In the opening days of the 2016 session of the Indiana General Assembly, lawmakers got right to work.
Good.
The state of Indiana simply can’t afford a session like last year’s. There’s too much at stake in the Hoosier state.
Republican legislative leaders supported funding three Regional Cities initiatives rather than just two. That means spending $42 million more than planned, but the additional money was collected when the state allowed people and businesses to pay overdue taxes without penalty. It brought in nearly $50 million more than expected.
This is investment more than spending, though spending that amount of taxpayer money should never be taken lightly. The fact that lawmakers are moving so quickly in the new session is a good sign not just for the Elkhart/South Bend region that won one of the three spots with its excellent collaborative proposal, but for what the General Assembly may be able to accomplish this year.
In the early days of the session, there’s also movement on ISTEP and its problems in the 2015 test. Two education bills have been fast-tracked to give schools a break on accountability standards this year.
Scores dropped significantly from the year before and many agree the test was flawed. State Sen. Carlin Yoder, R-Middlebury, is a former private school administrator and said there’s nothing that would have caused scores to drop in the way they did. “While I firmly agree in accountability, I think it needs to be fair accountability, so we’re all better off moving forward and starting again next year,” he said. He’s also said that teachers and administrators shouldn’t be held accountable for the incompetence of CTB/McGraw Hill, which administered the test.
The bills passed quickly out of House and Senate committees, and Yoder, State Rep. Curt Nisly (R-Goshen) and State Rep. Doug Miller (R-Elkhart) all said they support the bills.
Passing the bills and making them law this month, as some lawmakers hope, would be a great idea and a sign that those we send to represent us in Indianapolis can work together toward a greater good.
The way the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was handled in 2015 was a debacle and hurt the state and its image, no matter whether you believe the state has enough civil rights protection for its residents based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.
As we’ve said before, we believe the state needs to do more to protect its residents who could be at risk of discrimination, including LGBT Hoosiers. Republican leaders, including Gov. Mike Pence, have said they don’t think another bill is a priority in the 10-week session. In an election year following last year, such a bill may not happen, but it’s still needed.
Lawmakers are likely to tackle how to pay to fix roads and the annual issue of whether to change state liquor laws.
Great. Have those discussions. Whatever it does, the General Assembly can’t afford to get stuck in the mud and not do the things to move the state forward, election year or no.
Good leadership, wise decision-making and clear communication with constituents are needed. We simply can’t afford another 2015.