INDIANAPOLIS | With the Indiana General Assembly set to complete its work for the year April 29, the legislative process has begun shifting to the final step — Gov. Mike Pence signing measures approved by the House and Senate into law, or vetoing them.
Over the next month, the Republican governor is likely to sign about 250 new laws proposed by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Most take effect July 1.
Should Pence use his veto power, the House and Senate can override him and enact a law without his consent through a simple majority vote in each chamber, the same support required to send legislation to the governor in the first place.
Here are some of the new laws Pence signed last week:
Overdose drugs — Senate Enrolled Act 406, sponsored by state Sens. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond, Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, and state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, allows friends and family of heroin users to obtain prescriptions for naloxone, or similar drugs, that can reverse the effects of a heroin overdose.
"Families, friends and loved ones struggling with the scourge of opioid addiction will now have access to life-saving medications that work immediately when administered and will help prevent the heartbreaking loss of life we hear about too often in the case of drug overdoses," Pence said.
Child prostitution — House Enrolled Act 1216 provides immunity to criminal prostitution charges if the perpetrator is younger than age 18 and was forced into participating, or is a victim of human trafficking. It also requires state police provide detailed information about national missing children services to local police throughout the state.
It was sponsored by state Reps. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, Bill Fine, R-Munster; and state Sens. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek, and Randolph.
NIRPC votes — House Enrolled Act 1164, sponsored by Fine, Randolph, state Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, and state Sens. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, and Jim Arnold, D-LaPorte, requires the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission use the most recent (2010) Census in calculating weighted vote results, instead of the 2000 Census.
School attendance — House Enrolled Act 1056, sponsored by Soliday, Charbonneau, Rogers, Randolph and state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, permits students to enroll in a public high school in the community where they attended a private elementary school, even if it is outside their home school district.
Student teaching — House Enrolled Act 1188, sponsored by Smith, Rogers and Randolph, requires student teachers be supervised by a professional teacher rated "effective" or "highly effective."
In-state tuition — Senate Enrolled Act 434, sponsored by Hershman, Charbonneau, Arnold and Randolph, permits non-Indiana residents who join the Indiana National Guard to pay in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities.
Lake County zoning — Senate Enrolled Act 429, sponsored by Niemeyer, Charbonneau, Randolph, Fine and state Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, authorizes Lake County to work with municipalities in developing area zoning and land use plans.
Microbeads — House Enrolled Act 1185, sponsored by Charbonneau, Randolph and state Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, phases out the manufacture and sale of personal care products containing synthetic plastic microbeads, which can pollute water systems.
Pension credit — Senate Enrolled Act 265, sponsored by Tallian and Moseley, permits former police officers and firefighters, now serving as public officials or in another government job, to consolidate their public safety pension contributions with benefits earned through the Public Employees Retirement Fund.
License plates — House Enrolled Act 1362, sponsored by Soliday, Brown and Randolph, eliminates the mandatory replacement of vehicle license plates after five years, and permits the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to wait up to 10 years before a redesign.
Hunting guides — House Enrolled Act 1545, sponsored by Moseley, makes it a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by one year in jail, for a hunting guide to bring a client onto private property to hunt or fish without the owner's permission.
Home insulation — House Enrolled Act 1142, sponsored by Randolph and Hershman, repeals the $1,000 income tax deduction for Hoosiers who add insulation to their homes. Eliminating the deduction is projected to grow state revenue by $1.1 million a year.
Bullion study — House Enrolled Act 1046, sponsored by Hershman and Randolph, requires the General Assembly study whether the purchase of gold, silver and other precious metals should be exempt from state sales tax.