EDITORIAL: Legislature raised more issues than it addressed

Here’s a look at some key legislation that was sent to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk:

Biennial budget — A balanced budget for the state is a good thing, and the Legislature did manage to accomplish it. Still, there’s lots to quibble about (see a few examples below) in the state’s $32 billion budget for 2018- 2019, signed by Holcomb on Thursday.

Road funding — A 10-cent a gallon increase (to begin in July, bumping the rate to 28 cents) in the state’s gasoline tax will raise $1.2 billion annually by 2024 for much-needed state and local road building and repair. But the need for the increase is reflective of a basic flaw in the state’s tax portfolio. If not for generous tax breaks for the wealthy and businesses during the administration of former Gov. Mike Pence, this increase in the gasoline tax — which hits working families and poorer Hoosiers — might not have been necessary.

Abortion notification bill — This controversial bill will require that judges decide whether to notify parents when a teen seeks an abortion. While it’s not wrong to think that parents should have a voice in such decisions, it’s clearly a foray by the GOP majority into a divisive social issue, something Holcomb had vowed to avoid.

Public records search fee — Holcomb was right to veto this legislation, which would have enabled government units to charge up to $20 an hour for government employees to search for public records requested by citizens. Any such roadblock to access of public information runs contrary to the principal of government transparency, a key to keeping tabs on officials and to keeping citizens informed. And, besides, isn’t customer service a primary function of government offices?

Superintendent of public instruction — Despite an outcry from Democrats, GOP lawmakers pushed through a bill to abolish the office of the superintendent of public instruction in 2025 and replace it with a secretary of education to be appointed by the governor. As they have in the past, voters should decide who occupies this important post and it should operate independently of the governor.

Alcohol sales — Lawmakers closed a loophole in the law that allowed Ricker’s to designate a couple of its convenience stores as restaurants, thereby allowing the stores to sell cold beer. This controversy highlighted the need for an overhaul of Indiana’s archaic liquor laws, including the provision that alcohol not be sold for carryout on Sundays.

Drug abuse — Addiction to heroin, prescription drugs, methamphetamine and other drugs is a public health catastrophe in Indiana. But the state stopped well short of the drastic measures — and funding — that should be directed to address the epidemic. Instead, a mere $5 million was earmarked for pilot programs.

Student prayer — The governor said he would sign a bill that would guarantee the right to student prayer in school. The First Amendment already guarantees freedom of expression, and this bill wades dangerously close to mixing religion with public education.

Pre-kindergarten education — Lawmakers are moving at a snail’s pace to bring Indiana up to standards in early-childhood education. Clearly, the state needs a universal pre-K program to ensure that Hoosier children are already learning the fundamentals of reading and math by the time they reach kindergarten. Instead, the Legislature merely doubled the state’s funding commitment to pre-K programs for low-income families, expanding into 20 additional counties.

Net metering — Big energy companies are behind legislation that would reduce the “net metering” rate paid to solar panel owners for energy they feed back into the grid. If the governor signs the bill, it will disincentivize the use of clean solar energy and encourage reliance on polluting fossil fuels.