A Citizen's Guide to Indiana

The Indianapolis Star has an article about entitled Bill would let kindergartners enroll earlier.

I discussed this earlier but may have been wrong about my impression that they were always tinkering with this. According to the article, it has come up 3 times in the past 6 years but has always failed. They must have changed it at some point, because I enrolled in kindergarten in Sept. 1976, having just turned 5 in August of 1976. Friends of mine would have enrolled at the age of 4 with September birthdays. The article says that Indiana with the July cutoff has the oldest enrollment in the nation with a few other states having an August cutoff. This time around, it apparently has the support of Gov. Daniels and Republicans, so it might just pass if the money can be found for the schools that might be overcrowded.

In any event, I doubt it matters a great deal between July and October. Some kids are going to fall on the wrong side of the gap either way, and there needs to be flexibility to correct that. And, it sounds like this bill does it. Ultimately, you have to rely on parents to make the right decision, and some of them won’t do it.

The Indianapolis star has an article pertaining to Senate Bill 0196 which:

Requires a booking agent to obtain a license before participating in a boxing or sparring match. Authorizes the state boxing commission to adopt rules for obtaining a license or permit to conduct or participate in a boxing or sparring match. Repeals the prohibition against issuing an annual boxing promoter’s license or permit to nonresidents.

The Star interviews folks who think this is a good thing because it might encourage Don King to come to the state. Only in America!

CALENDAR FOR 1/25/05

HOUSE BILLS ON SECOND READING

HB 1142 Life insurance and Medicaid.

HOUSE BILLS ON THIRD READING

HB 1022 Military base protection act. Koch, Welch

HB 1051 Wage assignment and wage payment. Borror

HB 1069 Home and community based services. Hinkle, Becker

HB 1075 Health insurance waivers. Torr, Ripley

HB 1097 Property tax assessment of personal property. Borror, Mays

HB 1182 Permanent extension of TIF. Leonard, Heim

HB 1240 Medicaid overpayments. Becker, C. Brown

HB 1248 Jail costs for methamphetamine offenses. Grubb, Ulmer

HB 1262 Bankruptcy and exemption amounts. Kuzman, Thomas

HB 1329 Evansville State Hospital advisory committee. Becker, Avery

HJR 4 Constitutional right to hunt and fish. Ulmer, Grubb

SENATE BILLS ON SECOND READING

SB 78 Wage payment issues. M. Young

SB 94 Employment absence for volunteer firefighters. Lewis

SB 159 Cruelty to animals. Lanane

SB 169 Environmental studies. Gard

SB 179 Vacancies caused by death. Dillon

SB 304 Tuition exemption for National Guard dependents. Wyss, R. Meeks,

SB 329 Henry County food and beverage tax. Gard

SENATE BILLS ON THIRD READING

SB 47 Counterfeiting. Wyss, Ford

SB 77 Mechanic’s liens on towed vehicles. M. Young

SB 92 Internet gambling. Ford

SB 98 Probation revocation. Long, Howard

SB 100 Local option income taxes. Long, Broden

SB 102 Foreign judgments. Long, Lanane

SB 117 Undisclosed transport of dangerous devices. Zakas

SB 149 Trustees of pension funds. Lubbers

SB 164 Sex offender registration. Drozda

SB 165 Law enforcement training. Drozda

SB 195 Environmental crimes task force. Kenley

SB 196 Licensing and permits for boxing. Wyss, Rogers

SB 197 Reciprocity for dentists. Wyss, Simpson

SB 202 Bonds for purchase of hotel facility. Wyss, Simpson

SB 212 Tax court and senior judges. Bray

SB 222 Preexisting condition waivers. Miller

SB 230 Sex and violent offender directory.

HOUSE BILLS ON THIRD READING 1/24/05:

House Bill 1033: Makes the environmental quality service council (EQSC) permanent. Requires the
EQSC to study issues concerning energy matters, including investigating methods to increase research, development, production, and use of alternative fuels. Passed 94-0.

