Thursday Jan. 24, 2012
Sen. Carlin Yoder leads the way among Elkhart County’s delegation of three senators to the Indiana statehouse in number of bills proposed — 20. They run the gamut. One would expand the state’s school voucher program. Another would reduce tuition for some undocumented immigrants at public colleges to the in-state rate, down from non-resident rate.
Sen. Joe Zakas’ proposals would, variously, make felons provide DNA samples and provide, under certain conditions, an income tax credit for those who use the Indiana Toll Road.
In an earlier blog I looked at the proposals submitted by Elkhart County’s various state representatives (look here). Here’s what the county’s delegation of three senators, Yoder, Zakas and Sen. Ryan Mishler, propose:
Sen. Carlin Yoder, R-Middlebury, District 12:
- S.B. 36: Deputy attorney generals in D.C. Permits the Indiana attorney general to employ deputies or assistants to review and monitor federal legislation and other actions that may affect Indiana, and provides that the deputies or assistants may take actions that the attorney general finds necessary to address the legislation or other actions.
- S.B. 177: Tuition rates for veterans. Provides that qualified veterans are eligible for the resident tuition rate for undergraduate courses upon enrolling in a state educational institution not later than 12 months after discharge or separation from the United States armed forces.
- S.B. 178: Attorney’s fees in civil actions. Requires an award of reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees to the prevailing party in a civil action when the non-prevailing party brought the action on a claim or asserted a defense that is frivolous, unreasonable, vexatious, or groundless.
- S.B. 179: Physical plant requirements for abortion clinics. For purposes of hospital licensure law, modifies the definition of “abortion clinic” to include an entity that provides abortion inducing drugs for the purpose of inducing an abortion.
- S.B. 184: Choice scholarship ability. Provides that a sibling of a student who is receiving a choice scholarship is eligible to receive a choice scholarship without first attending two semesters in a public school.
- S.B. 207: Resident tuition rate and other educational aid. Establishes certain exceptions to the requirement that an agency or political subdivision verify that an individual applying for state or local public benefits or federal public benefits is a United States citizen or qualified alien. Look here and here for more on this proposal.
- S.B. 391: Crimes concerning agriculture and livestock. Enhances the crimes of theft, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, burglary, and criminal conversion if the offense is committed on an agricultural operation.
- S.B. 392: Department of child services. Requires the department of child services (DCS) to hire additional employees by January 1, 2014.
- S.B. 393: Training grants from local major moves funds. Provides that the fiscal body of a county, city, or town that has a local major moves construction fund may appropriate money in the fund for educational and work training and retraining programs.
- S.B. 394: Child seduction. Makes it child seduction, a Class D felony, for a law enforcement officer to engage in certain sexual conduct with a child who is: (1) at least 16 years of age but less than 18 years of age; and (2) at least five years younger than the law enforcement officer.
- S.B. 395: Various education matters. Amends the definition of “educational service center” and much more.
- S.B. 409: Teacher licensing. Provides that teacher education schools and departments in Indiana shall issue initial practitioner licenses to individuals who successfully complete the requirements for graduation
- S.B. 416: School evaluations, reading plans. Voids the administrative rule that establishes the A through F designations of school performance.
- S.B. 447: Manufactured home installers. Requires the bureau of motor vehicles to provide information concerning titles for manufactured homes to the manufactured home installer licensing board.
- S.B. 448: Motor vehicle insurance claim settlement. Requires a motor vehicle insurer to make a good faith effort to contact a policyholder and any other individual necessary to resolve a claim for damage to a third party.
- S.B. 496: Control of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Requires the state police department to establish and maintain the Indiana methamphetamine manufacturer registry, an electronic data base containing information relating to persons who have been convicted of certain offenses involving the manufacture of methamphetamine, among other things. Here’s an article on the proposal.
- S.B. 497: Regulation of accountancy. Provides that a firm permit is required for an accounting practitioner working for a client.
- S.B. 523: Registration of off-road vehicles and snowmobiles. Transfers responsibility for the registration of off-road vehicles and snowmobiles (vehicles) to the bureau of motor vehicles (bureau) after December 31, 2013. (Currently, the department of natural resources is responsible for the registration of off-road vehicles and snowmobiles.)
- S.B. 524: Indiana-Michigan state boundary commission. Reconstitutes the Indiana-Michigan boundary line commission to include members from the state of Michigan.
- SJR 21: Right to ranch and farm. Guarantees the right of Indiana citizens to engage in traditional and modern farming and ranching practices.
Sen. Joe Zakas, R-Granger, District 11:
- S.B. 2: DNA and arrestees. Requires every person arrested after June 30, 2013, for a felony to submit a DNA sample.
- S.B. 3: Juvenile DNA testing. Requires a juvenile court to order a child found to be a delinquent child for the commission of certain acts to provide a DNA sample to the agency having supervision of the child or to the county sheriff.
- S.B. 18: Vehicle Bill.
- S.B. 117: Ice skating rink liability. Specifies the duties and responsibilities of ice skaters and a postsecondary educational institution that operates an ice skating rink.
- S.B. 118: Use of DNA evidence. Permits, subject to Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) guidelines, the superintendent of the state police department to authorize the investigation of a person genetically related to an individual whose DNA profile is stored in the Indiana DNA data base
- S.B. 200: Presidential electors. Requires an elector for President and Vice President of the United States to vote for the candidates of the political party, group of petitioners, or write-in candidate that nominated the elector.
- S.B. 201: Homestead assessed value growth cap. Limits the annual increase in assessed value of a homestead.
- S.B. 277: Methamphetamine vehicle information disclosure. Requires a dealer or seller who knows or reasonably should know that a motor vehicle has been used to manufacture methamphetamine to disclose this fact.
- S.B. 278: Homestead property tax bill cap. Provides a tax credit for homestead property that limits property tax increases to 5% per year.
- S.B. 279: Non-named parties in foreclosure actions. Eliminates a provision under which certain omitted parties are bound by the court’s judgment in the foreclosure action as if they had been parties to the foreclosure action.
- S.B. 511: Mortgage release by title insurance companies.
- S.B. 514: Inheritance tax exemption for certain farms. Specifies that certain definitions apply after the elimination of the inheritance tax for purposes of the Indiana estate tax and the Indiana generation-skipping transfer tax.
- S.B. 577: Income tax credit for toll road charges. Provides an income tax credit to individuals who pay tolls to drive on the Indiana toll road for a non-business purpose.
Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Bremen, District 9:
- S.B. 542: Micro markets. Provides that a retail food establishment that is a micro market is not required to have a person in charge present at the micro market if certain requirements are met.
- S.B. 543: Sales tax exemption related to aircraft. Adds aircraft having the United States as its country of registration under the sales and use tax exemption.
- S.B. 589: Occupational licensing issues. Permits professional licensing boards to include consumer restitution orders in cease and desist orders issued against persons who commit unlicensed practice.
- S.B. 590: Dental matters. Requires a dental hygienist and a dentist to pay a $20 compliance fee for license renewal.
Tim Vandenack is a reporter at the Elkhart Truth newspaper in Elkhart, Ind., www.etruth.com. He can be reached at tvandenack@etruth.com or 574-296-5884. Visit him/subscribe to him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter at @timvandenack.
