So, in honor of Daylight Saving Time being observed in most other states today and the state of Indiana still managing to get along without it, here is something I’m puzzling over.

Our Man Mitch has posited that if only Indiana would adopt DST, out-of-state businesses would rush to Indiana to shower high paying jobs on Hoosiers. (Or something to that effect.) They would, but the cost of doing business in Indiana is just too prohibitive because adapting all of their business systems to Hoosier Standard Time will take too long and cost too much.

To rectify this situation, at the urging of Our Man Mitch, there is a bill before the General Assembly to put Indiana on Eastern Daylight Time by June 5, 2005. Apparently the assumption is that thousands of Hoosier businesses can switch their business systems within a couple of months at negligible expense.

To sum up:
1. Switch to HST for out-of-state businesses = insurmountable problem.
2. Switch to EDT for Hoosier businesses = quick and painless.

Right. And Bill Clinton didn’t inhale, Saddam Hussein has Weapons of Mass Destruction, and I have a bridge to sell you.

Senate Bill 0329 Food & Beverage Taxes. Extension of food & beverage tax in Henry County. Paves the way for taxes in Wayne and Monroe counties and the towns of Martinsville and Avon. Passed 75-17.

Senate Bill 0196 Don’s Bill. O.k., I don’t know if they have Don King in mind with this bill, but, among other things, the bill repeals the prohibition against issuing an annual boxing promoter’s license or permit to nonresidents. Passed 86-3.

Senate Bill 0127 DST. The bill that was stripped to jam in Daylight Saving Time was passed by the Committee on Public Policy and Veterans Affairs. The lone Democrat to vote in favor of the amendment was Terri Austin (D-Anderson). The bill may yet pass, but given that there was just one Democrat voting in favor of the bill, the inevitability of passage seems a bit overstated. I can’t imagine any Republican would vote against the bill in committee because there has to be a lot of pressure on them to at least let it get to a floor vote. And it’s not inherently a Republican/Democratic issue, so expecting Democrats to act in lockstep would be unusual.

The floor vote should be interesting. I can’t imagine that Republicans from rural western parts of the state are all that excited to vote in favor of the bill. Indianapolis Democrats, on the other hand, might be inclined to go ahead and vote for it.

Senate Bill 0032 Handgun licenses and noncitizens.

Permits the issuance of a license to carry a handgun only to: (1) citizens; and (2) noncitizens who are allowed under federal law to carry a firearm in the United States. Prohibits a person who: (1) is prohibited by court order from possessing a handgun; or (2) has been convicted of a crime of domestic violence (unless a court restores the person’s right to possess a firearm); from obtaining a license to carry a handgun.

I can’t say I necessarily disagree with it, but seems like that domestic violence provision could get tricky, in that I doubt possession of a handgun will be much on the mind of someone pleading guilty to a domestic violence charge. But, I imagine the prohibition will be in the sentencing order somewhere so the person should be on notice. Looks like the ban on possession is perpetual. Passed 89-0.

Senate Bill 0015 Absentee voting. Passed 81-11. There’s probably a bunch of money to be made for those who have the patience to read through these mind-numbing election law bills. It’s important stuff. But, yeesh.

The Indy Star has an article entitled Daniels heartened by 55% job approval. It mentions Daniels won the election with 53%. So far, I think Mr. Daniels has done an adequate job except that he seems focused on cleaning out the environmental agencies before FSSA and his apparent indifference to employee rights. But, I think the real test will come after Daniels’ budget initiatives take hold — including belt tightening for schools and various social services.

The Indy Star has an article entitled Daniels heartened by 55% job approval. It mentions Daniels won the election with 53%. So far, I think Mr. Daniels has done an adequate job except that he seems focused on cleaning out the environmental agencies before FSSA and his apparent indifference to employee rights. But, I think the real test will come after Daniels’ budget initiatives take hold — including belt tightening for schools and various social services.

Journal and Courier Editorial on the symbolic mandates the General Assembly is force feeding (SB 332) our schools. They say:

Count on legislators, when they think they have nothing better to do, to return to unflagging shows of patriotism to lift their spirits.

The General Assembly this week sent to Gov. Mitch Daniels a copy of Senate Bill 332, a measure that requires schools to display a U.S. flag in every classroom, to provide a daily opportunity for students to voluntarily recite the Pledge of Allegiance and to establish a daily moment of silence in each classroom.

Now who could vote against that? But do schools really need the state to force feed them patriotism and individual reflection?

Their proposal: beef up civics classes, teach them why the symbols are important. Teach them what the First Amendment means. This is a great point. I seem to recall hearing that not all high schools require or even offer civics classes. That’s disappointing. We need to teach our kids what it means to be citizens as opposed to just consumers or workers or voters or flag-waving partisans.

Previous commentary: here, here, and here.

Lafayette Journal and Courier Editorial on daylight saving time: 1) They’ll believe it when they see it; and 2) Why the rush to enact DST “midstream” (in June, apparently) instead of just waiting until next April? Good question.

Hoosier Standard Time has been good enough for all these years. And, while I contend, it is better for Indiana because of our geographic situation, if the General Assembly does intend to condemn us to dark April mornings, putting our toddlers down 2 hours before sunset, and fiddling with clocks, surely it can wait until next April.