City of Bloomington, Indiana League of Women Voters Legislative Update, 13 Feb 2021

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From YouTube: League of Women Voters Legislative Update, February 13, 2021

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Welcome everyone, I'm so glad to see you all here we might be expecting a couple of other.

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Legislators, but I would like to go ahead and get started for today's legislative update.

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On behalf of the league of women, voters of bloomington monroe county and the greater.

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Bloomington chamber of commerce, please welcome the second session of the 2020 legislative updates.

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My name is mary morgan, I'm director of advocacy and public policy for the chamber, and I'm also.

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A league member, I will be moderating this session. Ralph shaw, co-chair of our voter service committee.

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Is our question moderator? I would also please remind you to turn off your video and mute.

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Your audio as we get started this morning, our local legislators will report on their work.

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And priorities for the current session of the indiana general assembly they'll each have up.

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To 10 minutes to do that and after that we will welcome questions from the audience.

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At any time, during the session, you can alert the question moderator on chat. If you have a question.

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And she will put you in the queue you'll be recognized in the order in which you submit.

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A question and you'll be asked to unmute and turn on your video when it's time to pose your question.

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Please do not use chat for conversations, as that makes it difficult for a question monitor to keep.

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Track, please limit your question to one minute. Our timer will give a little chime when 10 seconds are.

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Left, if you have additional questions, please hold them in reserve after everyone has a question and.

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They've had the opportunity to ask it: additional questions will be allowed if time remains.

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Posing a question constitutes your permission to be recorded by cats and I'll know that that stands.

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For community access television service, not the cat filter, that's been in the news so frequently.

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This morning is intended to be an informati, informative session, an opportunity to get an.

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Update from our legislators, it is not a time to make public statements or to engage in debate.

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Please frame your questions to elicit information.

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For the benefit of all of us, and to enable any of the legislators to weigh in.

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You may agree or disagree with the legislators comments, but we ask you to be respectful.

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For our legislators, each of you will have an opportunity to answer a question and.

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We'll have about two or three minutes to answer and I'll call on you when we.

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Get to that point um in rotation, so it's not always the same person answering first.

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All righty now we're ready to get going.

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With our legislators, um please start their videos and I'm mute if you haven't already.

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And hello everyone uh this morning, we would like to welcome. Let's see who do we have here, matt.

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Pierce welcome representative matt pierce. He represents district 61.. We have state.

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Senator sally shelly yoder representing the 40th senate district good to see you.

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And I don't believe I see any of our other legislators on here, although I believe peggy.

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Mayfield will be joining us soon, uh who would like to start this morning, shelly? How about how.

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About we start with you I'll go first. Thank you, mary thank you league of women voters and to the.

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Greater bloomington chamber of commerce- it's great to be here and on this cold saturday morning I.

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Wanted to just give a little bit of an update of what it's been like as a new legislator joining.

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The senate and where we are in this cycle, so we've got one more week of hearing senate bills before.

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We push the pause button button briefly and then we switch and the house bills that have passed.

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Will come over to the senate and be assigned to committees and we'll be able to hear those so.

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Next week we'll be very busy and we will be finalizing what the senate will be hearing.

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From the senate side, my priority, when I started, was really to make sure that we had.

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Paid attention to the safety nets that that is, um that should be there and strong to help families.

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And workers during a frightening time and for my priorities I had a family leave bill. I had.

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A bill that uh offered child care, tax credits, um a work share program and a a.

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Prohibit from asking work, salary, history and of all of those bills, I joined another.

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Senator republican senator basler from washington, county washington, indiana.

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And he also offered a work share program. I joined his bill and that will not be.

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Seeing the light of day in this session and a workshare program is something that.

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I know the chamber has been supported, uh supportive of as well as labor has been.

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Supportive of and this would be an opportunity for employers to work with the state and with workers.

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When there's an economic downturn to be able to work out a plan, so they can keep.

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Their their employees on at a certain level, if they're, if they're, usually full-time, and they.

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Can only pay them 20 hours a week, they could work it out with the state to have 20 hours.

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On you know, keeping them on the job and then make up the rest through unemployment. But.

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That has not been a priority of the state thus far, and it doesn't look like it's going to be.

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This year, my child care tax credit that is not going to be heard this session, but I'm going.

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To soldier on, because I think it's incredibly important- and it is a priority of um folks like.

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The working families institute as well as the chamber, and I think that it's something.

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That we are seeing is incredibly important to families when kovit hit, so many families.

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You know recognized the importance of having that assistance, and I've also prioritized the.

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Environment I had filed a couple of bills, a time of transfer looking at when at what point do.

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We look at septic systems when they're, failing because that is contributing to our waste water.

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And also a drainage code update I've gotten some traction with the drainage code up update and it.

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Does look like a little bit of my legislation will be making its way to the house at some point in.

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The next week so that's been interesting and it really did bring home. When you hear that metaphor.

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Of the sausage making, it has been a complete uh sausage, making experience and trying to get.

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uh Some of the drainage code addressed and worked through at least the senate, and it I was I've, been.

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Pretty frustrated with some of the environmental bills that we have heard and what we haven't heard.

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389 has made its way to the house side, and that is the deregulation of all.

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Isolated wetlands in indiana that are not protected by federal regulation and that's been.

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Something that we should all be paying attention to, as well as a a bill that we'll be hearing this.

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Next week in the environmental affairs committee, and that is environmental nuisance bill, that.

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Is problematic and I hope everybody sort of tunes in and watches the hearing on that bill.

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So that's some of my priorities and things that I'm watching out for I'll hand it over.

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To representative pierce and it's been great to be a colleague of representative pierce in.

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At the state house, although we haven't had too many opportunities to see each other or.

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Work together, but we're just getting started, I'm just getting started and I hear a lot of.

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Good things coming out from everyone's, like you should talk to matt pierce about this, so.

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I'm thankful for his leadership and I'll pass it over to him at this point. Thank you. Thanks, shelley.

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And uh it's been interesting to see how you've been adjusting to this new crazy world of the.

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Legislature, which can't really be accurately described to people on the outside, so you.

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You know one thing that people probably don't realize is even though, under normal times now,.

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We've got this coveted set up, so the house is meeting mostly in the government office building.

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Next door to the state house, or even further apart, even when we have regular sessions where.

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We're meeting just across the hallway there's just not much of an occasion to go back over until you.

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Get to a certain part of the session where you have conference committees, then you start maybe.

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Going over to interact with people everybody's kind of in their two pods, so that makes it which.

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Is why it's interesting to me that you know a lot of people hear about, for example, senate.

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Bills like wetlands bill, it's very concerning and they'll start emailing us it's kind of like.

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Hey we're over here in the house, we got our big pile of bills. We got to work on. We can't really.

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Be worrying about the senate bills yet because we don't know what exactly is going to get here.

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So over in the house, the I guess the big thing is the budget is now beginning to kind of come.

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Into focus so the budget has to start in the house of representatives. I should also mention.

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That we're coming up on the halfway point of the legislature, so all the bills have to be voted out.

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Of committees by tuesday the 16th it's coming up this tuesday, then all the bills have to be passed.

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The second reading or amendment on the house floor stage by the 18th, which is thursday, I think, and.

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Then finally, all bills with the current schedule must be passed out of the house by um february.

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22Nd, I think, is a week from monday, so we're in this really busy last week kind of stretch.

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Drive where committee chairs are trying to cram in the last few bills they can get out of committee.

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You get really long calendars in the house floor of lots of amendments. You tend to have.

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More and more time on the floor and then once you get past the reading, then it's like a little.

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Bit of a half time, it's almost like a football game or basketball game or something there's a.

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Half a week off basically and then you come back and the house will begin to work and the senate.

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Bills and the senate will begin working on the house bills, so uh the budget kind of coming out is.

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Interesting, I haven't had a chance to really look through it and absorb it. I wouldn't be surprised.

