State lawmakers are halfway through their session, which is scheduled to end March 14.
Bills will now make their way through the opposite chamber from which they started. Those previously heard in the House will need to be heard in the Senate, and vice versa. Committees will begin to hear potential legislation next week.
As they head into the second half, party leaders released official statements on what their priorities will be moving forward.
House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said in a Feb. 6 statement he thought House Republicans' priorities made great progress, especially on issues such as increased funding for K-12 schools, a strengthened workforce, the opioid epidemic and increased government efficiency.
Bosma said House Republicans’ top priority is House Bill 1001, a bill that would increase funding to account for rising enrollment at public schools.
He praised House lawmakers for supporting House Bill 1002, a bill that would re-evaluate workforce-related programs.
“Much work remains in the weeks ahead, especially as we continue discussions on addressing the state’s workforce needs, but we look forward to building on our momentum,” Bosma said in the release.
Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, R-Fort Wayne, had similar thoughts in his Feb. 6 statement. He praised Senate Republicans for continuing to fight the opioid epidemic, to improve workforce development and to support schools.
He also highlighted progress on reforming forfeiture laws and allowing alcohol carryout sales on Sundays.
“While I am pleased we have moved all of our agenda items out of the Senate, there is much work to be done on these issues as they move through the House of Representatives, and as we consider bills that have come over from our colleagues in the House,” Long said.
Democrats, however, are not as satisfied with the first half of the session.
House Democratic Leader Terry Goodin, D-Austin, was critical of lawmakers for not doing enough.
In a Feb. 6 press release, Goodin criticized leaders for not working to reform elections and redistricting, for not protecting at-risk children and for not passing a hate crime bill.
Goodin also criticized lawmakers for what he characterized as misuse of a short session. He added lawmakers are doing nothing except marking time until March 15.
“There is no willingness to do anything except less than the bare minimum, and when we do act, it’s for things that shouldn’t be passed in the first place,” Goodin said.
What’s still to come this session:
With hundreds of bills which need to be heard, amended and voted on, here’s a timeline of what to look out for in the second half of the session.
March 1: Last day Senate Bills in the House can be read for a second time and amended
March 5: Last day Senate BIlls in the House can be read for a third time and voted on
March 5: Last day House Bills in the Senate can be read for a second time and amended
March 6: Last day House Bills in the Senate can be read for a third time and voted on
March 7-13: Conference committees meet
March 14: Last day the Indiana General Assembly can meet this session
Source: Indiana General Assembly website
Laurel Demkovich
