All posts by : One Southern Indiana

Welcome to the 1si Advocacy Update!  Every Wednesday while the General Assembly is in session, you will receive an update of 1si’s advocacy efforts. If you missed any of our previous updates from this session, please click here. This week’s article takes a brief inside view of our local legislators’ activity.

No new positions were taken by our leadership team this week as we have reached crossover. We will continue to follow bills as the bills start moving in the other chamber.

Key dates during session include:

·        February 27 – last day for 3^rd reading of House bills in House

·        February 28 – last day for 3^rd reading of Senate bills in Senate

·        April 17 – last day for 3^rd reading of Senate bills in House

·        April 18 – last day for 3^rd reading of House bills in Senate

·        April 19-27 – Conference Committees

·        April 27 – Anticipated Final Day of Session

·        April 29 – Statutory Sine Die

What has your local legislator been up to during the first half of the general session? To find your local legislator, please visit the Indiana General Assembly website.

Senator Garten – District 45

District 45 serves Clark County and some of Floyd County in the New Albany area. In his first year in Senate Leadership as the Majority Floor Leader, Senator Garten authored 12 bills. To view his activity, click here.

Senator Bryne – District 47

District 47 serves most of Floyd County, Harrison County, and Washington County. In his first full year in the Senate, Senator Bryne authored 5 bills. To view his activity, click here.

Representative Clere – District 72

District 72 serves most of Floyd County. Representative Clere in his 15^th year has authored 10 bills. To view his activity, click here.

Representative Engleman – District 70

District 70 serves all of Harrison County and portions of Clark, Floyd, and Washington counties. Representative Engleman in her 7^th year has authored 7 bills. To view her activity, click here.

Representative Fleming – District 71

District 71 serves most of Clark County and a portion of Floyd County in the New Albany area. Representative Fleming in her 5^th year has authored 8 bills. To view her activity, click here.

Representative Payne – District 66

District 66 serves portions of Clark, Scott, and Jefferson counties. Representative Payne in his 3^rd year has authored 10 bills. To view his activity, click here.

We will keep you updated on our actions related to the 2023 Indiana Legislative Session, but for more information on our Advocacy Agenda, please visit www.1si.org/advocacy.

Welcome to the 1si Advocacy Update! Every Wednesday while the General Assembly is in session, you will receive an update of 1si’s advocacy efforts. If you missed any of our previous updates from this session, please click here.

We are quickly approaching the final days for bills to be passed through their respected chamber. The last day for bills to pass 3rd reading is February 27 for the House and February 28 for the Senate. Some of the larger priority bills are finally seeing movement such as HB 1001 involving the State Budget, HB 1008 that focuses on the public pension system investing, and SB 3 which establishes a taskforce to review taxes.

As a reminder, our 2023 Call to Action includes talent attraction and retention which has four main concerns: Quality of Place, Housing Growth, Availability of Childcare, and Enhance Healthy Lifestyles.

No new positions were taken by our leadership team this week. We will continue to monitor bills as crossover is approaching. Crossover is the time where bills that have passed one chamber are then heard in the other chamber. Once bills have crossed into the other chamber, the deliberation process starts over again. This can be a tricky time for our leadership team as legislators try to take language from bills that have died and insert that language into bills that are moving.

Bills on which 1si is taking a position:

Supporting:

• HB 1005: Establishes the residential housing infrastructure assistance program and residential housing infrastructure assistance revolving fund.
  • Passed House third reading and has been referred to the Senate.

1si’s second Call to Action is to “develop new and enhanced tools to build and maintain infrastructure in support of housing growth.” 1si is in support as this bill provides a tool for local communities to meet the needs of housing shortages and prepare for future housing growth.

• HB 1160: Creates funding for workforce training program and fund.
  • Passed House third reading and has been referred to the Senate.

One of 1si’s 2023 Priorities is “Meeting Workforce Demands.” 1si is in support as this bill would increase access to and fund workforce training and education programs for career support. As workforce shortages are a need for our businesses in Southern Indiana and throughout the State, this bill provides a tool to help booster the pipeline of potential individuals to be trained to enter or reenter the workforce.

• SB 414: Provides alternatives solutions to residential onsite sewage system fails.
  • SB 414 passed Senate third reading and has been referred to the House.

1si’s second Call to Action is to “develop new and enhanced tools to build and maintain infrastructure in support of housing growth.” 1si is in support as this bill would establish an alternative for homeowners needing to replace and upgrade their septic systems so that their houses can remain viable. This bill provides homeowners with a tool to build and maintain infrastructure to support existing homes that may be deemed unlivable without these upgrades.

• SB 35: Requires students to take a financial literacy course.
  • Passed Senate third reading and has been referred to the House.

One of 1si’s Governing Principles is “Career-Ready Workforce and Educational Initiatives.” 1si is in support as this bill requires an individual to successfully complete a personal financial responsibility course before the individual may graduate and creates requirements for content that must be covered in a personal financial responsibility course.