HB 1056: Provides that the certified food handler requirements do not apply to food provided by an area agency on aging’s nutrition service program or by a food pantry. Provides that certain nonprofit organizations that offer food for sale at an event held for the benefit of the organization are not required to use certified food handlers. Passed 95-0.

HB 1069: Home and community based services. This was a bill drafted by the Administrative Rules Oversight Committee voiding current rules of the Division of Disability, Aging, and Rehabilitative Services pertaining to home and community based services. and requiring the division to adopt new rules following certain criteria. One requirement I find interesting is the requirement that the division respond to any comment made during the rulemaking process. This bill was listed for Third Reading today but its status hadn’t been updated. So, either it got called to the floor late or did not come up for a vote for some reason.

HB 1130: Establishes procedures for legal actions that involve state liens or other encumbrances on real property when the state elects not to respond. I’m not quite sure what this bill does, exactly. It sets forth the sort of notice that has to be given to the state when someone is taking an action against property against which the state has a lien. But, aside from that it says, on the one hand that if the state fails to respond, it can’t be defaulted, but its rights to the property can be extinguished unless a court explicitly recognizes the state’s rights. The court is permitted but not required to do so. Unless I’m missing some nuance, this describes what happens when any other lienholder doesn’t respond to a complaint to foreclose on a lien. The Plaintiff won’t get a judgment against you, except to say that they don’t have to deal with your rights to the property. But, a judge can recognize your lien in its order of priorty. As a practical matter, the court isn’t likely to make the effort if the lienholder can’t be bothered to respond. Anyway, this bill passed 96-0.

HB 1153 A voluminous bill amending probate, trust, and inheritance matters. Prepared by the probate code study committee. Out of my league. Passed 97-0.

HB 1159 Requires a law enforcement agency that receives a notification from certain individuals concerning a missing endangered senior to prepare and forward a report concerning the missing endangered senior within five hours to: (1) other law enforcement agencies; (2) the National Crime Information Center; (3) the data and communication system; and (4) broadcasters in the area where the missing abandoned senior may be located. Allows a law enforcement agency to forward the report to a newspaper. Provides civil immunity to a broadcaster or newspaper that broadcasts or publishes a senior medical alert. Passed 96-0. So, I guess this an Amber Alert for seniors?

SENATE BILLS ON THIRD READING

SB 98: Permits a judge to order execution of all or part of a probationer’s suspended sentence if the probationer violates a condition of probation. (Current law only permits the court to order execution of all of the probationer’s suspended sentence.) (The introduced version of this bill was approved by the sentencing policy study committee.) No updated voting information available on this one. Either: 1) The Senate voted late; 2) This bill did not come up for a vote despite the schedule; or 3) The Senate does not update their bill information as quickly as the House.

SB 117: Provides that a person who: (1) checks an item to be transported on a commercial passenger airline knowing the item contains a dangerous device; and (2) knowingly or intentionally fails to disclose to the airline that the item contains a dangerous device; commits undisclosed transport of a dangerous device, a Class A misdemeanor. Permits a law enforcement officer to arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that a person has committed undisclosed transport of a dangerous device.

I don’t have time to add links today, but if you see a bill you’re interested in, you can get more information here.

HOUSE BILLS ON SECOND READING
HB 1022 Military base protection act. Koch, Borders
HB 1051 Wage assignment and wage payment. Borror
HB 1075 Health insurance waivers. Torr, Borders
HB 1097 Property tax assessment of computer software. Borror, Mays
HB 1118 Health insurance premium deduction. Espich
HB 1142 Life insurance and Medicaid. T. Brown, Grubb
HB 1142 Life insurance and Medicaid. T. Brown, Grubb
HB 1182 Permanent extension of TIF. Leonard, Heim
HB 1240 Medicaid overpayments. Becker, C. Brown
HB 1248 Jail costs for methamphetamine offenses. Grubb, Bischoff
HB 1262 Bankruptcy and exemption amounts. Kuzman, Thomas
HB 1329 Evansville State Hospital advisory committee. Becker, Avery
HJR 4 Constitutional right to hunt and fish. Ulmer

