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by Mathew Norris
IPGA Government Consultant | Krieg DeVault
This week marks the seventh week of the legislative session. As the short session comes to a close and the second set of deadlines approaches, this week was marked with increased tension and debate in the legislative process. The committee report deadline for Senate bills in the House is Tuesday, Feb. 27. The deadline for House bills in the Senate is Thursday, Feb. 29.
A key priority for the IPGA has been HB 1162. HB 1162 passed the Senate unanimously this week. The legislation was amended in the Senate Committee, so it will need to head back to the House for a concurrence vote, or the author could take the bill to conference committee. We are working with the bill sponsor, Rep. Pressel, on next steps.
The success of the NBA All-Star Game weekend is rumored to be the motivation behind lawmakers reversing the repeal of the tax on property in the Mile Square. The Economic Enhancement District (EED) was passed just last year, and taxes from the district would be used to create a low-barrier homeless shelter in addition to other public safety and beautification efforts. House Republicans had aimed to eliminate the Economic Enhancement District (EED) with HB 1199, however, the Senate’s Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee unanimously voted on Tuesday to include an amendment by Senator Scott Baldwin (R-Noblesville) to keep the EED in place with some minor modifications. These minor modifications include a carve out for the Apartment Association and the ability for homeowners to opt-in to the tax. New IMPD Chief Chris Bailey spoke during committee in support of keeping the district to ensure more economic improvements.
Two bills in the Senate this week passed with bipartisan opposition. HB 1284, a bill allowing financial institutions to change contract terms without the acceptance of customers passed by a narrow vote of 28-21 on Tuesday. Democrats and Republicans in opposition say this bill would upset the balance between consumers and banking institutions. Supporters of the bill say that a shorter time period is needed to allow banks to comply with federal regulations. With 13 Republicans and eight Democrats voting against it, the bill passed and is heading back to the House. Another bill heading back to the House, HB 1412 establishes a registration for retail pet stores, animal care facilities, and animal rescues. The bill would also void local ordinances that prohibit the sale of dogs at retail pet stores. Opponents of the bill testified that it would strip local control and protect puppy mills, while supporters say it upholds free market values while also putting guardrails in place to protect animals. The bill passed on a 31-18 vote.
In the House, lawmakers took measures to eliminate distractions in the classrooms of Hoosier schools. SB 185 would require school districts to adopt a plan to make sure cell phones are not used during instruction. The bill passed 83-8, with opponents arguing that schools can already make their own policies around cell phones without the need for state oversight. SB 202, another education bill that was heard in the House this week, would add stricter scrutiny for tenure evaluations, and require university trustees to review “intellectual diversity” standards. The bill faced fierce opposition on the House floor, where both a motion to adopt the minority committee report and a motion to recommit the bill to House Ways and Means due to the potential fiscal impact filed by House Democrats failed.
Shifting from the classroom to the skies, the House passed a bill concerning the use of drones in the state. SB 182 passed unanimously on the floor. The bill criminalizes smuggling contraband into jails and prisons with the use of drones. Previously, there was no language for this newly conceived crime in the Indiana Code. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Greg Steuerwald (R-Avon) testified that there have been cases of this actually happening around the state.
Two final bills that received a lot of time from lawmakers this week are SB 52 and HB 1002. First, the House Committee on Roads and Transportation heard four hours of testimony on SB 52. This bill calls for a one-year moratorium on dedicated bus lanes, so the state can study their efficiency. Supporters of the ban said dedicated lanes would deter customers from coming into businesses. Opponents of the bill say the delay would cause Indianapolis to lose the federal funding crucial for the Blue Line project to continue and would make the transit line slower. The bill was held in committee. The next day, HB 1002 was heard in the Senate Education Committee. After extensive testimony, Senators removed language from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, but even those who supported the bill wanted to continue the discussion. The bill was passed out of committee and will likely receive that discussion time on the Senate floor during second reading.
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