The Indiana Senate has broadened an effort by a Southwestern Indiana lawmaker for the state to create a high school diploma focusing on career and technical education.
The House-approved legislation that passed the Senate, 41-7, on Tuesday now includes a comprehensive study of the state’s diploma system. It no longer focuses solely on the creation of a career and technical education diploma as was the original intent of the measure by Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Mount Vernon.
“Rather than having a laser focus on (career and technical education,) it will be a focus on Core 40, looking at the number of credits the courses offer and the need for a (career and technical education) diploma as well as looking at the current system and how it serves our kids today,” McNamara said.
McNamara’s original proposal called on the Indiana Career Council to appoint a committee to develop the requirements for a new career and technical education diploma.
McNamara said it wouldn’t hurt to do a comprehensive study on diplomas offered to Hoosier students and that a career and technical education diploma could still come from it.
“My perception is we got a pretty good bill out of it to take a comprehensive look at Indiana’s diploma system and the way we are graduating our kids,” McNamara said.
Abortion provider legislation advances
Legislation to require hospital admitting privileges for doctors who perform abortions to be in writing and submitted to the state cleared the Indiana House on Monday.
Representatives of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky had expressed concern on the requirement because state law allows those doctors to partner with “backup” physicians who have privileges at a nearby hospital. They were worried if the information was submitted to the state then the identity of those “backup” physicians would be revealed.
Yet, Rep. Thomas Washburne, R-Evansville, explained any identifying information of “backup” physicians will be redacted in the event the document showing the admitting privileges is publicly released.
The House passed the legislation, 88-9, which will now return to the Senate for a final review.
In addition to admitting privileges, the legislation also gives the Indiana State Department of Health the authority to inspect abortion clinics at least once a year. Clinics also will need to provide a 24/7 emergency telephone number prior to a patient receiving an abortion.
“It is a simple bill designed to make abortion clinics safer,” Washburne said.
The original version of the legislation had sought several new restrictions — including eliminating the option of the “backup” physician — but was scaled back while in the Senate.
Abandoned homes
Legislation aimed at speeding up the tax sale process for vacant and abandoned homes is receiving its last legislative review.
The bill by Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis, allows a purchaser to take ownership of a vacant or abandoned home immediately after a tax sale, ending the current one-year redemption period.
“Too many homes lie vacant and decaying in our community,” Merritt said in a statement. “Indianapolis ranks in the top 20 metro areas with the highest number of abandoned homes, and other areas of the state are not immune. Local governments, both rural and urban, continually cite this as a key barrier to growth.”