• HB 1046: Provides that a military base reuse authority (such as River Ridge) is qualified to receive funds for an eligible project from the local road and bridge matching grant fund.

One of 1si’s 2023 Priorities is “Infrastructure and Housing.” “This is the time to assist communities in building and maintaining roads and bridges…which are essential economic growth strategies for Southern Indiana.” 1si is in support as this bill would allow River Ridge and other military base reuse authorities to apply for a grant fund to support road or bridge projects.

Opposing:

• HB 1278: Prohibits the Indiana economic development corporation, any other public authority, or any party negotiating on behalf of any of those entities (like 1si) from entering into a non-disclosure agreement designed to keep the details of the negotiation private until approval by a public body is warranted.
  • No movement.

One of 1si’s Governing Principles is “Sustainable Economic Growth” as 1si serves as the Lead Economic Development Organization for Clark, Floyd, and Scott Counties. 1si is in opposition as this bill prohibits the State, or any party negotiating on behalf of any public authority for economic development proposes from entering into nondisclosure agreements. This bill would eliminate a tool that is used frequently in economic development to help meet the needs of different businesses. If passed, this would give Indiana a disadvantage to surrounding States that use nondisclosure agreements.

Monitoring:

• HB 1449: Amends the twenty-first century scholars program eligibility requirements for certain students and auto enrolls those students but students may opt-out.
• SB 186: Establishes a state tax credit for a taxpayer that makes qualified child care expenditures or qualified child care resource and referral expenditures in providing child care to the taxpayer’s employees.
• HB 1001: Appropriates the State budget.
• SB 347: Establishes a work-sharing unemployment insurance program.
• HB 1085: Provides that a percentage of the incremental property taxes of any new tax increment financing area shall be allocated to school corporations that maintain an attendance area that includes all or part of the allocation area.
• SB 317: Provides that a political subdivision may make advance payments to contractors to enable the contractors to purchase materials needed for a public works project of the political subdivision.
• HB 1209: Allows the Indiana Destination Development Corporation to establish a foundation.
• SB 20: Allows a city/town to designate an outdoor location as a refreshment area with approval of the alcohol and tobacco commission.
• SB 37: Sunsets any Food and Beverage Taxes except for Marion County, the surrounding Indianapolis counties, and Orange County (French Lick). Creates new requirements for future Food and Beverage Taxes.

We will keep you updated on our actions related to the 2023 Indiana Legislative Session, but for more information on our Advocacy Agenda, please visit www.1si.org/advocacy.

Welcome to the 1si Advocacy Update! Every Wednesday while the General Assembly is in session, you will receive an update of 1si’s advocacy efforts. If you missed any of our previous updates from this session, please click here.

Over the last month, the Advocacy Updates have listed bills and the position that 1si has taken on those bills. Below, we will talk about why each of the following bills have been supported or opposed. As a reminder, our 2023 Call to Action includes talent attraction and retention which has four main concerns: Quality of Place, Housing Growth, Availability of Childcare, and Enhance Healthy Lifestyles.

Bills on which 1si is taking a position:

Supporting:

• HB 1005: Establishes the residential housing infrastructure assistance program and residential housing infrastructure assistance revolving fund.
  • Passed House third reading and has been referred to the Senate.

1si’s second Call to Action is to “develop new and enhanced tools to build and maintain infrastructure in support of housing growth.” 1si is in support as this bill provides a tool for local communities to meet the needs of housing shortages and prepare for future housing growth.

• HB 1160: Creates funding for workforce training program and fund.
  • Passed committee, awaiting hearing on House floor.

One of 1si’s 2023 Priorities is “Meeting Workforce Demands.” 1si is in support as this bill would increase access to and fund workforce training and education programs for career support. As workforce shortages are a need for our businesses in Southern Indiana and throughout the State, this bill provides a tool to help booster the pipeline of potential individuals to be trained to enter or reenter the workforce.

• HB 1436 & SB 414: Provides alternatives solutions to residential onsite sewage system fails.
  • HB 1436 not likely to move forward and will focus on SB 414.
  • SB 414 passed Senate third reading and has been referred to the House.
  • These bills are written word for word the same.

1si’s second Call to Action is to “develop new and enhanced tools to build and maintain infrastructure in support of housing growth.” 1si is in support as these bills would establish an alternative for homeowners needing to replace and upgrade their septic systems so that their houses can remain viable. These bills provide homeowners with a tool to build and maintain infrastructure to support existing homes that may be deemed unlivable without these upgrades.

• SB 35: Requires students to take a financial literacy course.
  • Passed Senate third reading and has been referred to the House.

One of 1si’s Governing Principles is “Career-Ready Workforce and Educational Initiatives.” 1si is in support as this bill requires an individual to successfully complete a personal financial responsibility course before the individual may graduate and creates requirements for content that must be covered in a personal financial responsibility course.

