Lawmakers overturn governor’s veto

On Wednesday, the Indiana General Assembly voted to override the governor’s veto on House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1546, assuring that the measure now becomes law.  The Indiana House of Representatives voted 68-23 to overturn the veto, clearing the way for a final 34-12 vote in the Senate.

The governor moved to block the engrossed act following the close of the legislative session, expressing concern over language that would retroactively reauthorize local taxing measures in Pulaski and Jackson counties.

Opponents of the effort to override the governor’s veto noted that in both counties, the authorization for collecting the taxes had expired but Hoosiers had continued to pay the levy. Supporters pointed to other measures within the bill, including language supporting the families of disabled Hoosier veterans, as reason to overturn the governor’s veto and see the measure to become law.

A veto override is a tool by which legislators can consider proposals passed during the regular session but rejected by the governor. To override the governor’s veto, both chambers must again pass the vetoed measure by a simple majority.

The General Assembly adjourned sine die and lawmakers will return to the Statehouse over the summer and fall to begin interim study committees.

Rundown on issues the General Assembly will study this summer>>

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2013 study committees to examine ISTEP, Common Core, ACA and more

Throughout the summer and fall when the Indiana General Assembly is not in session, interim committees and commissions are convened to conduct in-depth research and analysis on many complex issues facing the state. The recommendations formed over the next few months by the work of these committees –including public testimony– are included in proposals likely to be considered during the next legislative session. Most study committees must complete their work by November 1st.

On Thursday, the Legislative Council approved a resolution adopting a variety of topics for study, including:

Interim Study Committee on Common Core Education

The newly-established committee will take up whether the state will continue to roll out Common Core standards or proceed in a different direction. The committee will compare the state’s current standards to Common Core and consider best practices in developing and adopting Common Core standards. The committee will also examine the cost of implementation and hear testimony from teachers, testing experts, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction among others.

School Safety Interim Study Committee

Another new working group, the School Safety Interim Study Committee, will look to improve safety among the state’s schools and develop best practices for school resource officers hired under provisions laid out in Senate Enrolled Act 1. The bill provided schools with grant funding to hire officers to assist with school safety and security.

Commission on Education

The Commission on Education will study the effects of unprecedented school voucher expansion in Indiana. The committee will consider the academic performance and graduation rates of choice scholarship schools and how they compare to traditional public schools. The committee will also study the demographics of students receiving vouchers including income, race, and special needs of choice scholarship students as compared to those students enrolled in public schools. Overall, the committee will examine why parents choose to enroll their child in the school choice scholarship program, as well as the student growth and achievement for students enrolled in the voucher program over time.

Examining the administration of ISTEP testing

Following widespread issues with ISTEP testing across the state this spring, lawmakers will immediately review the testing process in June. The commission will hear testimony from the company behind ISTEP’s online testing software, McGraw-Hill, administrators and other concerned parties.

VIDEO: Sen. Arnold reflects on the conclusion of the 2013 session

State Senator Jim Arnold on the conclusion of the 2013 legislative session and the status of some important pieces of legislation that he worked on throughout the process. The 2013 Indiana General Assembly concluded on April 27, 2013, sending 295 bills to the governor for his final approval.

VIDEO: Sen. Lanane elaborates on summer study committee topics, session conclusion

Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane on the conclusion of the 2013 legislative session and the status of some important pieces of legislation he worked on throughout the process. The 2013 Indiana General Assembly concluded on April 27, 2013, sending 295 bills to the governor for his final approval.

2013 session concludes: A look at major issues

Budget

Legislators approved the state’s two-year, $30 billion budget early Saturday morning. The most important initiative debated during the 2013 session, House Bill (HB)1001 contains proposals advocated for by Senate Democrats, including increased local road funding, additional resources to address back-logged maintenance and building projects for the state’s public universities, and an appropriation for statewide programs for community corrections.

However, a number of Senate Democrats were dissatisfied with the budget’s lack of action on combating the state’s unemployment rate and unequal support for the state’s public education system as reasons to not support the budget.  The approved budget includes the following:

Roads and Infrastructure

Throughout the session, Senate Democrats argued that rebuilding the state’s aging infrastructure would inject vital funding into local communities and reduce the cost of doing business for Hoosier companies. The budget diverts 1 percent of the sales tax and use tax for the General Fund to the Motor Vehicle Highway Funds – directing over $100 million in additional funding to local units each year. The proposal also creates the Major Moves 2020 Trust Fund, appropriating $200 million each year to be used for major highway expansion projects.

Education funding

Cut in the previous two budgets, Senate Democrats pushed to fully restore funding for Indiana schools. While K-12 funding increases 2 percent over 2013 levels for 2014 and 1 percent in 2015, compared to 2011 funding, 183 schools will receive less in 2015 than they received in 2011. That’s means more than half the state’s schools will receive less funding in 2015 than they had four years earlier.

