2010 Statehouse Report 1
December 22, 2009
LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS
Preview to the Legislative Session
The "short" session of the Indiana General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, January 5. By statute, the session must end no later than March 14. There are rumors, however, that the session could end a week or two early.
The short session typically has been referred to one in which emergency matters are addressed, but over the years it has evolved to one in which a myriad of legislative issues have been introduced. We expect that there will be more than a thousand bills introduced. State Relations staff will review each introduced bill and make an initial determination whether the bill impacts IU or has the potential to be amended in such a way that it would impact the university. Certain bills will be sent to some of the dozens of expert IU bill reviewers who offer invaluable insights on the legislation. Weekly Statehouse Reports will be emailed to subscribers and posted on the State Relations website to provide regular updates regarding the progress of the session and legislation IU is monitoring.
Key legislative issues we expect that the General Assembly will focus on include consideration of a constitutional cap on property taxes, lobbyist reform, and various K-12 and local government issues. While budget cuts are being implemented by Governor Daniels, legislative action is not likely to be necessary or considered.
We look forward to reporting to you on the legislative session, and for those who will be reviewing bills, we express our deep appreciation for the assistance you provide.
For those who wish to demonstrate their support of IU, you may do so by joining Hoosiers for Higher Education (HHE), a grassroots advocacy organization sponsored by the IU Alumni Association. The primary goal of HHE is to engage its members to connect with public officials about the importance of supporting funding and policies that will ensure that IU continues to be a premier international teaching and research institution. Membership to HHE is free, and you may join by registering here. We also encourage you to join us on Tuesday, February 2 for our 19th Annual HHE Statehouse Visit. Visit our website for more details and to register.