• HB 1046: Provides that a military base reuse authority (such as River Ridge) is qualified to receive funds for an eligible project from the local road and bridge matching grant fund.

One of 1si’s 2023 Priorities is “Infrastructure and Housing.” “This is the time to assist communities in building and maintaining roads and bridges…which are essential economic growth strategies for Southern Indiana.” 1si is in support as this bill would allow River Ridge and other military base reuse authorities to apply for a grant fund to support road or bridge projects.

Opposing:

• HB 1278: Prohibits the Indiana economic development corporation, any other public authority, or any party negotiating on behalf of any of those entities (like 1si) from entering into a non-disclosure agreement designed to keep the details of the negotiation private until approval by a public body is warranted.
  • No movement.

One of 1si’s Governing Principles is “Sustainable Economic Growth” as 1si serves as the Lead Economic Development Organization for Clark, Floyd, and Scott Counties. 1si is in opposition as this bill prohibits the State, or any party negotiating on behalf of any public authority for economic development proposes from entering into nondisclosure agreements. This bill would eliminate a tool that is used frequently in economic development to help meet the needs of different businesses. If passed, this would give Indiana a disadvantage to surrounding States that use nondisclosure agreements.

We will keep you updated on our actions related to the 2023 Indiana Legislative Session, but for more information on our Advocacy Agenda, please visit www.1si.org/advocacy.

Welcome to the 1si Advocacy Update!  Every Wednesday while the General Assembly is in session, you will receive an update of 1si’s advocacy efforts.  If you missed any of our previous updates from this session, please visit www.1si.org/advocacy.

The fourth week of the Indiana General Assembly came with a flurry of committee meetings and hearings throughout the floors of the House and Senate.  Several priority bills were heard and debated as legislators, advocates, and constituents swarmed the hallways of the Capitol.

At 1si, our 2023 Call to Action includes talent attraction and retention which has four main concerns: Quality of Place, Housing Growth, Availability of Childcare, and Enhance Healthy Lifestyles. Of these focus areas, we are watching several childcare-focused bills in the Senate, hoping that one will catch traction in the coming weeks.

Bills on which 1si is taking a position:

Supporting:

• HB 1005: Establishes the residential housing infrastructure assistance program (program) and residential housing infrastructure assistance revolving fund (fund).
  • Passed two committees, heading to House floor.
• HB 1160: Creates funding for workforce training program and fund.
  • Passed first committee, awaiting hearing in Ways and Means committee.
• HB 1436 & SB 414: Provides alternatives solutions to residential onsite sewage system fails.
  • HB 1436 passed first committee, awaiting hearing in Ways and Means committee.
  • SB 414 passed Senate third reading and has been referred to the House.
• SB 35: Requires students to take a financial literacy course.
  • Passed Senate third reading and has been referred to the House.

Opposing:

• HB 1278: Prohibits the Indiana economic development corporation, any other public authority, or any party negotiating on behalf of any of those entities (like 1si) from entering into a non-disclosure agreement designed to keep the details of the negotiation private until approval by a public body is warranted.
  • No movement.

Monitoring:

• HB 1502: Establishes the workforce development board grant program and the workforce development board grant program fund.
• HB 1085: Provides that 20% of the incremental property taxes of any new tax increment financing area shall be allocated to school corporations that maintain an attendance area that includes all or part of the allocation area.
• SB 317: Provides that a political subdivision may make advance payments to contractors to enable the contractors to purchase materials needed for a public works project of the political subdivision.
  • Passed Senate third reading and has been referred to the House.
• HB 1439: Requires a city council to approve all expenditures of a city redevelopment commission.
• SB 37: Requires local units of government that imposes a food and beverage tax to annually report information concerning distributions and expenditures of amounts received from the food and beverage tax.
  • Passed Senate third reading and has been referred to the House.
• SB 411: Authorizes local units of government to adopt a commercial property-assessed clean energy program (PACE program) as a financing mechanism to allow commercial property owners to obtain financing for energy-efficient improvements.
• HB 1449: Amends the twenty-first century scholars program eligibility requirements for certain students and auto enrolls those students but students may opt-out.
• SB 186: Establishes a state tax credit for a taxpayer that makes qualified child care expenditures or qualified child care resource and referral expenditures in providing child care to the taxpayer’s employees.
• SB 375: Requires the family and social services administration (FSSA) to develop a schedule for child care and development fund reimbursement of childcare providers under which the highest rate does not differ from the lowest rate by more than 50%.
• HB 1001: Appropriates the State budget.
• SB 347: Establishes a work-sharing unemployment insurance program.

We will keep you updated on our actions related to the 2023 Indiana Legislative Session, but for more information on our Advocacy Agenda, please visit www.1si.org/advocacy.