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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodist News |
February 2002 |
Comments from the Statehouse:
Tough decisions ahead; legislative action needed now!
By Jane Fribley
This is the cry to the Indiana General Assembly from diverse groups and individuals over the state. They are fed up with the lawmakers bypassing the tough decisions until after the next election.
Considered "must do" issues postponed last year are: 1) fix the budget deficit by cutting non-essential costs and shuffling taxes and 2) control the property tax increases expected after the court ordered reassessment and boost Indiana's business climate. Although this is the year of the short, 30 day session, nearly 1,000 bills were filed by the Jan. 10 deadline -- 530 in the Senate and 430 in House. Few of the bills are expected to become law by the March 14 adjournment. Filing them may please a constituent back home or lay the groundwork for future passage.
Fair and equitable taxation is a moral and ethical issue. We need to judge each suggested law in this light and share our conclusions with our lawmakers. To avoid unpopular tax increases, it is tempting to cut funding for the voiceless in our society -- children, aged, ill, handicapped, institutionalized, etc.
Gambling lobby always lurking
To raise more revenue, some lawmakers are tempted to succumb to the high pressure lobbying of gambling enterprise owners and operators, ever present in the halls just outside the House and Senate Chambers. The Senate Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee approved, by one vote, a bill to allow dockside gambling. It next goes on for consideration by the full Senate.
Concern about the closing of Muscatatuck State Developmental Center by July 2003, has been brought to my attention by some of our church members. SB 217 would delay or possibly stop the closing of this facility that houses over 200 mentally and physically disabled Hoosiers.
The state has been replacing such institutions with group homes which is very desirable in many cases if qualified, dedicated on-site supervision is available. This shortage is already a big problem in some of the group homes as is a shortage of nurses. Many residents at Muscatatuck are like infants or toddlers, have known no other home for 40 years and require full time care.
Other issues: See Jan. HUM for background facts:
Prison Ombudsman -- House Bill 1275 to establish an ombudsman to monitor the Dept. of Corrections, is under consideration in House Courts and Criminal Code Committee.
Church Property -- Senate Bill 19 would allow educational organizations, churches and religious institutions to exempt up to 150 acres of property from taxes. The bill was heard by Senate Governmental and Regulatory Affairs Committee; status not reported by press time.
Thanks to all of you who contacted your legislators about these issues. Now contact them to support these two bills to passage.
See Nov. 2001 HUM for phone numbers and addresses at State House. The Legislative Services Office at the State House Rotunda has copies of the bills and can sometimes answer questions about them. For immediate results, let your legislator or the bill sponsor know directly of your interest.
All the lawmakers have Email: Replace # with his or her district number. Representative H#@ai.org; Senator S#@ai.org.
Last updated on 01/14/2004