One of the greatest aspects about the democratic process is the discussion and debate among both elected officials and the public. While these past few weeks have been hectic around the Statehouse, the protestors’ voices concerning Right to Work (RTW) were heard throughout the building, and I respect their right to participate in this process. That being said, my constituents and I agreed that RTW was a good policy for our state, and I voted accordingly. Following an emotive debate, House Bill (HB) 1001 passed out of the Indiana House of Representatives with a 54-44 vote. Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) authored the RTW legislation, and he gave an enthused speech on the House Floor during the debate, some of which I would like to share with you. During his speech, Rep. Torr talked not only about what RTW is going to do – give workers the freedom to choose to join a union and entice companies to bring jobs to Indiana – but, rather, what it is not going to do. It will not lower wages. It will not reduce working standards, conditions and safety. It will not end collective bargaining. It will not prevent employees from financially supporting unions. It will not be the end of unions. In fact, the passage of the Indiana State Teachers Association’s (ISTA) RTW legislation in 1995 is proof that unions can remain strong, viable and relevant with this policy in place. They are one of the biggest unions in the state. Other states are even applauding our determination and effort in passing this legislation. The debate and vote on this issue in the House is encouraging to the Missouri Senate as they discuss RTW in committee. Leaders in Maine and New Hampshire are also considering similar legislation. A representative in Michigan was quoted saying he was disappointed that Indiana beat Michigan to RTW, proving that even our border states – none of whom are RTW states – in the “Rust Belt” are envious of our policy. Now that the RTW debate and vote is over in the House, we can focus on other pieces of legislation that will affect Hoosiers throughout the state. Following the tragedy with the Indiana State Fair stage collapse last year, legislation is being heard to give additional compensation to the victims and their families. HB 1376 would raise the maximum amount of liability from $5 million to $10 million to more fairly compensate individuals affected by that tragedy. Also included in this bill is funding for full-day kindergarten and an improvement to the Automatic Taxpayer Refund adopted last year. Another bill that we recently passed out of the House extends the resources provided to military personnel from the Military Family Relief Fund. HB 1059 would extend the time allotment that an active duty service member and their families may receive assistance from the fund from one to three years. Finally, the very first bill to pass out of both chambers and be signed by the governor imposes harsher punishment on individuals engaging in human trafficking. Senate Bill 4 will help protect minors from being forced into participating in sexual conduct. This now awaits the governor to sign into law before Super Bowl XLVI comes to Indianapolis, which could heighten the risk of such behavior. I want to make sure you are aware of all of this legislation as it has the potential to touch the lives of many Hoosiers. However, this is not an exhaustive list of all legislation we are hearing this session. For up-to-date information on bills, please visit www.in.gov/legislative. As always, I will update you on a weekly basis. Stay tuned. |