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If it's amended a little bit more and of course, uh the senate will probably completely rewrite.

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The house version and then at the end of april it'll, be a conference committee and a few people.

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Will get together and they'll decide what that budget's going to look like, uh so we got a long.

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Way to go there, but the thing that uh is really uh got me most concerned and maybe frustrated.

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Is what's going on with education in this budget, because they're touting an increase for education.

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But a big chunk of that is going to go to a pretty massive. I think radical expansion of vouchers.

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And other kind of education savings account schemes all designed to funnel taxpayer money.

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To private schools, religious schools- and you know it's not really going to be sustainable. I don't.

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Think in the long run, to continually expand the subsidization of private schools when you're not.

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Really getting the job done for the public schools, and really proof of that is there's absolutely.

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Nothing in there other than I think, a small existing grant program here go on teachers.

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Salaries, just I mean the chairman of the ways and means committee. I heard him make a comment that.

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You know basically, teachers salaries are a local school board decision, so that to me seems to be.

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Signaling that the legislature has just thrown up its hands and will do nothing on tv. Despite how.

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Pathetic it is at the same time, they're willing to find millions and millions of dollars of money.

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To go to these private schools, so that's um that's something that it will be interesting to see how.

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That um plays out over time that that, to me is a really kind of stark contrast where you know no.

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Money for teacher pay but more money for private vouchers and maybe even the creation of a new.

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um Tax benefit for people who send their kids to private school. So that's uh that's a difficulty.

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Now the uh and that's also, I guess in house bill 1005- would outline these kind of expanded vouchers.

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Where I think you can get up to have a family up approaching 150 000 a year income uh get any.

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Subsidies, and so that's another thing, that's interesting too, if you go back and you retrace.

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This voucher movement back a decade or so it started out as a program that was supposed to be.

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Targeted at um low income, often minority students in urban schools that they said were failing that.

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And the idea was that, if you're in an urban school or public school and it didn't meet.

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Your needs, then you, after a year, the parent would then have the option to get one of these vouchers.

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And move to a private school and it was built as some kind of civil rights movement in that.

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Regard and what we really found out is that was just to get the foot in the door, and it's just.

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Been expanding and expanding expanding and now it's it's going to be expanded to people who have.

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Never been in the public schools, public schools may serve them perfectly well, but they just for.

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Whatever reasons, maybe religious reasons prefer to send their kids to a private school and we're.

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Going to be subsidizing all that now, so it's a pretty radical expansion in, uh in my opinion,.

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Now the other thing that's going on with the uh schools, which is kind of interesting, is uh there's.

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There's a real step back from some of these core accountability, um so-called accountability.

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Provisions that were put into the um into the code for school so remember we had this point where.

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Super emphasis on testing testing was going to determine whether or not we thought the teachers.

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Were good testing was going to tell us whether or not the schools were good if the schools didn't.

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Meet a certain threshold with the testing, then they would be um put on probation. Have these.

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Kind of various sanctions or requirements, and in fact they even took over a few schools, they kind.

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Of declared them failing and they had the state come in and take them over. Well, the powers to be.

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Have finally figured out that that was a complete bust, so they've got a bill moving, that's going to.

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Basically, de-emphasize the testing a bit: it's gonna, it's essentially getting rid of all these.

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Sanctions or punitive things that could result from testing you're still gonna have that a.

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Through f grading thing, so they'll still have the scarlet letter of schools going on, but they're.

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Backing off from a lot of it and their their argument is that we're just going to create a lot.

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Of new metrics or new data that can be published and made available and they think that'll be.

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More transparent and perhaps uh better for the parents to figure out how their schools are doing.

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So you know that's a positive advancement, but it's just taken too long for them to reach that.

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Conclusion now some people might look at that and think like well. Maybe what's really going on here.

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Is as we're going to expand further and further into private schools, maybe we don't want uh to.

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Risk the situation where you might have the state uh having to declare a private school as failing.

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Or not getting the job done and then maybe having those kick in. So part of me wonders if.

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This kind of general movement toward the idea that we're just going to hand money to parents and let.

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Parents go out and find a school that they like. I think that kind of push toward that kind of system.

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Might explain why they're backing off on this idea of this very kind of paternalistic state oversight.

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Of our local schools, so we'll have to uh kind of see how that plays out the uh that's 1514 by the.

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Way is the school accountability um changes so uh house bill 1002 and senate bill. One have already.

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uh Passed the house and I think, senate bill, one will uh probably just get approved by the senate.

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On a concurrence vote, that's the impression I mean those by the way are the employer, immunity bills.

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And uh I've got a problem with those bills, because 1002 was just definitely way too.

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Broad, the way it was written it, I think it was much too expansive. So the idea started out with.

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If you have a restaurant or something and it's open, you don't want them to have to fear they're.

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Going to get sued and someone's going to say, hey, your restaurant gave me covid now, if you.

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Talk to attorneys who practice in this area, they say it's like practically impossible to prove.

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Where you got kovitz, so they think it's not very likely. You would ever prevail in that kind of suit.

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But some people said well it'll, add some comfort to these businesses that they will.

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Have some immunity from these potential types of lawsuits, so I was hoping that there could be.

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A narrowly crafted bill that perhaps I could support the house bill definitely was not it.

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Senate bill one they did a much better job. Their bill was much narrower, but the interesting thing.

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Was in the senate version of that bill, it came over to the house and had a provision.

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That said, that nothing in a bill granting these immunities would affect the duty of care or the.

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Standard of care in nursing homes, because you know nursing homes, medical facilities, they have what's.

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Called a standard of care and if you violate that, then you can be sued for practice. Well, the.

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House decided that that provision couldn't be in the senate bill, so they took it out.

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And so we've gotta, you, you never know, what's gonna happen with these bills until the courts actually.

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Start adjudicating them, but I think that we've got a problem in that the immunity extends to.

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Anything you're doing that's arising from covet, so one uh particular example is okay. Let's say.

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Someone is in a nursing home, they fall out of bed, they're injured on the floor and they end up.

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Laying there for a day because nobody checked on them well under normal circumstances, to say well.

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That's the violation of the duty of care. You can't leave somebody laying on the floor for 24 hours.

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Well now, if this bill passes, I think the nursing home will be able to say well that whole thing.

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Rose from covid 19 because I had nursing staff, I had staffing problems due to covet, so I had to.

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Have less people there and we couldn't check on everybody the way we might normally do and that.

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Might be kind of a get out of free jail card on that one, so I just couldn't in good conscience,.

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Support that, because I think that it might lead to a lesser quality of care in our nursing homes,.

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um Another bill related to covet 19 house bill. 1123 uh tries to get at this issue of.

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The governor's powers, as you know, there are a lot of people in the legislature.

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Who don't like the things that the governor has done and they've really wanted to strip.

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Him completely of his powers, the leadership in the house doesn't appear to want to go that route.

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And so they've passed a bill. That does one thing that I support and that is attempts to create a.

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Mechanism where the legislature has to get into session in order to respond to the emergency and.

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So what the bill would essentially say is if the governor renews his emergency order for.

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Second 30 days, then there would have to be an emergency session in the legislature. If.

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The leaders of the legislature decided they needed one. So it's kind of this flexible types of thing.

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That provision, I think, is reasonable, because I had a lot of people contacting me during the.

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Beginning of this pandemic about a lot of things, they thought the government needed to be doing.

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And as a legislator, I had no way to make any of that happen. I couldn't introduce a bill. I.

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Couldn't file an amendment, I couldn't talk to colleagues and say: let's get this law passed.

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Because the legislature is not in session, so the best I could do is pass that suggestion onto the.

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Governor and hope that he might act upon it, so I think that is uh not a bad part of the bill.

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Now it's going to probably get challenged or may come under scrutiny, because some people feel.

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The constitution says only the governor can call special sessions, so whether we can call something.

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Called an emergency session and do that under statute- I don't know there'll be some kind of.

