Introduced Version, Senate Bill 0163 This bill, as mentioned earlier, provided that furniture manufactured by inmates can only be sold to government entities. Other items can be sold on the open market. It went to committee and was amended to refer only to wooden furniture and to allow sale to institutions of higher education. Good to know that Purdue can buy wooden prison furniture.
SB 279 – Environmental permit applications
Introduced Version, Senate Bill 0279 I’d love to know the backstory on this bill. According to the LSA digest:
Environmental permit applications. Eliminates: (1) the good character requirements for applications for permits for solid waste and hazardous waste facilities; and (2) the local or regional need demonstration requirement for applications for permits for solid waste facilities.
Seems like good character in our solid & hazardous waste operators and having a local or regional need for such facilities is a good idea. We wouldn’t want to become the dumping ground of the country, particularly if such dumping grounds are being run by crooks. But, quite likely, I’m missing the point. This is up for hearing before the Senate Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee on January 18, 2005 upon recess of the Senate in Room 233.
HB 1029 (as printed 1/11/05) – In God We Trust License Plate
House Bill 1029: HB 1029 creating an “In God We Trust” license plate cleared second reading. We’re up to at least 30 statutory license plates. I think there are some plates created by BMV rule, but I could be wrong about that. Current plates:
1. Standard plates;
2. prisoner of war license plates;
3. disabled veteran license plates;
4. Purple Heart license plates;
5. Indiana Guard Reserve license plates;
6. license plates for persons with disabilities;
7. amateur radio operator license plates;
8. civic event license plates;
9. environmental license plates;
10. kids first trust license plates;
11. education license plates;
12. drug free Indiana trust license plates;
13. Indiana FFA trust license plates;
14. Indiana firefighter license plates;
15. Indiana food bank trust license plates;
16. Indiana girl scouts trust license plates;
17. Indiana boy scouts trust license plates;
18. Indiana retired armed forces member license plates;
19. Indiana antique car museum trust license plates;
20. D.A.R.E. Indiana trust license plates;
21. Indiana arts trust license plates;
22. Indiana health trust license plates;
23. Indiana mental health trust license plates;
24. Indiana Native American trust license plates;
25. Pearl Harbor survivor license plates;
26. Indiana state educational institution trust license plates;
27. Lewis and Clark bicentennial license plates;
28. Riley Children’s Foundation license plates;
29. special group recognition license plates;
30. Indiana National Guard license plates;
31. In God We Trust License Plates.
Sooner or later, each Hoosier will just have to design their own individual plate.
Daniels administration may withhold 2% of Medicaid payments to providers
Daniels head of FSSA, Mitch Roob says that to manage the budget shortfall, the state government might withhold 2% of Medicaid payments owed to medical providers. Guess that’s one way to balance a budget. I wish I could just unilaterally lop off 2% from what I owe my creditors.
Medicaid on the chopping block
Daniels will seek cuts in Medicaid
Daniels’ top human services aide, Mitch Roob, said Indiana Medicaid, which will care for an estimated 847,126 people this year, is front and center on the chopping block. Roob said state officials need to dramatically restructure the $4.65 billion state-federal program to avoid spending a total of $715.8 million more during the next two years. . . . Roob said, state officials will look into the $380 million cost of caring for 5,267 people with developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and mental retardation in their own homes. Nearly 13,000 people are waiting for these services. Roob indicated the Daniels administration also will seek changes in the law to help them narrow eligibility for Medicaid and, possibly, cut services the state offers but is not legally required to provide. . . . . Roob, who used to run Wishard Memorial Hospital, a county-run hospital in Indianapolis, acknowledged that cutting Medicaid payments could limit access to pregnant women and children, people with physical and mental disabilities and seniors who rely on the state-federal program.
Medicaid sure is the largest target in the state budget. Not a very attractive option. But, maybe there are no attractive options. But, as a guy who collects medical bills as part of my living, I’ve seen first hand that most of these folks need the services and can’t pay for ’em. (Though there are a few number of dead beats who are playing the system.) What I’m afraid of is burdening the hospitals with ER patients who they still feel an obligation to serve but who will not pay. The result being that the hospital provides ER care which is likely more expensive than the treatment that would’ve been provided had Medicaid been available. Then, they pass the costs along to us. It’s probably the worst possible system. Unless we’re willing to let people go untreated and die, we’re going to pay for it one way or the other. Might as well organize it to be as cheap as possible.
HB 1100 – Controlling the Sun
As previously reported,in these pages, the House has before it Introduced Version, House Bill 1100 – Like Old King Canute who ordered the tide not to come in, tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., the House Committee on Public Policy and Veterans Affairs will deliberate on whether to use their awesome powers to command the setting sun to rise. Or at least strike the statutory description of a setting sun on the state seal and insert a rising sun description.
HB 1262 – Bankruptcy/debt exemptions
Introduced Version, House Bill 1262 Increases a person’s property exemption in cases of bankruptcy or judgment enforcement actions from $7,500 to $15,000 for their homestead; from $4,000 to $8,000 for personal property and non-homestead real property; and from $100 to $300 for intangible property (primarily cash and deposit accounts.)
This is probably realistic, but as an attorney who does a lot of collections, I’m against it on general principle.
HB 1193 – Number of members of the county executive
Introduced Version, House Bill 1193 – Provides a mechanism for a county executive to increase its size from 3 to 5 and from 5 to 3. I don’t really see the point. You want the executive to be more flexible I think, and an increase in the number of members decreases flexibility.
HB 1161 – Publication of claims by County Auditor
Introduced Version, House Bill 1161 This bill seems to allow the County Auditor to publish a summary of the claims in the newspaper and provide a notice of the website where more detailed information can be obtained and a statement that a person can get a copy mailed to them upon request. Looks like it was heard in committee today, not sure the outcome. In my experience, bills introduced in committee either get passed or tabled. Rarely does anything get a vote if it’s going to fail.
IDEM is Daniels first target
7 environmental officials leave in Daniels’ shake-up Well, whaddaya know. Daniels isn’t going after FSSA first. Nope, his first target is the Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management.
Six top Indiana Department of Environmental Management administrators resigned and one was fired this week in a shake-up by Gov. Mitch Daniels, who has criticized the agency for impeding economic development. . . . He said environmental protection and public health are important, but “a poor Indiana will not be a green Indiana.”
Guess what. A polluted Indiana will not be a rich Indiana. I hope Daniels isn’t comfortable with companies in other states treating Indiana like a third-world nation, dumping toxins in our water and our air; paying our citizens subsistence wages, then leaving. Because early signs don’t suggest Daniels thinks much of protecting our workers or our environment. Now it could be that Daniels is committed to the creation of high-paying, skilled jobs with companies that are responsible stewards of the land, thereby making the middle class prosperous even if the upper class don’t realize dramatic gains. But his very first actions in office show what is most important to him, and the signs aren’t pointing in that direction. Hopefully the real Hoosier Republicans out there can put a leash on this guy if he gets out of hand.
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