HOUSE BILLS ON THIRD READING
HB 1033 Biofuels task force. Heim
HB 1056 Food handler exemption. Duncan, Budak
HB 1069 Home and community based services. Hinkle, Becker
HB 1130 Legal actions involving state liens. Foley, Thomas
HB 1153 Probate, trust, and inheritance tax matters. Foley, Bardon
HB 1159 Missing endangered seniors. Ruppel

SENATE BILLS ON SECOND READING
SB 47 Counterfeiting. Wyss, Ford
SB 77 Mechanic’s liens on towed vehicles. M. Young
SB 78 Wage payment issues. M. Young
SB 92 Internet gambling. Ford
SB 94 Employment absence for volunteer firefighters. Lewis
SB 100 Local option income taxes. Long, Broden
SB 102 Foreign judgments. Long, Lanane
SB 149 Trustees of pension funds. Lubbers
SB 159 Cruelty to animals. Lanane
SB 164 Sex offender registration. Drozda
SB 165 Law enforcement training. Drozda
SB 169 Environmental studies. Gard
SB 179 Vacancies caused by death. Dillon
SB 195 Environmental crimes task force. Kenley
SB 196 Licensing and permits for boxing. Wyss, Rogers
SB 197 Reciprocity for dentists.
SB 202 Bonds for purchase of hotel facility. Wyss, Simpson
SB 212 Tax court and senior judges. Bray
SB 222 Preexisting condition waivers. Miller
SB 230 Sex and violent offender directory.
SB 304 Tuition exemption for National Guard dependents. Wyss, R. Meeks,
SB 329 Henry County food and beverage tax. Gard

SENATE BILLS ON THIRD READING
SB 98 Probation revocation. Long, Howard
SB 117 Undisclosed transport of dangerous devices.

The Lafayette Journal and Courier has some reaction from area legislators, Senator Ron Alting and Representative Sheila Klinker on Governor Daniels proposals. They pretty much track my reactions: generally impressed with his apparent earnestness and his energy, wary of some of his specific proposals. Alting’s primary concern is with Daniels’ proposal to forego increased education spending. Klinker does not like Daniels’ idea to base education spending on a per capita formula, noting that there are fixed costs to be accounted for.

Introduced Version, Senate Bill 0231 – Kindergarten Enrollment. This bill would bump up the kindergarten enrollment age from kids who turn 5 on July 1st of the year to August 1st of the year for the school year beginning in 2006 then to Sept. 1st for the school year beginning in 2007.

I can’t say I’ve been following this, but it seems like they are always tinkering with this date, ranging from July through September, maybe up to October. My guess is that it doesn’t matter very much what date you pick through that range but moving it around probably doesn’t help anything. No matter which date you pick, some kids are going to be included who really ought to wait awhile and some kids are going to be left out who are ready to get started.

Remember how the Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage was the most important thing ever and yet the House Republicans were in no hurry to move on the issue? Well, I’m happy to report that the Constitutional Right to Hunt & Fish is full speed ahead. It came out of committee and is scheduled for Second Reading on January 24, 2005.

Bosma blocks stadium funding plan — I’m not sure I particularly care for having a casino in Indy, but you have to admire the way that House Speaker Brian Bosma went about nixing Mayor Peterson’s proposal to use casino revenues to finance a new stadium. He waits until the Colts lose. Then he just says “no” without proposing any alternative. He just says “Peterson needs to come up with a better way.” This way Bosma doesn’t have to come out against a winning Colts team. He doesn’t need to come up with any concrete alternative to raise money (most likely taxes). And, he gets to engage in a bit of moral bluster about the evils of gambling. Bravo!