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Litigation on that perhaps uh in the future, but there are two parts of the bills that.

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I thought were very problematic that I could not um support the first is. It would say that there.

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Could not be any public health requirements that affect um churches and their worship.

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So, in other words, if the local health department, if the governor's executive order decides that we.

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Have to limit gathering of people in order to prevent these super spreader events under this.

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uh Bill if it becomes law there would be no power to limit those gatherings, and so you may very well.

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Have a bunch of super spreader events now there is no doubt that the right to worship is a core.

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Fundamental right in both our state and federal constitution and it needs to be respected and.

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You need to tread very carefully in that area, but the us supreme court has already been issuing.

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Cases on this- and you know the bottom line- is you just have if you're treating churches the.

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Same way, you're treating other places where people gather so you're, not creating special.

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Separate rules for them, that is a constitutional thing that you can do so to me as long as you're.

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Treating all gatherings all rules about how people might to get together in a pandemic.

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It seems to me we ought to allow that to happen, so that was a difficult thing as well, and then.

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The second thing they put in the bill is if a county health department wants to enact.

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uh Some provisions that are stricter than what the governor has done. They will now under this.

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Bill would have to go to the county commissioners and get their approval for that now. I admit that.

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Seems kind of appealing because yeah, who wouldn't want to have elected officials, kind of involved in.

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This decision making the problem is, I think that, as we've seen in the way, this pandemics played out.

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That creates an opportunity for a lot of politics to get injected into decision making. So, instead of.

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Having uh health officials really understanding the cdc guidance and getting involved in.

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uh You know scientifically, what's the best thing to do now, it's going to have to be a political.

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Collection as well, um I see mary appearing. Am I hitting my time limit here? Yes, you are. We we.

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Could we could listen to you all day, matt for sure, but yeah we'll pick things up in the q a then all.

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Right thanks so much uh and I see representative jeff ellington of district 62 has joined us.

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Thanks for coming- and please give us about a 10 minute, update on your work in the legislature.

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The house, so I had to.

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What am I mute? No you're male 1, you just froze, but you're you're good. Now, thanks! Well, you know.

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Like I keep saying where I live at down here, right, the edge of bloomington, a t and t is just.

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Terrible on their service, you know a community of 60 plus thousand and I think somebody disappeared.

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Well, um jeff now you're mute.

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I'm sorry my service down here is just terrible. I gotta I gotta, walk around and find a window.

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Would you like us to go to uh you, can go yeah, go to somebody else, yeah go ahead! Okay, we'll.

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Come back to you all right, thanks, jeff uh and and now we have um representative peggy.

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Mayfield who's joined us from district 60. uh thanks for joining us and uh we've got about 10.

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Minutes for an update from you thanks. Okay, so um are we still like in the introduction phase? Yes,.

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Yeah for um just a kind of a general overview of your work uh so far.

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And um and then we'll take uh questions after you go and after representative ellington.

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Okay, um well, I was on a another forum from 8 30 to 9 30, but we had technical problems. There too.

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So we didn't get started, which kind of pushed me late on to this one. So I apologize. uh It's been.

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A really strange session, you know, usually the the state house- is just a beehive of activity.

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And it's almost like a ghost town, so it's making communication and and uh very difficult in the.

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Senate being able to keep stay in the chamber and in the state house, but the house has to go all.

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The way over to the government center and when we caucus it's in a different building altogether so.

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It's almost like being on a college campus, make sure you take everything you need for the next.

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You know eight hours with you, because you can't run back to your desk to get anything just it's.

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Just made things awkward uh and more difficult um with the committees only being able to meet.

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In two rooms, it's really cut down on the number of committee hearings and subsequently the number of.

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Bills being heard, staying really busy between my committees of financial institutions and insurance.

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uh Because we're trying to address healthcare costs more and more in in that committee.

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Ways and means, of course, is anything that that generates revenue and, of course, the state budget.

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And public policy- and we always have our typical um alcohol and.

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And firearms, and trying to think with what else. We're really not tackling much.

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In that in that committee, but all of the hearings are lengthy because of the subject matter.

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So um as you, you might recall, you know three years three years four years ago,.

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When the northern monroe fire territory was formed, it was a very rancorous process.

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And a lot of people contacted me about that, so I had introduced a bill three years ago.

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um Finally, got it well, it's passed the house at least and will be going to the senate, but.

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It just kind of smooths out it doesn't limit the ability for anyone to form fire territory.

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It just makes it more transparent and I think, even maybe a little easier.

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In the future, for those to happen so that'll be going over to the house past 93 to zero. So.

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I'm hopeful if it gets a hearing, it'll pass completely. um I kind of think of.

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Some of the other things I've got going. I've got a bmv bill on second reading on.

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Monday, where I've had a lot of parents, actually it was a law enforcement officer who came to me.

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And he basically said you know: in 20 years of law enforcement, I've looked at everybody's driver's.

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License- and it's never occurred to me until his 16 year old daughter- went to get her driver's license.

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That that address is out there for everybody to see, and that could become a safety issue. So.

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Introduced a bill that made it an option acknowledging that, if people want to opt.

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Out of having their residence address printed on their driver's license.

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That they would have to acknowledge that they were not getting a real id compliant credential.

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So I don't think a whole lot of people will take advantage of it, but I think some might.

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And so that's coming up on seconds on monday um trying to think I I'm sorry I'm a little bit.

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Discombobulated coming from one form to the other, the the priorities of the caucus.

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Are moving through and we had the republican amendment for the budget introduced on thursday.

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This is just like step two of the process, so it will change significantly as it goes.

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Over to the senate and comes back um the I'm trying to think of the the changing the tanf.

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Requirements has been going through a lot of changes. It's nothing like what was introduced.

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And we're going to hear that in ways and means on monday. So the last days for committee hearings.

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Are monday and maybe tuesday morning and after that, anything that hasn't been heard in the house.

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Might have to find a different path if it if it gets to move forward, I've been watching out for.

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The lit plan I haven't seen anything yet so I will keep my eyes out for that. I'm trying to.

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Think if there are other specific interests to the monroe county area uh in legislation,.

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And just to give you an update on that, but I guess that's all I'm going to offer for now.

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And I'll leave it open for the questions. Okay, thank you. So much uh jeff. Are you ready to go.

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We'll see in a few minutes, so uh basically you got a little uh six week agenda uh where we're at in.

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The session uh compared to where we were last year, as peggy said you know, we've got quite a bit of.

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Things that's not being heard because of the time constraints. You know we have less committee rooms.

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So there's less committees that run through uh so uh time wise. We do have some bills backing up.

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uh You know on uh seconds uh coming monday and I'm sure there's a. I think we released 40 some bills.

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Out of committee committee reports, thursday, so that'll be we'll have a pretty busy week. Next.

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Week but one thing was able to do at least the the budget made it out of ways and means 16 to 8.

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You know it's an accident, a honestly balanced budget and revenue will not exceed expenditures.

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You know we'll see a lot of amendments probably going to the floor next week. I would assume.

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Different areas for that budget house bill, 1002 civil immunity passed out of the house 76-21, so.

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That's now on the way to the senate and then a thousand and three came out passed. The house 93-2.

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Preserves the full school tuition support and that was done by slager up in northwest indiana also.

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Had thousand four that was with lindauer who's right below me that passed out the house 93 to.

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3, it just establishes a hoosier hospitality, small business restart grant program, and it's about 30.

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Million dollars and that'll help small businesses in one of the several, the small, smaller sectors.

E

You know rebound a little bit from this pandemic, a thousand and five uh we're still working out on it.

E

It passed out of ways and means 16-8, but there's probably a lot of amendments we'll see in that.

E

And I will say that in 2001 there was an amendment the other day that gave 74 percent.

E

Of the dollars that new dollars went towards your standard, local schools, uh I think that.

E

Was a big boost there uh 1006 passed the house 96 to oh, that's the one that deals with uh upholding.

