INDIANAPOLIS —
After a timeout to accommodate out-of-town Super Bowl visitors, the Indiana General Assembly is back in session to tackle legislation that had been bottlenecked by a contentious labor bill.
Both the House and Senate took two days off last week as many lawmakers cleared out of their hotel rooms. They did so to make way for thousands of Super Bowl ticket-holders who headed to the game’s host city days in advance.
Before leaving, lawmakers passed the right-to-work legislation that triggered mass protests and stalled other bills when House Democrats boycotted several days of the session.
Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the right-to-work bill just before legislators left town, making Indiana the 23rd state to ban unions from collecting mandatory fees for representation.
After signing it, Daniels said he hoped the second half of the 2012 session “might be a time for some conciliation.”
Daniels wants legislators to concede to some more of his wish-list items as they head toward their mandatory March 14 deadline for the session’s end.
That includes a statewide smoking ban, local government reform, more state dollars to victims of last summer’s State Fair stage collapse and a “credit creep” bill that would reduce college costs by capping the required credit hours needed to earn a degree.
But there are other bills that are being pushed forward by lawmakers. They range from eliminating the state’s “death tax” to exempting chicken farmers from some federal food rules.
Here’s a sampling of some of the legislation still alive in the General Assembly:
• Poultry sales at farmers’ markets: The bill would allow Indiana farmers to sell their locally grown, frozen chickens at farmers’ markets without having to go through some of the federal food-safety inspection requirements. The bill also sets up a study committee to look at ways the state can boost the marketing and sales of locally grown foods.
•Eliminating the “death tax”: There are currently two versions of legislation that would change the state’s inheritance tax. The Senate is considering the House-approved bill that would phase out the tax over 10 years, eventually eliminating the tax on unlimited inheritance passed on to family members. The House, meanwhile, is considering the Senate version that would reduce the inheritance tax rate and increase the amount of exemption claimed by inheritors.
• Licensing of mopeds: The bill would move mopeds a little closer to the rules that cover motorcycles. It would require mopeds operated on Indiana highways to be titled and registered with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. It would also require moped drivers to have a valid driver’s license or a state-issued identification card.
• More changes to K-12 schools: A rash of education-related bills that passed in the Senate may not make it through the House education committee. Among them is a bill that would allow public schools to teach creationism along with the theory of evolution. But the bill requires that creation theories of multiple religions be taught which makes the legislation less appealing. The House education committee chair has also weighed in against a bill that would require cursive writing be taught in schools.
• Outdoor stage inspections: Prompted by last year’s state fair stage collapse that killed seven people and injured dozens more, this legislation would put into place new state rules for the installation and inspection of outdoor stages and related structures. There are currently no state rules that require temporary stages, like the one that collapsed at the State Fair, to be inspected.
• Drug testing for welfare recipients: This much-debated legislation would put into place a pilot program in three counties that would require welfare recipients who get cash assistance to undergo drug-testing. It doesn’t apply to Medicaid or food-stamp recipients, but in its current form, it would require random drug-testing of state legislators.
Maureen Hayden is the Indiana Statehouse bureau chief for CNHI, the parent company of the Tribune-Star. She can be reached at maureen.hayden@indianamediagroup.com.
Local & Bistate
General Assembly ready to tackle legislative bottleneck
- Local & Bistate
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Water rescuers
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Stringing up fishing poles in the shade of American flags, households full of Hoosiers are packing into parks across the state this weekend.
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Towns along National Road readying for next week’s miles-long yard sale
Stretching 824 miles from Baltimore to St. Louis, the National Road — known as U.S. 40 through Indiana — will soon be the host site for perhaps the longest bargain market in the country.
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Rose grads honoring late president Branam at commencement today
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Class of 2012 will honor the memory of Matt Branam during today’s commencement ceremony by wearing special pins with the phrase “Make It Happen; Make It Fun,” a favorite saying of the former Rose-Hulman president, who died unexpectedly on April 20.
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Vigo County Jail Log: May 26, 2012
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Thursday and Friday, based on jail records. Charges are recommended by arresting officers but are not final until the Vigo County prosecutor reviews the case and files official charges.
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A fallen soldier returns home
An Army carry team moves a transfer case containing the remains of Spc. Arronn D. Fields early Thursday morning at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
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Official touts trade with northern neighbor
A top Canadian diplomat told a Terre Haute audience Thursday his country was “disappointed” when President Obama at least temporarily rejected a proposed transcontinental oil pipeline from Alberta to Texas.
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Caution urged for summer’s kickoff
Lane restrictions in construction zones on Interstate 70 and other highways around the state will be lifted to accommodate holiday travel for the Memorial Day Weekend.
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Letters delivered
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Companies seek Vigo tax abatements
Two Vigo County companies are seeking tax abatements for expansion projects, one of which is included as part of a county incentive package.
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The suspect in a cross-country, high-speed chase originating in Terre Haute last week was reportedly in federal custody Thursday evening.
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Second victim of deadly I-70 semi-trailer crash identified
The Vigo County Coroner’s Office has identified the passenger of a semi-tractor crash on May 16 in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 near the 12-mile marker.
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Burn ban in effect for Vigo County through holiday weekend
Vigo County officials have issued a burn ban effective Thursday and remains in effect until 8 a.m. Tuesday.
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Brazil remembers a Fallen Son
A small town seemed sadly quiet Wednesday, waiting to honor a local fallen warrior.
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ISU OKs four-year degree guarantee
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Schools surpass goal for Riley
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Historic preservation proposal discussed during open forum
More than three dozen people turned out Wednesday to ask questions about a proposed Terre Haute ordinance that would set up a formal process to preserve historic properties in the city.
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Banks of the Wabash workers getting festival ready to roll
Concession stands and amusement rides lined the lawn, waiting for a crowd.
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Search on for Gibault walkaway
The Indiana State Police are seeking help in finding a juvenile who they say walked away from a Vigo County treatment facility Sunday evening.
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Graduate college in four years? ISU ‘guarantees’ it
Indiana State University has announced a four-year graduation guarantee for students enrolling this fall and beyond.
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School bus crashes into central Indiana home
A school bus rumbled through the backyard of a suburban Indianapolis home and crashed into the side of the house.
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Markets swoon, oil prices fall as anxiety about Europe takes hold
The threat of a financial crisis spreading from Europe shook markets on Wednesday. The euro dropped to a nearly two-year low against the dollar. Oil prices sank to their lowest this year, and stocks took another fall.
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The closing of St. Ann Parish: Shuttered parish will help others live on
St. Ann Parish celebrated its last Mass on Sunday.
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Foreclosure lawsuit questions dog mayor
Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett said Tuesday he is “100 percent” certain the foreclosure suit filed against him by GMAC Mortgage on his eastside home will be resolved within the next “couple of weeks.”
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TB case cause for concern, not panic
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Dr. John Bolinger said the suspected TB case at Woodrow Wilson Middle School “is a concern,” but Vigo County and state health departments “are there to handle situations like this. They’ll do the right thing.” -
Woodgate residents considering legal action
Residents came in force Tuesday to try to compel the Vigo County Board of Commissioners to change how a development is progressing near Woodgate subdivisions in southern Vigo County.
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