STATEHOUSE - This past week marked the halfway point for the 2013 legislative session. In total, 175 bills were passed out of the House and now go on to the Senate for further consideration. Additionally, 291 bills were passed on 3rd reading in both the House and Senate. Representative Tim Neese (R-Elkhart) had a successful first half of session with many bills that he authored and supported passing on to the Senate. “We had a productive first half of session. I am pleased with the passing of the biennial budget,” said Rep. Neese. “I believe Indiana is taking the right steps towards retaining our fiscal integrity by making sure we don’t spend more than we take in with this budget.” One bill authored by Rep. Neese was House Bill 1370, which addressed telephone privacy issues. The phrasing from the legislation is now alive and moving through the Senate in House Bill 1376, authored by Rep. Eric Koch (R-Bedford), which addresses telephone caller identification services. The bill passed in the House with a vote of 96-0. House Bill 1002 also received strong support from Rep. Neese and the rest of the House of Representatives. The legislation, which will create the Indiana Career Council, passed unanimously in the House. Currently, sixty-seven percent of manufacturing companies report moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified workers. Fifty-six percent of those expect the shortage to increase in the next three years. The proposed 16 member council works to solve what is known as the “skills gap” by creating a strategic plan and addressing the issue with unilateral force by putting key decision makers around the table to get rid of silos and focus on the issue at hand. “Overall I am very pleased with what we have accomplished in the legislative session so far. Remaining fiscally responsible to the Indiana taxpayer while investing in education and working to address many problems Hoosiers are facing is something that I take very seriously. I will continue to work for the people of my district as senate bills make their way to the House,” said Rep. Neese. |