E

The integrity of law enforcement that was by stuart storwald he's done a great job on that.

E

Had a lot of input from a lot of members 1007, it passed the ways and means 13-0, and it's a health.

E

Grant program it just establishes a new grant program to fund initiatives aimed at addressing.

E

Critical health issues throughout indiana and the budget for that appropriates 50 million dollars. We.

E

Also had a thousand and eight uh the uh the covet 19 learning losses, that was by representative.

E

Carwall up towards fort wayne that passed the house 94-2 and that establishes a grant program.

E

And will provide 150 million to organizations who are providing educational opportunities to.

E

The students, and hopefully that will make up for the learning losses you know caused by the.

E

Pandemic and then again uh 2009 it passed the family children's committee 10-0, and it just gives.

E

uh Some struggling hoosiers a hand up towards self-sufficiency by exempting income earned and.

E

Always talked about the tanf programs about those who maybe get a job, uh they get a raise, get a new.

E

Our opportunity, but they get a little bit in a raise, but then it cuts out all the help. I've.

E

Always talked about having you know, a stepping tiered system to where it just doesn't drop. You.

E

Out at once, then, there's no incentive to you know have that job opportunity to pull yourself up and.

E

And move forward in the world, so uh I'm still meeting with individuals that come by my office.

E

Also, I've been speaking with some who cannot by phone and again my phone number is 812-327-8118.

E

And then it's again, my personal email is take this down. Jeff e at blue bluemarble.net.

E

uh So, just uh between uh working here at the house on the farm on the weekends, like I say,.

E

This morning a surprise visit by skunk in the front yard and gets one of my dogs and.

E

He comes in the house, so we have to get out the uh dawn, dishwashing detergent and a couple other.

E

Chemicals we put in there baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, that's a good cure, so we get a lot of.

E

Those uh mishaps down here so just looking forward to hear from people. Thank you well, uh that is very.

A

Practical uh information that we just got from representative ellington, so thank you for that.

A

Did not expect to learn that this morning, but that's great um now we're ready for the question.

A

Part of our session, um when you're called by name um by the question moderator please unmute and.

A

Turn on your video state, your name and ask your one minute: question and we'll start um with.

A

The order of legislators he'll be answering matt, peggy, jeff and shelly. For this first question.

G

Mary, I think I sent you the we had one question that was submitted by email in advance. Do you.

G

Have that from jim bowman? um Okay, I thought we were going to go with the people who were.

A

Here first, but I will read jim borman's question: uh this is a yes or no question.

A

Do you believe there is true democracy in indiana, with a republican majority in the indiana senate,.

A

Of 39 to 11 and a 71-21 majority for republicans in the house of representatives, if yes explain.

A

Why and if no explain how the system should be fixed so that it is a representative democracy.

A

So again we have matt. First then peggy, jeff and shelly to take a crack at this.

A

uh Matt, you're muted. Here you go okay, so I think you have to say that, yes, there is democracy, but.

C

Really, the the more important question is: how healthy is our democracy right now and.

C

And you know just look at what's going on at federal level and you just.

C

You know there's just a lot of problems and how we're going to tackle that it has to do.

C

With social media a lot of other stuff, but I do think that there are systemic things.

C

That are making the legislature less reflective of the state as a whole, and you know you can.

C

Start with commissioning uh as one where you know, whoever the majority party is uh to the victor.

C

Go the spoils, and so they get to shape these districts to maximize uh their votes. And so we saw.

C

A legislature for a couple decades that would kind of flip back and forth in control here or there.

C

uh I think that maybe the biggest margin between the two parties was maybe before that was like 55.

C

45 and maybe 1992, and then we had the last redistricting in uh 2011 and it jumped up from.

C

uh You know I think at that point. It's maybe like 43 democrats. It went down to like 29 democrats.

C

uh Over a decade to climb back up to 33 democrats and then last um election back down to.

C

29- and so I think, that's the number one kind of issue- another area that I think could strength.

C

Democracy is some campaign finance reform. We have a lot of dark money in this system. Now, some of.

C

That's because of rulings by the us supreme court, so it will be interesting. I could work around that.

C

But we don't have the transparency we could. Have I mean you, can you can take your money instead of.

C

Giving it directly to candidates and having that show up on campaign finance reports, you can give.

C

Huge sums of money uh to 501 c4s, like a chamber of commerce, state chamber of commerce, and you.

C

Can other groups that are formulated sometimes just to funnel the money and then they can turn.

C

Around and they can give that money, and you have no idea, the voter has no idea of knowing.

C

Where the voting section comes from, so I think those are the two things that I would work on.

C

As I would, I would have a nonpartisan registry commission, which is still enough time to do that.

C

And then also, I would um get more transparency in the campaign finance system.

A

Okay, great, uh we have peggy next, I think overall, yes, we, we do have a very democratic.

F

Process um if you're talking about true democracy, you know there there are checks and balances.

F

Built into that, but it is what the people have voted for now throughout our state's history. We've.

F

Swung back and forth on the majorities you know the the over 70 on one party uh to both parties.

F

At different times in our history and we've even had a couple of times when it's a 50, 50 split and.

F

They had, you know co-speakers, so it's when it's closer. I think it does drive the um legislators to.

F

uh To more closely consider the legislation um when they have a little bit more freedom, if.

F

The margins are wider, but just because you have that majority doesn't mean that you can always.

F

Push through legislation of of the one party's um thoughts, there's and that happens on both.

F

Sides, well hopefully it happens on both sides. um There there have been a lot of bills filed.

F

That have not been taken up that we could have, and just because you can doesn't mean you should.

F

So you know we we could have pushed through an agenda essentially without a single democrat, even.

F

Showing up, but that's not the way to run a state and the pendulum always swings back the other way.

F

When it results in bad policy, so we try and be very thoughtful of trying to balance.

F

When the public has chosen a majority of republicans versus um how much power.

F

That that, actually you know you can wield with that, and you really have to create that balance.

F

But I do think that it's it's working pretty well. I do think that we have a pretty good democracy.

A

Thanks peggy jeff. Yes, I I think democracy really is at work here in indiana.

E

The issue we've had by, I would say, giving you know the senate a such a large margin in the house.

E

Is really southwest indiana now south east indiana uh democrat areas, you know 20 30 years back.

E

You've seen an erosion you might say of.

E

Probably union type jobs moving out and those companies once they uh shift out of that mark.

E

You know you have uh community members that move back out of those areas back to their home states.

E

Or other counties, uh it's sort of you know what do you want to try to do because we have you.

E

Know like I want to say, 80 plus percent of the county elected officers throughout the state.

E

Are republican and a lot of that's been shifting over the last 20 years? Take my.

E

District, for example, it was a you know, a tooth and nail district many years ago, and the line.

E

Hasn't changed hardly any, but yet it's went from a toss-up to maybe a 19 percent in my race. You know.

E

One is because I think uh different uh state legislators. Our senators, have really been really.

E

Taking a lot of input, so it's going to be kind of hard to really take the maps and and give.

E

You know a 80 20 split uh right now, there's my constituents. Some say that the democrat.

E

Party is really over represented in the house and senate based upon those county elections.

E

But you know we have some larger metropolitan areas, such as bloomington and.

E

New albany and south bend and indianapolis now that's uh that shifted also, so I think.

E

The population has moved, I think it all has to do with really policy. You know the last maps that.

E

Were adopted were met were adopted on bipartisan support. uh They took communities into aspect and.

E

Paid attention to make sure we kept communities whole, they kept interest whole. There was no.

E

Big long lines of districts like they were in the past they're a little more compact as best we can.

E

Our district line- I would say I've, been told if you take the outside of your districts,.

E

And calculate the miles, ours has almost 3 000 less miles in those patterns of districts which.

E

Means we're trying to keep them a little more compact with communities, so I think.

E

Those who voted for those maps in the past and the setup it's never been contested in the courts.

