[r29] Legislative Review (5/9/2011)

The 2011 legislative session ended over a week ago and I am still trying to catch up on sleep.

I hope this week I will begin to get back to my normal routine (whatever that is).  After session ends there is always a few weeks of getting adjusted to not heading to the Statehouse every day.   I am certainly ready to get back to my five minute drive to work and hopefully find some time to do yard work and gardening, if it ever stops raining. 
 
Last week, I focused on what takes place in the final days of a legislative session, so this week I thought I would highlight a few pieces of legislation which will affect many of us. 

Four months ago when session kicked off, it was no secret that we were facing many tough issues.  We worked hard to address as many of these issues as possible.

One of the top priorities was develop legislation which would place Indiana in a better economic climate and poise Indiana to be a fierce competitor in the 21st century job market.

Economic development bills were crafted this legislative session to meet that goal.  We wanted our legislation to stimulate job creation and incentivize employers to expand and relocate to Indiana. 

House Enrolled Act 1004 is a bill which will allow Indiana to better compete against our neighboring states. 

Under HB 1004, we have lowered the corporate tax rate from 8.5% to 6.5% over four years, beginning in fiscal year 2013.  

The current tax rate for corporations was seen as a hindrance to businesses looking to relocate to Indiana because it was the highest in the Midwest.  Indiana will now be more competitive and be more appealing to businesses looking to relocate in this area. This bill will bring more companies to Indiana and create more jobs. 

Another positive change we made this session is to extend and increase the Venture Capital Investment tax credit program.  This tax credit is critical in providing startup capital for fast-growing businesses. 

It was also a priority to help revitalize hard hit communities, especially those which have many empty factories and warehouses.  We worked to make improvements to the Industrial Tax Credit so that these "dinosaur" buildings will not continue to sit empty. 
 
Through the improvements to the Industrial Tax Credit, employers will be able to defer upfront capital costs for rehabilitating these facilities.  This is beneficial because these costs often prevent new businesses from starting up. 

Hoosier employers now have an incentive to reutilize abandoned factories and warehouses, leading to economic growth and job creation within some of our hardest hit communities.  These job creation provisions will provide our state and local communities with additional tools in the toolbox to spur hiring in the months ahead.
 
Switching gears to one of the bills on which I received the most communication and support from constituents is House Enrolled Act 1129. This bill makes it a Class C infraction if a person uses a cell phone to send or to read a text message or email while driving.
 
I think we can all agree on the dangers of texting while driving. Reports show that many accidents are caused by drivers on their cell phones.  How many times have you been behind a person who is swaying back and forth only to see that they are using their cell phone?  Once again this year, there were attempts to ban all cell phone use while driving, but those provisions didn't make it into the final version of bill.  I am sure banning cell phone use while driving will again be discussed next session. 
 
Many of you contacted me on a law which was enacted last year, which stipulated that all individuals purchasing alcohol be carded.   The intention of last year's bill was in the right place, but in the end just caused frustration among Hoosiers.

Senate Enrolled Act 78 helps resolve this issue by only mandating that people who appear to be under the age of 40 be required to produce their I.D.  to purchase alcohol.

Ultimately, we all reach a certain age where it becomes clear that we are no longer at the young age of 21.  We should not have a law in place which leads to more unnecessary hassles.  There was much debate on what age should be used to stop checking ID and 40 years of age was the compromise that was finally agreed upon.
   
These are just a few of the 231bills that passed out of the General Assembly and they show the variety of legislation which made  its way through the process this session. The Governor is still in the process of reviewing and signing bills and I will continue to report on some of the legislation that passed in future columns.
 
The past four months truly felt like a rollercoaster ride at times but I am confident that we did what was best for Hoosier families. I look forward to hearing from all of you during the interim and hope to see you out and about in our great community!
 
Couple thoughts before I close this week...First our community lost a great leader this week.  Murphy White was a true gentleman who was dedicated to serving Noblesville.  He loved his community and they loved him. I will truly miss visiting with him around town.
 
And finally, I want to wish all of the moms a Happy Mother's Day.  Even though my Mom is no longer with me, I want to honor her; I continue to feel her love and support every day.  I hope all the moms enjoyed their day and know how important they are to their family!