In all the buzz and sensationalism of Statehouse politics, it's important to remember my fellow legislators and I are here to represent every day Hoosiers back in our districts. Even though a large portion of my time during session is spent in Indianapolis discussing and forming laws with my colleagues, listening to the people of District 58 will always be one of my top priorities. To that end, I held town hall meetings in Johnson County over the weekend because I wanted to know what your concerns are for our community. Our time was largely spent discussing different local issues, including: Township government: House Bill (HB) 1181 would allow voters in each of Indiana's townships to vote on whether or not to abolish their local township trustees and boards and transfer the duties to county government. HB 1181 passed out of the House by a 54-44 vote and is now eligible for the Senate's consideration. I voted against the bill not because I don't believe voters should have a say in how their township government is run, but because the current form didn't address certain issues. For example, I have concerns with how the legislation approaches the referendum on a township by township basis. This would result in inconsistent governance across the county. In addition, township trustees provide important services to their county, such as poor relief, fire protection and other immediate care for different crisis situations. If the township trustee is removed, we need to ensure that Hoosiers still receive these services and I am not convinced the bill addresses those issues sufficiently. A majority of constituents who joined into the discussion, agreed. While we all believe in government reform, this bill creates more questions than provides answers. Property tax caps: The constitutional amendment to permanently cap property taxes passed two major hurdles in the Indiana General Assembly. First, House Joint Resolution 1 (HJR1) passed out of the House of Representatives unamended by a vote of 75-23. I supported HJR1 to give Hoosier voters the opportunity to decide whether permanent property tax caps should be added to the state constitution. HJR1 then passed the Senate by a vote of 35-15 and will now be eligible for consideration by Hoosier voters on the November 2, 2010 election ballot. So for now, I am asking you to educate yourselves and be careful what you vote on before you go to the polls in November. In addition, we had several farmers attend this past weekend's meeting showing their dislike for the two percent cap on agricultural farmland and how the caps do not limit growing assessed values. Personally, I would like to see the caps at one percentage instead of three different percentages. HB 1004, however, would slow the growth of the assessed value on farmland. The bill passed out of the Indiana House by a vote of 81-13. The bill is estimated to potentially save property taxpayers $60-$75 million per year beginning with taxes due and payable in 2011. The bill would change the per acre assessed value calculation for farmland from a six-year "rolling" average to a six-year "Olympic" average, which is calculated by omitting the high and low years used in the "rolling" average calculation. Smoking ban: Several constituents brought up the issue surrounding the statewide smoking ban. House Bill 1131 would prohibit smoking in public places, enclosed areas of a place of employment and certain state vehicles. The bill does, however, provide exceptions to certain gaming facilities. The bill would make it a Class B infraction to violate the smoking prohibition and a Class A infraction if the person has three unrelated prior offenses-the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission are required to enforce the prohibition. I have listened to constituents on both sides of the argument. Some disagree with the ban, arguing that it is their right to smoke if they are of legal age. Some agree with the ban, arguing that it is also their right to not have to breathe in smoke when in a public place. On Monday, after my weekend town hall meetings, this bill was brought to the House floor where it was withdrawn by its author. But don't worry; this issue has come up time and time again, and will most likely be back. Important issues, such as the smoking ban, school choice, senior health care services-which were all briefly mentioned at the meetings-are important issues. I encourage you to contact me and voice your opinion. As always, please contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns by phone to 1-800-382-9841 or e-mail to h58@in.gov. I always enjoy speaking with constituents to get a better understanding of any concerns you may have. I would also like to encourage you to fill out my legislative survey, which will give me a better idea of how to effectively serve you. I would also like to thank Rep. David Frizzell (R-Indianapolis), Senators Pat Miller (R-Indianapolis), Brent Waltz (R-Greenwood) and Greg Walker (R-Columbus) for joining me this past weekend. |
