The second half of this session of the Indiana General Assembly has arrived. Here are some thoughts on what has transpired so far.
The changes wanted for the leadership of the Indiana Board of Education represent a good idea at the wrong time. Having broader representation in the board and letting the board itself name its own chair would not be a bad policy move.
But it should not be made with a sitting superintendent of public instruction. Doing that puts politics over policy, which is never good. The Legislature should provide notice this change will occur starting with 2017, after the next election for the position.
Indiana’s ban on carryout sales of alcohol on Sundays is antiquated and nonsensical.
The General Assembly seems bent on keeping it that way, since a bill that would have allowed a seventh day of sales didn’t make it out of the House. Aggressive arguments were made on both sides of the debate, with the consumer and common sense losing out in the end.
Congratulations to the House for making ethics a priority in the first half of the session following a situation where former State Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, sullied the chamber with activities many believed were more aligned with his family business than the business of the state. House Speaker Brian Bosma pushed for changes, and House Bill 1002 made it out of the House with 16 of them.
The so-called “religious freedom bill” would be better named the “right to discriminate bill” because it would allow businesses to deny service to others — mainly gays and lesbians — based on religious beliefs.
We had hoped the Legislature would not have the stomach for this after a divisive fight over same-sex marriage last year, but we were wrong. The bill sailed through the Senate. Perhaps the House will surprise us by stopping this bill, but we don’t hold out much hope of that.
Good riddance to a bill that would have allowed a legislator or the governor to run for re-election while seeking a federal office. House Speaker Bosma was right again when he said this would not be good public policy.
The idea seemed manufactured for Gov. Mike Pence, so he could have run for re-election and president at the same time in 2016. The bill would have benefited individuals, perhaps, but it’s impossible to detect any benefit for Hoosiers.
This is a budget session, and the biggest concern we have involves a new funding formula that would shift money to growing suburban school districts from urban and rural schools. The gap between those who have the most and those who have the least will widen. Budget negotiations will continue until late in the session.
The House approved of a bill to ease gambling laws to allow live dealers for table games at two horse track casinos and permit riverboat casinos to move on land. Gov. Pence doesn’t like the plan for live dealers.
To us, that provision looks like more jobs for Hoosiers and should be preserved by the Senate.
Finally, House Bill 1320 that would have catered to energy companies over consumers interested in solar energy was a bad idea that didn’t make it out of the House.
But one thing about the Legislature: Ideas, no matter how bad, have been known to rise from the ashes in the latter days and hours of the session. Hoosiers need to keep watch on what’s going on at the Statehouse until lawmakers finish for the year and head for their homes.