E

Because it's it's such a great drone map, so I I just think it's really about who wants to control.

E

What politically and that's what most of the talk has been about? The last eight to nine years.

A

Okay, thanks jeff shelley. Well, thank you for that question. I think I agree. Oh man, I appreciate what.

B

uh Representative pierce was saying- and I agree there and certainly uh representative mayfield.

B

Brought some nuance to it and representative ellington: I'm going to take it in a different.

B

Direction just because you know I don't want to repeat, but it's interesting how.

B

Democracy can be undermined in really nuanced ways, and we were um talking about even the transparency.

B

Of how the the the dollars that get assigned to to the legislation to the legislature and how staff.

B

And or communication gets spent and there's really a lack of transparency being in the minority party.

B

We really have no idea how those dollars get allocated and what they get spent on, and it.

B

Would be nice to have that transparency because I think more transparency leads to greater democracy.

B

I will give a shout out to the hoosier press association. I mean they're showing up to those.

B

Committee meetings and doing you know all they can to make sure that uh first amendment rights are.

B

uh Protected, whether it's a threat to open door laws or again, transparency that, what's being.

B

Talked about in possible legislation is, um is as democratic as possible um and.

B

For the most part, um it's been frustrating because I've heard that in indiana, 40 percent of indiana.

B

Are democrats and 60 republicans, but in representation we certainly don't see that and.

B

It's uh it needs to be so highlighted uh that what what seems to be being.

B

Undermined is our local papers. I mean I appreciate the league of women voters and.

B

The the chamber for having events like this, but we need our local papers to be highlighting. What's.

B

Happening uh like this morning, we had one page in the paper uh really highlighting that. So I.

B

Just want to give a shout out to people like dave, askins who's. You know working his uh tail off in.

B

Trying to highlight what's happening locally and we're fortunate to have him and the bloomingtonian.

B

To find different ways of making sure that we are lifting up democracy and that is being reflected.

B

At the state house there I think it's alive and well for the most part, but it's a real struggle.

B

And what doesn't get communicated are all the little ways that I see, uh hoosier, voices being.

B

Undermined and silenced, so it's not a clear yes or no, but I think the discussion this morning on.

B

This question has been really good, so thanks for that question all right. Well, thank you.

A

Thank you for all these different perspectives. um Ralph. Do we have our next question lined up.

G

uh Yes, we do so um destiny. Would you please unmute and tell us what's going on.

D

Good morning, this question is for representative mayfield. You introduced house bill 1555 to repeal.

D

The bipartisan indiana commission for women this session, would you mind explaining your.

D

Intentions behind repealing the commission and if that bill would have been successful.

D

Where those services on behalf of women and their families would have gone, thank you.

F

Sure um hang on, let me just get the video back on here.

F

Actually, you know I serve on the commission for women and I have for several years.

F

um It the question: wasn't: should the commission on women exist and it was never.

F

Really the intent to abolish it so that all of the services disappear. It was a culmination of.

F

Several years of frustration, because it is a commission under the civil rights commission,.

F

uh The the commission for women has no control over what they do or who works on their staff or.

F

Anything so the the fellow commissioners. Now this isn't my idea, this is, I am acting on behalf of.

F

My fellow commissioners on the commission for women, um so essentially for the past. I think I.

F

Joined it and I was appointed in 2014.. No one can really tell me because no one there keeps records.

F

um All I have done besides spending a lot of time in meetings talking about what we would like to do.

F

Is annually passing out a bouquet of flowers and giving an award to torchbearer winners, which are.

F

Amazing remarkable women who are very deserving of the award, but that's that's not to me, I mean.

F

It's it's a part of what the commission for women should be doing, but we have so many initiatives.

F

That we want to try to address and have not gotten steady support from the civil rights commission.

F

We have asked to be involved in the hiring of our executive director, which is the only staff person.

F

For the commission, and not only have we not had an opportunity to be involved, we've basically.

F

Been told we're unwelcome in the process of hiring our own executive director, so this really was a.

F

Frustration. Point of in order for the commission for women to work and fulfill its mission.

F

Is a statutory commission the way we want to have it or would it be better.

F

um To put it under, maybe the lg's office or an independent commission, so that we can operate.

F

uh You know more autonomously, so uh that was really it. It was really more of a discussion on.

F

How can we be better at delivering what we are supposed to? It was not about getting rid of it.

F

But in order to get rid of it I mean since it's since it's a statutory commission.

F

Any little change has to be done through a bill. I I hope that kind of explains it. I just I wanted to.

F

Get it to a more productive place so that we know like I said we have 15 remarkable women.

F

On the commission they're all volunteers, they are very successful. They have great ideas. We.

F

Spend a lot of time developing all to just fall flat on its face, because we can't get support.

A

Okay, thank you. I know this question was directed um towards representative.

A

Mayfield, but is there anyone else that has any comment on it before we move on.

A

All right seeing none um ralph okay! Next we have rachel she's going to um unmute and turn.

H

Good morning, everyone and thank you very much to our legislators for taking the time to brief us.

H

And answer our questions this morning, my name is rachel galliamo, I'm a volunteer with mom's.

H

Demand action for gun sense in america and I'm concerned about the rising level of gun, violence.

H

In our state, in indiana, we had a 30 increase from 2010 to 2019 and that's compared to a 17.

H

Increase nationwide, we saw in our paper last week that uh here in monroe county just last.

H

Year there was a 52 percent increase in cases where a gun was used to perpetrate a crime.

H

We have had a number of gun bills proposed in our legislature this year and I want to.

H

Express concern about two of them house bill 1369 proposes to revoke our handgun, permitting system.

H

At a hearing of the public policy committee last wednesday, our state police associations, including.

H

Our bloomington chief of police, mike dikov, pleaded with legislators not to move forward.

H

With this proposal, one of them said that the impact on every community across our state.

H

Would be devastating and that's because they know that permitting works last year, state.

H

Law enforcement processed 300 000 permits 1722 in bloomington alone and 28 000 of those permitting.

H

Application of those permit requests were rejected. That means that 28 000 people who wanted to carry.

H

A loaded handgun in public exhibited red flags that gave local police serious cause for concern.

H

That means they had a consequential police history. They had mental health issues, they.

H

Had alcohol or drug abuse issues they had been called in for domestic violence incidents, they.

H

Were showing signs of suicidal ideation, sixty percent of gun deaths in indiana are gun suicides.

H

So um that's the first bill. I would like to ask for your uh your position on and the second one.

H

Is senate bill 199, which would expand our existing stand? Your ground law to expand the definition of.

H

Reasonable force and self-defense to include pointing a loaded firearm at another person.

H

Evidence from other states shows that stand your ground laws lead to 150, more gun deaths.

H

Every month and the racial statistics on these bills is more than disturbing.

H

White shooters with black victims are deemed justified five times more often than the reverse.

H

This bill encourages people to shoot first and ask questions later in the midst of a gun.

H

Violence epidemic alongside our coveted pandemic in our state, this is just throwing oil on the fire.

H

So um again, knowing all of this and knowing that surveys, uh our time is limited, so sorry.

G

Our time is limited, we're supposed to be one minute per question. I'm wrapping up.

H

So, knowing that surveys show that over 90 of hoosiers support, handgun permitting.

H

I would be uh grateful if you could please share with us your position on the handgun permitting.

H

Bill, and also on stand your ground. Thank you all right um legislators. Our order, this time for this.

A

Question is uh jeff shelley, matt and then peggy, oh jeff. If you could take us off okay, so I've.

E

Not seen the senate bill, but I will read it. I can tell you, though I was at the public policy.

E

uh Meeting the other night uh listening to testimony- and I called all of my sheriffs in.

E

My district, I have four counties. uh The main uh the main issue for them was the funding of their.

E

Ammunition, their training and also taking those permit dollars to use for.

