Statehouse Report 1
January 10, 2012
January 10, 2012
Introduction
Welcome to another series of weekly reports from the Statehouse that will provide updates throughout the 2012 session of the Indiana General Assembly.
As most of our readers know, the 2012 legislative session is a "short" session that ends by statute on March 14. While this session has sometimes been characterized as one in which "emergency" legislation is handled, short sessions have become similar to long sessions without the biennial budget. That is, a wide array of issues has been considered by the General Assembly and the 2012 session will likely not be any different. Further complicating affairs are the Indianapolis Super Bowl events scheduled to begin during the week of January 30. Demand for hotel rooms and other major disruptions downtown will require that the General Assembly suspend activities for a few days in early February. As a result, the General Assembly plans to meet on several Fridays, usually a day that Senators and Representatives return to their home districts.
Opening Days
The legislative session began on Wednesday, January 4. In the Senate over 300 bills already have been introduced and a few committee hearings held. In the House over 100 bills have been introduced and a few hearings have been held, but extensive action has been held up since the Democrats have thus far prevented a quorum for business on the House floor due to their concerns about the "right to work" legislation.
Introduced Bills
Of the bills introduced thus far, the following is a sampling of those that we will be monitoring:
SB 54 University Use of Eminent Domain: The bill stipulates compensation to an owner of a business impacted by eminent domain procedures.
SB 92, SB 103, SB 294, and HB 1093 Public Access Issues: These bills would enact changes to public meeting and records request statute.
SB 155 Higher Education Employment Age Limits: The bill prohibits a public university from imposing mandatory age limits in the hiring or continuation of employment of university employees.
SB 179 Virtual Instruction Course Requirement: This bill would require all students pursuing a Core 40 high school diploma to complete one virtual instruction course.
SB 181 Possession of Firearms on State Property: The bill prohibits a state agency, including a state supported college or university, from regulating the possession or transportation of firearms on land or in buildings that it owns or leases.
SB 182 Higher Education Credit Transfer: This bill provides for the development and implementation of a common course numbering system for general education courses. It would require each state educational institution to establish a general education core of at least 30 credit hours that, if completed by a student, would transfer to another state educational institution. The bill would require a state university to give priority in admissions to an individual holding an associate's degree over an out-of-state applicant. Also it would require that an individual with an associate's degree be considered to have met at least 30 credit hours of the general education requirements for a bachelor's degree and that the receiving institution accept an associate's degree from another institution as credit toward a related bachelor's degree.
SB 253 Military Education and Training: The bill requires a state educational institution to adopt a policy for awarding educational credit for completed courses that are part of the individual's military service, meet the standards of the American Council on Education for awarding academic credit, and meet the state educational institution's role, scope, and mission.
SB 274 Immunity for Certain Alcohol Offenses: This bill, which is being pursued by university student government associations, would prohibit arrest of an individual for public intoxication, possession by a minor, consumption, or transportation of an alcoholic beverage if said individual is seeking emergency medical assistance for another individual who reasonably appeared in need of such assistance due to alcohol consumption. The bill would further limit prosecution of the individual receiving medical assistance if the individual participates in a pretrial diversion program.
HB 1025 Resident Tuition for Returning Veterans: The bill provides that Indiana veterans are eligible for the resident tuition rate for undergraduate courses upon enrolling at a state educational institution if they enroll no later than 12 months after their separation from the United States armed forces.
Looking Ahead to this Week
We expect that all Senate bills will be introduced by the end of the week, possibly 500 in total. Committee hearings on these bills will begin in earnest and bills will begin to move to the Senate floor for the second and third reading process. In the House, the deadline for filing bills is January 9. However, it remains unclear as to how House Democrat concerns about the right to work legislation may impact the operations of the House, including introduction of bills.