State universities

The state’s institutions of higher education receive $215 million to fund new university building projects. The budget also allocates $66 million per year in the form of incentives for universities that meet certain performance metrics set out by the Commission on Higher Education.

Medicaid Expansion

After nearly four months, the General Assembly declined to take action on enacting the federal health care reform in a way that works for Hoosiers. Since the onset of the legislative session, Senate Democrats have brought to light the possibility of creating 30,000 new jobs, injecting billions of federal dollars into local communities and providing more than 400,000 uninsured working Hoosiers with medical services through the enactment of health care reform.

Language included in the budget bill, HB 1001, transfers $250M in FY 14 to the Medicaid Contingency and Reserve Account. HB 1001 also provides that FSSA may not implement a waiver or Medicaid state plan until they have developed a sustainable financing plan for a Medicaid state plan amendment or waiver and plan has been reviewed by State Budget Committee. In addition, HB 1001 authorizes the governor, with budget committee review, to negotiate with the federal government to receive Medicaid block grants.

Education issues

Lanane calls for restoration of Dept. of Child Services funding in state budget

On Wednesday, Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane called for the restoration of funds to the Department of Child Services (DCS) in the closing days of the budget process. Citing a recent DCS annual report on child fatalities showing an influx of child deaths in 2011, Sen. Lanane said the General Assembly should fully implement the recommendations of the Department of  Child Services Interim Study Committee that met last summer.

The bipartisan committee endorsed a number of recommendations, including the use of a “hybrid” abuse and neglect hotline system that would allow mandatory reporters – like teachers, police officers and medical personnel – to report instances of abuse directly to local DCS offices. Sen. Lanane said this “hybrid” system of reporting, along with the funding needed to support it, needs to be restored in the closing days of the legislative session to ensure the protection of Hoosier children. He indicated this “hybrid” system  would assist the agency in responding in a timely and thorough manner to cases of child abuse or neglect around the state. Lanane noted that the House-approved budget allocated $40 million to DCS, while the Senate version reduces DCS funding by $10 million to $30 million.

SEN. LANANE: “Well the concern that I raised on the floor of the Indiana Senate today, as we’re entering the last couple of days here of the budget process, is the removal of some very important funding for the Department of Child Services…”

(Length – 02:18)

Over a four month period, the Department of Child Service Interim Study Committee took hours of public testimony from stakeholders including child advocates, caseworkers and concerned Hoosiers. The committee held hearings in communities across the state and released a litany of recommendations to be considered during the 2013 legislative session.

Read more on the work of the Department of Child Services Interim Study Committee>>

Some of the committee’s recommendations have been adopted in the form of separate legislation.

Sen. Broden on 2013 DCS reform legislation:

 

VIDEO: Tallian to shape state budget

State Senator Karen Tallian led several Senate Democratic initiatives to improve the 2013 biennial budget for Hoosiers in House Bill 1001. Senate Democrats sought funding for a pilot pre-kindergarten education program, oversight of school voucher expansion through a summer study committee and additional funding to improve local infrastructure. The Senate Democratic Caucus will continue to push for these initiatives as the proposal moves through conference committee.

VIDEO: Rogers proposes Indiana DREAM Act

To make an Indiana college degree accessible to more Hoosiers, State Senator Earline Rogers has pushed Senate Bill (SB) 207 through the legislative process. The proposal seeks to restore in-state tuition eligibility to a group of students who lost their eligibility as a result of a 2011 law requiring proof of citizenship. Students will now have the chance resume their education who were forced to withdraw after their tuition rates more than tripled. After changes made by the House, honorably discharged veterans will also benefit from SB 207 by becoming eligible for resident tuition rates as long as they enroll at a public university within 12 months of leaving the service. The measure aims to increase access to higher education for individuals who wish to reside in Indiana. SB 207 currently awaits Senate approval of House changes.

VIDEO: Broden legislation strengthens Dept. of Child Services oversight

State Senator John Broden has crafted legislation this session to strengthen the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS). The Commission on Improving the Status of Children created in Senate Bill (SB) 125 will take on numerous responsibilities to better assist vulnerable Hoosier children. In addition to studying these issues, the commission will also create a committee to specifically oversee the Department of Child Services and a child fatality review committee to designate local teams charged with investigating cases of child death. Both chambers have approved SB 125, and it now awaits the governor’s approval.

VIDEO: Taylor aims to increase child care protections

State Senator Greg Taylor has been involved in numerous proposals aiming to raise standards of child care for Indiana. Senate Bill 305 seeks to streamline and strengthen standards for child care providers across Indiana by establishing safety and sanitation guidelines in areas such as bathroom hygiene and transportation safety for facilities that are licensed and accept Child Care Development Fund vouchers as payment. The legislation also equalizes standards and investigative procedures across private care providers and child care services offered through religious establishments.