E

Safety apparel. uh I was assured that this bill, that's moving. Those dollars will be taken care of.

E

And my sheriff said: if that is the case, we are fine, it'll be great to do that. We've also.

E

Still kept in place what they call as a reciprocity permit process and then really.

E

Any individual who purchase a pam permit here in indiana really does that, so they.

E

Can have the reciprocity and the other states that acknowledge those? You know here in indiana you can.

E

Keep your gun at the house, you can take your gun and go to practice. You can go to hunting uh when.

E

You get in your car, you just have to. If you have no permit, you just got to make sure it's in a.

E

Unreachable area and the bullets are separate, so uh the issue is in my district and across.

E

Indiana there was testimony that said that there is a delayed response of sometimes the average is.

E

Seven eight minutes in other rural areas. It goes up ten minutes plus. The thing is the testimony.

E

From the officers, even one of the city officers, I think from lafayette, the police chief said that.

E

When asked a question when he detained someone his his his uh police staff, detains someone.

E

In a criminal act that has a gun, if they're felons, of course, they have no permit.

E

But it's the it's the honest, law-abiding citizen that really sometimes gets in trouble just.

E

Because they're transporting their gun and don't understand the ramifications of having the gun in.

E

Reach and the bullets in it when they're maybe going to a training class. So there was a lot.

E

Of women that was going, that uh was in testimony from trainers that they didn't know that all along.

E

A few of their women, they were training were actually criminals because they were now.

E

Carrying their gun improperly, to go to take a training class, so uh I think it's a good bill.

E

There's not uh and you talk about the increase in violence. Well, let's look where that's happening.

E

Across the nation, it's in chicago it's in indianapolis and when mayors pull police back.

E

And they don't prosecute, there was thousands and thousands of gun, related charges.

E

Here in indiana and the police chiefs couldn't tell us if they followed through with criminal.

E

Charges on those and the percentage I want to say peggy probably knows it was less than five percent.

E

Of those thousands of those that was carrying illegally that were felons or had other.

E

Instances where they couldn't comply with the carry license that no charges were filed, so I.

E

I want to protect law-abiding citizens and I'm protecting our community law enforcement agencies.

E

By making sure those dollars are fully funded and they get the reciprocity fees, a hundred.

E

Percent so, as I listened to testimony, I didn't hear there was a greater percentage that was.

E

In favor of these bills, not talking about the senate bill, but the house bills, so thank you.

A

Senator yoder, thank you mary. I would say with the house bill, I do not support, permit less carry. I.

B

We need, I mean right now. We have so little in indiana to.

B

Address and reduce gun violence, and I would say it's not just indianapolis, I mean I appreciate.

B

The question and rachel drawing attention to that the increase in.

B

Gun violence is happening right here, and so I think that I'm having those.

B

Some protections at least having to go through the permit process is a good one.

B

Regarding senate bill 199 and having stand your ground for a piece of property or for.

B

Self-Defense, which is currently but this would extend it to property. I think I don't support that.

B

As well, I think it's um you know anytime, you can point, a loaded gun is going to increase.

B

Chances of um you know, we already see chances of gun violence happening.

B

That are accidents, and we see that right here in monroe county, and I just think that.

B

Stand your ground legislation extending to property. I can't help but think about.

B

um That situation and uh yes, it was new york city but you're wrongfully, accusing someone of taking.

B

A a an iphone um and accusing somebody who had nothing to do with that. um You know being able.

B

To protect your private uh privacy, your property, I'm having such an issue this morning with.

B

Forming words: protecting your pri property with a loaded weapon.

B

Should have us all concerned.

B

And so I don't support either of these pieces of legislation. Thank you, representative. Pierce.

C

Thank you. Well, you know. The nra is very fond of saying that the uh antidote for a bad guy with.

C

A gun is a good guy with a gun, and I think all the permitting process does is make sure that.

C

The good guys have the guns and not a bunch of bad guys, and I don't think it's uh too big of a burden.

C

uh You know we have a a real movement, a real.

C

um Kind of shift in the legislature, where more and more people are essentially adopting the idea.

C

That we have all of these constitutional rights and zero responsibilities. You know there are very.

C

Few of any rights in our constitutions that are absolute as much as people might like. We have.

C

A first amendment right of free speech: you can't produce child pornography, you can't do obscenity.

C

You can't libel people, you can't incite riots, I mean there are limitations on these things and.

C

People would like to believe that the second amendment is this: just completely all rights.

C

And no responsibilities and the courts really have not ruled that they've been pretty broad.

C

Birth to the whole thing, but there there can be some reasonable um gun safety laws and I think.

C

Having a permit uh process to make sure that we weed out people who are not qualified under our.

C

Laws to actually have a concealed carry permit just makes sense, and so I would not be in favor.

C

Of that legislation I decided to 199, I haven't read the provision, so I can't speak to it.

C

Specifically, but I can just tell you generally, I do have a concern that these um stand, your ground.

C

uh Laws really kind of promote vigilantism. In a way uh you know people get the idea that they.

C

Can kind of just take one in their own hands uh in the name of protecting their property and.

C

And I think that's uh not a route we want to go, and so uh you know without having read the.

C

Bill just generally, I think the those concepts don't tend to uh translate into public policy.

A

Thank you, representative mayfield, on the senate bill. Is it 199 the pointing of a firearm.

F

It makes sense because, right now, if you were trying to defend yourself and you unholstered,.

F

Your firearm and didn't use it. You would be guilty of pointing a firearm, so I think that.

F

When someone said it encourages the use, I I think that the fact that.

F

If you won't be charged with pointing a firearm, um then in the back of your mind, you're thinking.

F

Well, if I pull it out, I actually have to use it in order to be not guilty, so uh I think that.

F

That's a you know, flawed logic um regarding the permit less carry what that bill does is say that.

F

If you would have been issued a permit as a lawful person, this simply removes that requirement to get.

F

A permit, it does not make it legal for anyone who would not have received a permit if we had that.

F

Process in place to get a gun um I sat, you said there was like 28 000 were rejected. um I'm curious.

F

What they've told me or what they said in testimony is so then 28 000 people.

F

Lied on their federal form, and that is a felony in itself, and yet not one of those 28 000 people.

F

Were prosecuted for lying on a federal form, which is a felony.

F

I went to one of the hearings we had this debate couple years ago in the summer study.

F

So I asked the state police if I could attend the the appeals hearings for the.

F

People who had been denied for one of those reasons- and there were five people there.

F

All of them knew why I was there, so all of them allowed me to sit, because there were.

F

Some mental health, there you know health issues that were being discussed and all five of them.

F

Were issued permits as a result because of the circumstances that were behind the the.

F

Reason of the original uh denial, so um I I support the bill it it and it will be coming up.

F

To the floor, you know next week we will be amending and voting it out of committee on monday.

F

uh It'll probably be up for second reading on tuesday and then finally, final vote on thursday.

A

Okay, thank you very much um and just a reminder when you post your questions.

A

um Please be just very direct, it's not a time to make you know public statements or.

A

Engage in debate as part of this forum and with that said, ralph who's next, in the queue.

G

Okay, the next question comes from sherry, frank and I will read it for her. It is brief. She says.

G

Please discuss tanf requirements being discussed, as mentioned by peggy mayfield and jeff ellington.

G

How will these help or hurt the needy to meet their needs, especially now in covid.

A

Okay, great um and the order this time is shelly matt, peggy and jeff.

B

Well, the increase in tanf would be very targeted dollars to help those.

B

Those who need it most and we have an increased tanf in indiana uh in quite some time.

B

And so it does sort of vary in a very targeted way of put the dollars where they're most needed.

B

Some of the research about tanf um it can actually, depending on how a state allocates those dollars.

B

It it can exacerbate poverty um where it doesn't uh actually.

B

Do what it needs to do and um I've I've been looking at that uh and a little bit concerned.

B

About how that money will be allocated, but indiana certainly does need to do more to.

