COLUMBUS, Ind. — Two local legislators involved in a Statehouse confrontation over racial matters did not attend Monday’s Third House session, resulting in the focus of the online session turning to COVID-19 liability and education funding.
More than 100 people went online to watch the second virtual Third House session of the year. The forum is designed to allow those in our area to learn about local work of area legislators and talk about proposed legislation.
Emailed questions written in advance were prioritized over those typed in the comment section during the online session, said Chamber President Cindy Frey.
Two legislators with a standing invitation to join the forum, Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, and Rep. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, did not participate. Both were involved a statehouse confrontation Thursday over allegations of racism.
The first questions Frey posed to Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, and Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus, dealt with legal protections in regard to COVID-19.
Signed into law by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Feb. 18, SB 01 will protect businesses, nonprofits, schools and churches from lawsuits that claim a liability because a visitor or employee contracted the virus.
The problem with this type of civil suit is that you have to be able to show with a strong degree of confidence that the illness is directly the result of someone else’s behavior, Walker said.
But the senator stressed there are exclusions in the bill when it comes to gross negligence. For example, if an employer says you have to show up for work “no matter what,” there would be no civil liability protection for the employer, he said.
A similar bill, HB 1002, gives an added layer of protection from legal liability, Lauer said. That legislation has already passed the House, and is now considered by the full Senate.
A bill considered important by a number of Bartholomew County business owners is SB 44, which establishes a work sharing unemployment insurance program.
Although popular with both political parties, the chairman of the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee chairman, Sen. Phil Boots, R- Crawfordsville, did not permit a committee vote on the measure. Boots said he felt it could be better for an individual to lose a job and benefits entirely than to be on work share because that person would have time and incentive to train for a better job.
Andrew Penca, executive director of Cummins Inc.’s supply chain, engine business, was quoted in a Indiana Chamber of Commerce newsletter that work share programs are “essential to rebounding from the challenging economic and market conditions we faced.”
Another topic of interest to businesses and schools is rural broadband expansion. There are a number of proposals being considered that include Senate Bill 359, which calls for the Indiana Department of Transportation to create a broadband corridor program.
But Walker said he’s hesitant to support large government intervention and expenditures into this area for two reasons. The first is that he’s concerned the system will quickly become outdated.
“Whatever you do, someone is already working on the replacement of whatever infrastructure you lay out,” Walker said. “That’s really the bigger hurdle than having the investment dollars.”
Walker also wants assurances that government will not overlap existing free market providers.
Education
Most of the public comments left on the “chat” feature of the Zoom video conference dealt with education.
Lauer is co-author of HB 1005, which expands private school vouchers to accredited nonpublic schools for students with disabilities, students with a parent active in the military, or children under foster care.
The bill provides that an eligible student who has an account in the Indiana Education Scholarship Account program account, and attends a qualified school, is eligible to receive an annual grant amount that can be used to pay for tuition or education-related expenses.
“I’ve receive a lot of public input both in favor and against this bill,” Lauer said. “But you can support school choice and you can support our public and traditional charter schools as well.”
The current biennial budget now provides an additional $600 million for public education over the next two years, compared to $70 million more for school choice, Lauer said. HB 1005 has already passed the house and has been sent to the Senate.
The state representative also reminded the online audience about HB 1008 that provides $150 million to help students who have fallen behind in their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. It passed the House and is now in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
When asked his thoughts on the subject, Walker says he’s trying to find a balance of supporting both school choice and public education. Walker says he wants to talk to his constituents about their thoughts on the topic.
“I’d like to engage in discussing whether public schools are fulfilling their responsibility,” Walker said. “These debates over (school choice) funding feel a little political sometimes.”
The senator also expressed doubts on whether this is the right time to be making significant funding changes because large amounts of federal funds are coming into Indiana to help school corporations.
One bill likely to please most Hoosiers is HB 1003, which establishes a definition of “virtual instruction” for purposes of determining a school corporation’s basic tuition support.
The measure “ensures that our schools will get full funding for this unusual current school year,” Lauer said. The bill has now moved from the House into the Senate.
Another education bill would edge Career and Technical Education away from such skills as cosmetology, culinary arts, fashion and design graphics into more science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related (STEM) subjects. Lauer said it is projected that Bartholomew County will receive a 7% increase in career and technical education funds annually.
But Lauer said he’s not strongly in favor of moving money away from non-STEM classes because culinary arts and other service industry careers are important to the economy as well.
Other topics
Those concerned about the environment might have issues with SB 389, which repeals the law requiring a permit from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management for wetland activity in a state-regulated wetland. However, the bill states provisions of the federal Clean Water Act regarding the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters will not be affected by the measure.
“This bill is best described as the flexing of legislative muscle in regard to administrative overreach,” Walker said.
Although the measure has passed the Senate and is now in the House, Walker says he is confident that as debate continues, lawmakers will eventually agree that some wetland regulations are necessary.
Finally, Walker says bills that allow no excuse mail-in ballots are not likely to be heard on the floor of either the Senate or House. He also told those watching the forum that since redistricting of political boundaries won’t likely begin until September, a special session may have to be called.
