2017. He barely escaped with his life, but his friend he was kayaking with did not make it. No one testified in opposition to the bill, so I am hopeful the full House will pass the bill in the coming week.
Another bill I am working on, House Bill 1218, requires all underground utility facilities to be locatable from above ground. This is an addition to our 811 “Call Before You Dig” law. It was brought to my attention at an Akron Chamber of Commerce meeting that this was not a requirement in our law, and after some research I found this was true. Given the vast amounts of investment we are seeing in water, sewer, broadband internet, electric and other infrastructure that is often buried, I agreed it was important to make sure we make it as easy as possible to locate facilities in order to prevent service outages and further unnecessary costs. House Bill 1218 passed out of the Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee unanimously this week and should be up for a final vote in the House next week.
I have also had several learning opportunities over the past couple of weeks to get to know our district a bit better. One of them was meeting with leaders from Bona Vista at their new facility located in the Ivy Tech building and group home in Peru. It’s amazing the work they do to serve Hoosiers with disabilities, and I’m glad we have organizations like Bona Vista to help those in need. I also visited Tippecanoe Valley Middle School, where I sat in on two classes and talked with both teachers and administrators. I’ve enjoyed all the school visits I’ve done and appreciate learning more about what actually happens in our schools on a daily basis.
Thank you to the teachers from Caston and Maconaquah schools, and local farmers, for making the trip south to meet with me at the Statehouse. I also welcomed visitors from the Grissom Air Museum and Purdue Extension. It is always a joy to meet with constituents from home, so if you are in the Statehouse please let me know. I would love to learn more about how I can better serve our community. Remember, it’s your state government, so participate in it!
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State Rep. Ethan Manning (R-Denver) represents House District 23,
which includes portions of Cass, Fulton and Miami counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