B

Address the issue of poverty- and you know I'm um I did support it uh in the on the senate side.

A

Okay, great matt.

C

Yeah, I think that I haven't had a chance to really read that bill carefully, but I think.

C

That what it's trying to get at is the uh looks like you have to mention this basic idea that you.

C

Kind of have a clip, so if you have somebody who's, uh you know getting assistance and they begin to.

C

Get some traction: maybe they get a little bit of education, some training, certification or something.

C

They get a job and they begin to get some income. What can happen? Is you get a few dollars over the.

C

Limits and then you lose all of your benefits and ironically it it kind of almost dis-incentivizes.

C

You know trying to uh to get up that ladder. At least it makes it hard on you. So I think.

C

You know, as jeff mentioned, that the idea is that maybe we can get to a system where.

C

You kind of have more of a step down, and so, as uh people are able to uh increase their incomes.

C

And get better jobs and kind of advance. They wouldn't just immediately lose their assistance.

C

The assistance would kind of step down and with the hope that we can get them to really. You know.

C

Good paying job with the benefits and that we'd all like to have that really allow you to uh raise.

C

Your family, so that that's uh my understanding, I'm not on the ways and means committee, so I haven't.

C

Had a chance to uh hear testimony on that bill, um but I think that's what it's attempting to do.

A

Thanks peggy yeah matt did a really good job of explaining it. It is to soften the blow.

F

When you start to cross that maximum income level threshold before you start losing your.

F

Social benefits we we addressed it partially last year, when you know we have a lot of high.

F

School students who are going under cte and they do internships and if they're, paid internships.

F

For that high schooler to earn money, the entire family was losing um some of the benefits.

F

So we we kind of took that out. Other one-time monies like if you work an election.

F

We have a lot of unemployed people who would be available, but they won't work because they're.

F

Afraid it's going to affect their benefits, so you know if we can exempt some of those types.

F

Of things like the census workers, we did it for them. If you wanted to work, then that wouldn't.

F

Count against your maximum allowed earnings, so just like matt said we want to soften the blow so.

F

It's not such a cliff and it won't disincentivize. Anyone to you know try to better themselves.

A

Okay, jeff did you have anything to add just real quick, some points, one. It just changes the income.

E

Eligibility raises it up, so you can qualify. If you get a raise, it takes away the opportunity for the.

E

State to deduct on a percentage basis which is big into that aspect, so it grows. It throws it.

E

Back into a step program, but it also uh takes care of of the cost of living which will be calculated.

E

Through the social security increase, whereas before uh I don't think there was, uh and I'm not.

E

Reading a big bill in detail, I don't think there was that part in there in the early years. So this.

E

Will give them an annual percentage raise based on social security, raise which was there before so.

E

uh It's it does a lot, but you know there's always more. That could be done for those families who.

E

Need services, so I try to be an advocate for those up there, especially making sure we have mental.

E

Health services throughout indiana and expand that thanks, okay, great ralph who's. Next, in the queue.

G

um Okay, I'm here the next one is a question from dave askins and he has had trouble with his.

G

Audio, so he asked me to read it regarding hb 1114, which says it quote: a municipality shall not.

G

Regulate design elements of residential structures, unquote, bloomington regulates design structures.

G

Now and is planning to add some design element regulations to one of the new zoning districts.

G

That bloomington has defined in its unified development ordinance. Is this bill going anywhere.

G

And if so, what is there to like about this bill? Do you think this signals the state legislature's.

G

Opposition to municipalities using form-based codes, can you imagine the state legislature.

G

Prohibiting the creation of zoning districts that have only single family housing as a permitted use.

A

All right and the order this time will be matt, peggy, jeff and shelly.

C

Yeah that that bill has been moving, but I think it's hit some uh sit some snag. So I was.

C

Just looking to try to see it might have even dropped off the calendar, so I've been hearing.

C

That there's some opposition um even within a republican caucus on that. But um obviously, uh if.

C

People know me I'm a pretty strong proponent of uh local control, and uh you know this is an example.

C

Of where you know not, every community is the same and whether you like it or not, when you live in.

C

Urban areas, you know the things that happen on the property next door to you can impact your property.

C

Values and things overall, and so you know many communities try to use their planning and zoning.

C

To make sure you have compatible uses and that things don't happen.

C

Next door, property that might have negative impacts on the property. That's already there.

C

And so this bill would get in the way of that, so I would not support it. You know it's interesting.

C

We have uh three or four, maybe five members of the house who are in the um building. You know business.

C

Or home builders, basically and they've kind of become the point. Persons on the legislation.

C

That moves in that area- and you know overall the general thrust of that legislation- is trying to.

C

Deregulate as much as possible, sometimes under the argument that it creates additional expense which.

C

Limits the ability to have affordable housing, I'm not sure if I I'm buying to that argument fully.

C

But for whatever reason, uh there's uh you know year after year, kind of a real push to limit.

C

Building codes and anything that might put some restrictions on.

C

On development- and so I think that's what's going on with this bill, uh but I think it.

C

Is running into a little bit of trouble, so I don't know if it's gonna keep moving or not.

A

Thanks peggy um they're everyone's screaming for affordable housing, and yet so many of the cities.

F

And towns and even counties, um I want to put restrictions on what that housing can look like.

F

And all that does is drive the cost up. It's not adding anything to the value of that I mean the.

F

The livability of the house- because this is all aesthetics- it's not about building code.

F

It's not about safety, it's all about aesthetics, so you can say uh you know that you have too much.

F

Negative space on the front side of your house, you need more windows. I, like you, know. We want.

F

A steeper roof, we don't want you to paint it this color. We only want garages that load from.

F

The side or the back, which you know it affects the where you can put things on a lot line.

F

There are, there was one particular area that concerned me and I voiced my opinion um was the.

F

Inability to control minimum square footage.

F

Because I don't necessarily think that that's an aesthetic feature. But when developers are.

F

Are proposing their their developments to the bees? You know the planning and zoning.

F

That's all part of the negotiations, if you were to build a home say in an established area.

F

What they call an infill house so you've got, you know down a city street and there's a vacant lot.

F

Current codes might not match what was in place when that neighborhood was built. So.

F

Your house might stand out, or even if you have a house and you want to add an outbuilding to it,.

F

The current aesthetic requirements might mean that that outbuilding's not going to look anything like.

F

Your house, which is you know you kind of want them to look similar, so I think that.

F

They are still working on addressing some of those concerns. It is stalled. I don't think it's dead.

F

And so I'm still looking forward to seeing that there have been some concerns. I think.

F

We've all been willing to say hey. If you can fix this, I can fully support your bill.

F

And so we're just kind of waiting to see what's coming up out of those discussions.

A

Thank you, jeff did you have anything to add on this? I think peggy explained it pretty.

E

Well, uh one of the examples was uh this for for your your information. This doesn't concern any.

E

Deed, restricted property, any hoas, it doesn't deal with any historic districts. These are all outside.

E

Of that, these are uh private property. Individual stuff doesn't deal with commercial buildings just.

E

I think residential type structures, unless it's less it's uh for housing, which would be apartments.

E

It doesn't deal with as peggy said, building safety. You know as a fireman. That's very.

E

Important to me, we have state standards we have to meet, but what it does it it. I look at all the.

E

And you have to all you do is look in your paper, hundreds of millions of dollars that cities and.

E

Towns are receiving not only across indiana but across our nation to deal with affordable housing.

E

We all of you as a taxpayer, are paying for those types of structures, but yet the same people who's.

E

Getting hundreds of millions of dollars are making it more restrictive and higher cost in design just.

E

For a look outside of a historic district outside of hoas outside of deed, restricted property,.

E

um I it's it's cut. It's got some changes that probably will take place uh first in.

E

The middle of the week, there'll probably be, I heard, maybe some amendments, maybe some changes.

E

To make it, you know a little less aggressive, but I will say you know they always look and.

