Capitol Insider

Capitol Insider

April 18, 2025 

“Don’t focus too much on things that make you sad!

There are so many things to make you happy!”

Charlie Brown (Peanuts) 

Concur – Dissent -- Conference Committees

Legislators have until April 29 to adjourn – sine die.  It is said they’re hoping to be finished by April 24.  Judging by the speed they do conference committees and the major bills moving right along, it looks like that could happen. Take a look at the Conference Committee Grid for more details.

So here’s a brief update on some of the bills we’ve been tracking and working on. 

HOUSE BILLS

HB 1001 – The new budget.  A conference committee is called for Monday, April 21.  At that time, we will get a glimpse of what it looks like now.  Sen. Mishler said the Appropriations Committee took out universal vouchers.  That’s a good thing.

HB 1002 – Various Education Matters. This is Rep. Behning’s de-regulation bill. In its 165 pages you will find a tremendous amount of sections of statute, Title 20, deleted or modified. One major change is the Secretary of Education does not have to have education experience, does not have to live in Indiana, does not have to have demonstrated personal and professional leadership and on and on.  Some of what was deleted or repealed makes sense.  Language that is outdated, programs or grants that have not been funded for years or funded in other ways, etc.  His comment early in the session was this was the easy part of a three-year deregulation.  Scary.

HB 1221 – the 13th check.  It’s in conference committee as well. Oops.  Did I say 13th check?  It look like the Appropriations Committee to that out.  Committee time has not been scheduled. 

SENATE BILLS

SB 1 Local Government Finance (a.k.a. Tax Relief)  This was the Governor’s bill so it won’t surprise you that, even though amended, both chambers agreed, and the Governor has already signed it.  No fanfare - just signed it.  You’ve probably read and heard all about it or as much as anyone has totally figured out about it.  You can expect a bit of savings on your taxes and experts say don’t spend it all in one place because you are going to need it to pay for little things no longer affordable by local governments like police and fire and schools.  This is one of those that we’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out, I think.

SB 146 – teacher compensation – is in conference committee. It meets Monday, too.  It’s going to be a busy day. It began by raising the minimum salary for a teacher to $45,000 from the current $40,000.  At the start the bill had some excellent language for parental leave.  According to our friends at the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute who have been leading the charge for parental leave this session, it looks like paid leave for dads is being taken out of the bill because the men have jobs. Whoa!  Is it 1950 all over again?  (All of this written in my words and interpretation.)

287 the infamous School Boards bill is back.  Conference committee meets --- you guessed it --- Monday!  In our wishful thinking when Thursday’s conference committee on this bill was canceled, we hoped that meant it was going away.  You received an email earlier today about this so I won’t go into detail other than to say, certain groups are wanting to make school board candidates declare party affiliation in order to control school boards.  We think it has worked fine just the way it is.  Apparently legislative mantra is if it ain’t broke, break it.