A Citizen's Guide to Indiana

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.

Two stories, maybe they’re related, maybe they’re not. But they seemed to compliment each other. The Evansville Courier Press has a story entitled Indiana Has a Hard Time Keeping College Graduates According to the story, Indiana ranks 46th in the nation in terms of adults with college education. 21.1% of adult Hoosiers have a college degree, compared to a nationwide average of 28%. But it’s not because we don’t educate our kids. 63% of Hoosier high school graduates go on to college, 10th in the country. But they don’t graduate and they don’t stay – Barely half graduate within 6 years and, of those who do, 20% leave for other states. The article says that the jobs for graduates are located elsewhere, and the manufacturing jobs we did have are going away.

After reading that, I was struck by a story in the Palladium-Item reporting that Lt. Governor Becky Skillman was touting farming growth as a major component of her administration’s economic plan.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see agriculture keeping our kids who graduate in the state. Perhaps our economic development resources should be directed elsewhere.

The Indy Star is reporting Daylight Saving Time clears big hurdle. The House Committee on Public Policy & Veterans Affairs stripped a Senate Bill that would have raised speed limits from 65 to 70 and inserted legislation that would require Indiana to switch to Eastern Daylight Time between April and October (starting June 5 this year for some reason) unless it was a part of the state that is currently in the Central Time Zone.

Good news: you’ll be on the same time as Ohio. Bad news: it’ll take you an hour longer to get there.

The legislature’s website seems to be slow updating today so I haven’t been able to look at the legislation. I wonder if anyone has done a study asking how much it’s going to cost Indiana businesses to revamp all of their timekeeping systems by June 5. (Given that proponents of DST cite the supposedly prohibitive costs of setting up for Hoosier Standard Time if they want to do business in the state.)

Silence is golden, but bill isn’t needed The Indy Star has an editorial on SB 332 which mandates a moment of silence in schools, mandates a U.S. flag be hung in each classroom, and requires the Attorney General to provided a defense to any school that gets sued over these mandatory provisions. The Star suggests that these matters could be considered at the local level, notes that the Governor would have a hard time refusing to sign the legislation, and states that the General Assembly shouldn’t have put him in that position. The Star points out that the General Assembly has better things to spend its time on.

I have previously offered some commentary on this bill similar in nature to that offered by the Star’s editorial board here and here.

Senate Bill 0015 Absentee ballots. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to sort through this bill. But it looks like a provision was added that requires individuals voting absentee before the circuit court clerk or a satellite office to provide ID. Adding that provision was a close vote — 49 to 44, but I don’t see a roll call available just yet. Obviously, it would be hypocritical for a legislator to vote in favor of ID at the polls and against it when a voter is voting absentee.

House Bill 1649 – Center for Agricultural Science and Heritage.

Provides that the staff of the center for agricultural science and heritage (the barn) are employees of the state fair commission (commission), and that the barn ceases to be a body corporate and politic. Provides that the commission pay the operating expenses of the barn from the funds of the commission, and that real property may not be held in the name of the barn.

Just wanted to point this one out because of the obvious effort to avoid the obvious acronym. It was the same 7 or 8 years ago when I was involved with the Center. It’s always, “center for agricultural science and heritage (the barn)” — when it should be, “Center for Agricultural Science and Heritage (CASH).” Cha-CHING!

Engrossed Version, House Bill 1302 Synopsis: Regulation of seeds. Prohibits a political subdivision from regulating advertising, labeling, distribution, sale, transportation, storage, or use of seeds unless the political subdivision is granted a waiver by the state seed commissioner.

If the political subdivision wants to engage in such regulation, it has to apply to the state seed commissioner (there is such a person?) which is required to hold a public hearing, but the hearing is required to be informal and is not subject to the Administrative Orders and Procedures provision of the Indiana Code. Passed 39-10.

House Bill 1224 Aerospace initiative. All right, a little pork for the home team! I’m not sure this bill actually does much, but to the extent it does, I imagine it will be good for West Lafayette. It establishes the aerospace and aeronautics initiative to be administered by the Indiana economic development corporation. Among other things, it directs the economic development corporation to enhance the role of Indiana’s colleges and universities in the development of the aerospace and aeronautics industries in Indiana. Thanks Rep. Micon & Sen Hershman! Passed 49-0.

House Bill 1057 – Open Containers:

Creates exceptions to the law concerning open alcoholic beverage containers in motor vehicles. Removes the requirement that, in proving a violation of the law, the state must show that the driver of the motor vehicle had a minimum level of alcohol in the driver’s blood or breath. Specifies that a violation of the law occurs while the motor vehicle is on the right-of-way of a public highway even if the vehicle is not in operation.

The exceptions created are that the law does not apply to: 1) passengers; 2) a container in a fixed center console or similar console that is locked; and 3) in a vehicle with no trunk, a container in an area behind the last upright seat or area not normally occupied by a person. Passed 34-15.