The Indiana House of Representatives advanced Republican State Representative Kendell Culp’s legislation, which he said supports and protects Hoosier teenagers who want hands-on experience in the workplace.
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A bill that would give Pulaski County a funding option for the renovation of the courthouse and expansion of the Justice Center now heads to the governor for final approval. The Indiana Senate passed House Bill 1052 on third reading Tuesday by a vote of 41-to-nine.
Continue readingA bill that would raise funds for the renovation of the Pulaski County Courthouse and the expansion of the Justice Center now heads to the Indiana Senate. The House of Representatives Thursday passed House Bill 1052 by a vote of 88 to four.
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A bill to restructure the Kankakee River Basin Commission is headed to the governor for final approval. House Enrolled Act 1270 would cut the number of members from 24 down to nine, but it would also impose a funding mechanism to pay for the new entity.
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Adding a “voter verifiable paper audit trail” to Pulaski County’s voting machines could cost $45,000, according to Clerk JoLynn Behny. She discussed Indiana Senate Bill 570 with the rest of the county election board Thursday.
Continue readingPlans to upgrade Starke County’s voting machines may be put on hold, pending the outcome of a bill in the Indiana Senate. Senate Bill 570 proposes a number of new requirements related to election cyber security. Notably, any electronic voting systems would have to have a “voter verifiable paper audit trail,”starting in 2022.
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A bill to restructure the Kankakee River Basin Commission is advancing in the Indiana General Assembly. House Bill 1270 authored by State Representative Doug Gutwein of Francesville would cut the number of members from 24 down to nine.
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Local school superintendents are keeping an eye on some bills being considered by the Indiana General Assembly.
Hoosiers looking for the opportunity to buy alcohol 7 days a week will have to wait for a few more legislative steps to be taken before anything is finalized. According to the Indiana General Assembly Senate Calendar, the bill regarding Sunday alcohol carryout sales for will come before the full Senate on second reading today.
Senate Bill 1, authored by Republican State Senator Ron Alting, would allow package liquor, grocery, convenience and drug stores to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout on Sunday from noon until 8 p.m. It would also permit restaurants that satisfy the carryout requirements to sell alcoholic beverages on Sunday. Continue reading
A bill that aims to better cover replacement costs for damaged state highway property has unanimously passed the Indiana House of Representatives. The measure was authored by Rolling Prairie Republican Jim Pressel. Continue reading
House Bill 1261 would allow eligible LaPorte County homeowners to receive deductions in delayed property taxes for all assessment dates rather than a current assessment date.
The full state Senate could vote next week on a bill to require drug testing for some welfare recipients. The Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services approved the measure by a vote of 9-3. Democrat Senator Jean Breaux of Indianapolis says many people don’t realize recipients of Temporary Aid for Needy Families benefits are already required to be looking for or have a job.
“A large portion of them are working,” Breaux says. “They are simply the working poor. This bill presumes that just because you receive some sort of state assistance you are either a drug abuser or someone who sits around and waits to get state money so you can go out and buy drugs.”
Breaux says the proposal is an unfair characterization of a hardworking population that needs assistance. She adds that the constitutionality of similar bills in other states has been challenged. Additionally, Breaux says the return on the state’s investment in the drug testing is too miniscule to make it worthwhile.
House Bill 1256 focuses on deterring the trafficking of cellphones into the state’s prisons. If a suspect is caught, the action would be classified as a Class C felony. The individual would also be fined up to $10,000 while inmates found possessing cellphones would be charged with a Class A misdemeanor and fined up to $5,000.
The bill clarifies requirements for railroad crossing sight-lines. House Bill 1037 would require the Indiana Department of Transportation to create new methods for measuring and determining minimum distance requirements for crossings. Current law mandates that sight-line crossings occur at 1,500 feet where trains are also required to sound the horn.
House Bill 1037 unanimously passed out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs and the full Senate by a vote of 44-0. The bill how goes to the House of Representatives where the bill’s author will have a chance to consider changes made in the Senate.
House Bill 1261 would allow homeowners in LaPorte County to receive deductions in delayed property taxes for a current assessment date, authorizing the Department of Local Government Finance to delay payments for the March 1, 2011 or Jan. 15, 2013 assessment dates. A number of property tax policies would also apply to delayed property taxes, including payment via credit or debit card, sales tax exemptions for one year, and a two-percent discount for payments made within 30 days.
