Indiana lawmakers return Tuesday to Statehouse with full slate of issues

The over-arching story, however, could be the pre-election chasm simmering between key Republican leaders.

Republicans enjoy complete control in both chambers, so the lone question is which measures will they ultimately endorse to address the contentious issue of gay civil rights and the unpopular measure of raising taxes to fund roads.

Criticized for his support of a maligned religious freedom bill last year, Gov. Mike Pence hasn't hinted of his intentions on any of the gay rights bills coming before lawmakers this month.

Pence has also said he opposes raising taxes and he could be faced with a roads bill that hikes the gasoline and cigarette tax, while his own roads proposal may not gain traction.

Road funding

State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, is proposing a comprehensive road funding bill that's supported by gasoline and cigarette tax increases, and a study to turn Interstate 65 and Interstate 70 into tollways. Undaunted by a tax hike, Soliday thinks his bill aimed at establishing sustainable road funding is worthy of bipartisan support. Indiana hasn't raised its gas tax since 2002.

Pence, meanwhile, is offering his own solution to the state's crumbling infrastructure – a $1 billion plan that relies on borrowing and spending money from the state's reserves.

House Democratic leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, contends Pence's proposal doesn't address local and county roads. Democrats unveiled a $2 billion path to improve roads and bridges with money from state reserves.

Soliday, who chairs the House Roads and Transportation Committee, dismisses those efforts and said his bill makes the most sense.

"Ours is a long-term rational, pretty doggone good approach," said Soliday who said he's getting positive feedback on the bill.

State Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, expects GOP in-fighting over the bill. "It's a day late and a dollar short. They could have done this last year. They've had four or five years of warning that bridges and roads are crumbling," said Brown, also a member of the Roads and Transportation Committee.

Soliday said the Democratic plan would spend the state's entire $2 billion surplus. He pointed to the $15 million state loan recently given to bail out the Gary Community School Corp., saying it came from that surplus. He said Pence's plan isn't enough money and provides no money for local communities. "It just kicks the can down the road," he said.

Bosma, R-Indianapolis, has said he wants more of a long-term vision like Soliday's, saying the need goes beyond $1 billion or $2 billion.

Soliday pointed to conservative GOP states like Georgia and Nebraska that have already raised their gasoline tax.

"Michigan just passed a significant roads funding bill. States are recognizing they have to do something," said Soliday. "We've been at it for five years and we have counties less-populated grinding roads to gravel."

Gay rights

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have filed bills addressing civil rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Meanwhile, gay rights supporters are girding for a battle with Republicans like the one they faced last year over the tweaked religious freedom bill.

State Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, said a GOP Senate bill speaks more to creating religious exemptions than protecting civil rights.

Under Senate Bill 100 from Travis Holdman, R-Markle, churches and their leaders would be exempt from the civil rights law covering sexual orientation and gender identity. And they would not be required to officiate at a marriage ceremony that conflicts with their beliefs.

A bill offered by Senate Democrats would add the phrases "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to Indiana's existing civil rights act. Democrats say the changes ensures protections for all Indiana residents.

Education

Bills are expected to be debated over 2015 student ISTEP scores that have declined with the switch to new benchmarks hurriedly placed on schools last year when Pence withdrew Indiana from national Common Core standards.

In November, a group of local school superintendents released a statement calling the state's A-F grading system "flawed," and "broken." They said ISTEP results they received showed dramatic double-digit declines.

Teachers and schools are judged by the grades and educators worry they could have a harmful impact on teacher evaluations that are now linked to pay raises.

Pence initially said the results should still be used to assess school grades and teacher pay. In October, however, he changed his mind saying he supported a one-year break in linking teacher pay to the scores.

Meanwhile during the summer, news broke the number of first-time teaching licenses issued in the past five years declined by 33 percent. Also, fewer students were enrolling in teacher preparation programs at state universities.

Educators pinned the blame on GOP measures that base teacher pay on test scores and another law that took away collective bargaining rights.

A blue ribbon commission, chaired by state school chief Glenda Ritz, examined the teacher shortage and recommended a number of changes including a return to an incremental pay scale, a mentoring program, and a de-emphasis on high stakes testing.

The lone bill to emerge so far, however, has angered the Indiana State Teachers Association.

State Sen. Pete Miller, R-Avon, said his bill would spur more teachers into schools by letting them negotiate their own contracts with local school administrators and bypass union collective bargaining contract.

Miller said it would allow schools to hire and pay more for needed teachers in shortage areas such as math, science and special education.

ISTA officials said collective bargaining ensures fairness and checks and balances.