E

Say it's a builder they're builder associated you know, they're. They got ties to development.

E

Well, you know: look at the health department they're, bringing medical issues to us as.

E

Indiana to be cost savings. You know it's going to have an effect on hospitals or insurers.

E

Insurance companies, our medical providers, because they're experienced you know you look at the.

E

Natural resource committee, you know you have a lot of experience on there.

E

With those that deal with natural resource uh industries and issues, every committee has someone.

E

Who is an expert or has ties to that committee? I just think it's political and it really just.

E

It brings some people to have deaf ears when you start talking and using those examples, because.

E

It's in every committee, you have experienced people, so thank you all right. Thanks, shelly.

B

Yes, it is in every committee and just because it's in every committee doesn't necessarily make.

B

It right or good for indiana, so I um I would say in on the environmental affairs committee.

B

um It's been fascinating because most of the individuals on that committee.

B

I haven't seen a real priority in actually protecting the environment. It's been.

B

More pushing back against uh the environment and I.

B

I would say: I've also discovered that there is this session just and many bills that are about.

B

Taking away local control, I mean we just um voted the senate just voted to override the governor's.

B

Veto uh from last session uh senate bill 148 that became law and then the governor vetoed it and.

B

It was that bill provided some tenant protections to people and it came.

B

It was, it seemed to be a direct response to marion county and the indianapolis city. The.

B

Common council there who had passed some tenant protections with in in conversation.

B

With the landlords um and the landlord association trying to come up with.

B

Reasonable protections uh that worked for both parties and the same day that that was passed.

B

This language was inserted into a bill to remove any local ordinances for tenant protections and.

B

The governor vetoed it and in this session we brought it back up and voted to override.

B

uh The governor's veto- I didn't support that. um I think it's it's a misstep to take away that local.

B

Control, because not every community looks the same. What bloomington needs in terms of.

B

Tenant protections and relationships between landlord and tenants might look very different.

B

Than what uh spencer needs, so I think it's really important uh sort of to go back to what uh matt.

B

Was saying that we leave that control uh up to local communities to be able to decide.

B

What those needs are so watch out for um for that, coming over to the house side very soon,.

A

Okay, thank you all um looks like we're pushing 11 o'clock. um I think we have time for one more.

A

Question maybe two who's up next ralph, okay, the next one is question from marge faber who asked.

G

Me to read it, it says: if private schools and charters are potentially getting more money, will.

G

There be more appropriate and greater oversight of the schools. Our state students and money will.

G

Be giving them okay, uh the order. This time we we saw that uh representative ellington had to leave.

A

So we'll um start with representative mayfield, then senator yoder and then representative pearce.

F

Would you mind repeating it: okay, if school? Basically, if schools pub excuse me if private.

G

Schools and charters are potentially getting more money. Will there be more appropriate.

G

And greater oversight of the schools- okay um charters are already audited and held to.

F

The same standard because they are considered public schools, um the private school side of it.

F

There is a there's a limit to it, because their books are not. uh They are not a public entity.

F

So, while the state does require alignment in many areas, we don't get into.

F

We don't get into their overall books. We can ask about how they're applying their education funds.

F

But we can't, um you know they're, usually a. uh What do you want to call it.

F

A ministry of a larger organization, so we.

F

We don't have access or don't have the jurisdiction to get into that larger organization.

A

All right, senator yoder, I'm not seeing more oversight.

B

That's being put into some of this, the language that's looking to expand, voucher, the voucher.

B

Program, I would push back a little bit and just say: charter schools aren't even required to.

B

To non-discrimination clauses so they can discriminate, they can receive public dollars and.

B

Discriminate in staff and in students, whether it's sexual orientation or gender identity, so.

B

When I see that the voucher program is is looking to expand in indiana.

B

When we are talking about these debit cards and these educational savings accounts,.

B

We are having an issue in indiana, providing uh oversight and checks and balances.

B

To the the current charter school system and we're seeing failings there, expanding it to.

B

Include these in educational savings accounts is going to be, I think, lead to greater greater.

B

Exposures of either fraud or just loss of of money in states where the.

B

Educational savings plans have been enacted, there are evidence there. There is evidence of fraud.

B

And I know I've read that there will be these um protections put in place and audits. That will be.

B

Put in place, but those audits, if they're happening now, they're still not catching.

B

uh The fraud that's happening in indiana, so I'm I'm skeptic.

C

Yeah, I think it's pretty clear the architects of the voucher program and the the that kind of.

C

Funneling of public money into these private schools really do not want any significant.

C

Oversight, um they just feel that those schools should have a right to do what they want to do.

C

Even if they take government money- and so we've gotten the situation now, where we're using tax.

C

Dollars: everybody's money to fund schools that have discriminatory policies and we've had.

C

Before actually, some pretty ugly debates, uh you know related to um schools that have fired.

C

Counselors and people because they're in same-sex marriages and and that's considered, a conflict of.

C

Their religion, which you know they have the right to have that religious view, but I don't think they.

C

Should have the right to take state money, then to impose those religious views.

C

Using our tax dollars, and so those are the kinds of problems that are developing you're, really.

C

Going to risk getting entangled the government entangled with these religious institutions.

C

That are running schools and that's why I think that it's a better policy to keep that separate.

C

um You know even on virtual charter schools, we've had lots of problems with uh with those, and we did.

C

A little bit I guess last year the year before, uh but not really a whole lot of significant.

C

Oversight on that, so I think that I think you have to understand that the general um philosophy.

C

That's driving all this is that, instead of funding quote government schools, we should just give the.

C

Money to the parents and let them go out and shop for education for their kids and if they shop at a.

C

Religious school, a private school, maybe a public school, then okay, they made the choice and that's.

C

What they want to get, I think they really want the ultimate endpoint of this current trajectory.

C

Of policy is get to a point where just parents get handed money able to go, find some education.

C

And, uh and at that point the theory is that the competition people voting with their.

C

Feet will force the bad schools out, and the good schools will prosper and that will solve all our.

C

Problems and we won't have to fund this uh kind of infrastructure of public schools, and you know.

C

That that has a lot of uh a lot of consequences that I don't think. We've fully um fought through.

F

If, if I could follow up just as as a statement to what I heard from um shelly and matt, both was.

F

That we are funding, schools indiana has made it the policy over the last several years. We do not.

F

Fund schools, we fund students and so and that's been upheld by the indiana supreme court. That.

F

The money follows the child, so this this constant discussion of of we're funding schools um it it's.

F

Not that we are funding the families who are sending their kids to approved uh institutions.

F

So we're already aware matt kind of said.

F

This this trajectory of we're just going to give the money to the families.

F

Yeah, that was a policy decision that was made back in. I don't know, 11 10, something like that.

A

Well, I uh I wish we had time to continue this discussion. It's been a really great exchange.

A

uh Today- and I personally have learned a lot- and I hope everyone here has too, um I know.

A

We had some other questions lined up, but it is 11 o'clock, so um we'll need to wrap up today's.

A

Legislative update, um you can contact legislators directly, of course, and and our next legislative.

A

Update will be on saturday march 6 at the same time, 9 30 in the morning. So I hope you can.

A

Attend then, as well, if you'd like to follow the work of the indiana general assembly, their website.

A

Is a great resource, iga.in.gov, there's a wealth of information and you can track the bills there.

A

You can also track the bills through local media that covers the state house.

A

And the league of women voters will be providing a follow-up email with some additional information.

A

As well so look for that. In closing, I would like to thank ralph shaw for making the arrangements.

A

For this program and all the other league members who assisted please check out the cap.

A

Schedule for any rebroadcast of this session and thanks to cats for taping this. Finally, thanks to.

A

All the legislators who came today senator shelly, yoder representative matt pearson.

A

Representative peggy mayfield and representative jeff ellington. We really appreciate your time.

A

For sharing information about the legislature, thank you all for attending and that's a wrap, bye.

I

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