Region Democrats' legislation ignored in Indiana HouseBy Dan Carden
dan.carden@nwi.com, (317) 637-9078 | Posted: Saturday, January 21, 2012 7:00 pm | (31) Comments
INDIANAPOLIS |
A side effect of the ongoing fight over right-to-work in the Indiana House is an almost total lack of action on any legislation sponsored by Democrats.
None of the nearly 50 proposals authored by Northwest Indiana's 10 House Democrats is likely to get a committee hearing and vote before Friday's House committee deadline. That means the proposals are dead for the year unless later amended onto another bill moving through the legislative process.
The legislation offered by region House Democrats covers a wide range of issues.Senior citizens earning less than $50,000 a year would be exempt from state income tax if House Bill 1256, sponsored by state Rep. Shelli VanDenburgh, D-Crown Point, became law.
College students would not have to pay sales tax on textbook purchases under House Bill 1357, sponsored by state Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster. But state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, would allow Lake County communities to impose a municipal sales tax under House Bill 1346.
State Rep. Dan Stevenson, D-Highland, created a process to recall elected or appointed officials in House Bill 1098. He also proposed in House Bill 1099 eliminating the requirement that a primary election voter publicly declare his or her party affiliation.
House Bill 1008, sponsored by state Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, creates incentives for manufacturers to open wind turbine factories in Indiana that would use American-made steel to produce turbine blades.
Employees in that factory, or at any Indiana business, could not be discriminated against in hiring based on their long-term unemployment status under House Bill 1161, sponsored by state Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City.
If state Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, could win passage of House Bill 1308, the state law capping Lake County's property tax levy as punishment for not imposing a county income tax would be repealed.
Even state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, was forced to abandon his own smoking ban proposal, House Bill 1063, and sign on as co-author to a Republican-sponsored plan, House Bill 1149, to keep the issue alive.State Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, also has co-sponsored legislation with House Republicans.
House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said he's not surprised committee chairmen are not acting on Democrats' proposals.
"If people aren't here, it just makes it difficult to move their legislation," Bosma said.
Democrats have boycotted eight of 13 House sessions trying to slow passage of right-to-work legislation.
Nevertheless, state Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, the deputy Democratic leader, said she had little hope Bosma would ever allow Democratic proposals to be heard.
"It's pretty much what happened last year, and it's what happened in '05 and '06 when they were in control then," said Lawson, whose House Bill 1110 would use casino tax revenue to fund the Regional Bus Authority.
"A lot of people have bills that directly affect their district, and that's unfair," Lawson said. "They should get to have those bills heard."