INDIANAPOLIS — From the ethereal to the environmental, from veterans’ affairs to synthetic marijuana, northeast Indiana legislators will be introducing no fewer than 22 bills this legislative session.
State Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, tops the list with 10 bills he plans on sponsoring in the session that began Wednesday, including a measure that would give public schools the option of teaching creation science along with evolution.
“It keeps evolution in the curriculum,” Kruse said. “I believe in creation. I don’t think evolution is totally the truth.”
State Rep. David Yarde, R-Garrett, is introducing five bills this session. One would allow the superintendent of the Indiana State Police, working with the State Board of Pharmacy, to add to a list of banned synthetic marijuana ingredients by emergency order — a process much faster than the year-plus it currently can take to add new ingredients.
Synthetic marijuana, commonly known as Spice or K2, is a real problem for law enforcement and society, Yarde said.
“It’s just blatantly being sold to our young people,” he said. “It’s totally irresponsible to do this to our young people. This is a menace to society. It’s just got to stop.”
Kruse is also particularly keen on a bill that would require childcare providers to be church-affiliated in order to claim they are ministries. Currently, some nonchurch-affiliated childcare providers are calling themselves ministries to skirt the regulations that affect private providers.
“People are misusing that,” Kruse said about the exemption for ministries.
Another high-priority bill Kruse will introduce involves requiring proof of residency to claim the homestead tax deduction. If Kruse’s bill passes, a person would have to provide Indiana identification and would not be allowed to claim a homestead deduction in any other state.
Two of the three bills state Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, plans on advancing deal with U.S. military veterans, with the third dealing with township trustees.
One bill would allow training and licensing obtained by Hoosiers while serving in the military to more easily transfer to the workforce. A veteran who learned to drive a semi in the military, for example, would not have to go through all of the extensive training to drive a semi in the private sector.
“They would be able to provide licensing through the state of Indiana,” Glick said. “It will expedite the hiring of the veterans.”
A similar measure to aid those returning from wars abroad would provide a tax break for companies to hire veterans. According to Glick, her bill would allow any employer who hires a returning veteran to take a $1,000 tax deduction.
“It gives them an incentive to look at them first,” Glick said.
The third bill Glick plans to introduce would require trustee reports to be turned in on time. The township trustee and the advisory board could not be paid until the reports are received.
The bill would also forbid the trustee of a township of more than 5,000 people from hiring an immediate family member.
State Rep. Dick Dodge, R-Pleasant Lake, also is introducing a pair of linked bills among the four he plans on filing.
Dodge’s first bill would extend the life of the Lakes Management Work Group, set up by the Legislature to work with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources on laws and regulations regarding lake issues. Dodge currently chairs the group.
The group’s charter is set to expire in June. Dodge’s bill would extend its life by two years.
Another related measure he plans to introduce involves limiting use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizer. When improperly applied to lawns surrounding lakes, the phosphorus leaks into lakes and reservoirs. The phosphorus causes excess weed growth among other environmental concerns, Dodge said.
“It doesn’t ban it, but it does restrict it,” Dodge said.
Phosphorus used for agricultural purposes would be exempt, Dodge said.
Dodge’s third bill would return parked recreational vehicles to the property tax rolls. According to Dodge, RVs were removed from property tax rolls in approximately 2004, with all of the revenue being generated by excise taxes from license plates.
Many RVs are simply placed on sites at campgrounds and do not require license plates and consequently are not being taxed, he said.
Dodge’s fourth piece of legislation would extend benefits for families of military veterans who are enduring financial hardships. Currently, the Military Relief Fund provides a one-time $5,000 grant for qualifying families.
Dodge’s measure would allow qualifying families to apply for the $5,000 grants yearly for three years.
The grants are handled by county veteran services offices and funded through the sale of veteran speciality license plates.
Yarde’s remaining four bills include a measure to allow cities and towns that have had their tax levies frozen below the state maximum to raise taxes, as long as the amount does not exceed limits set by property tax caps.
“It’s putting control back to local government,” Yarde said.
Yarde also would like to see a tax break for companies and individuals that use solar panels. Currently, companies and individuals that install solar energy equipment are taxed on the value of the equipment as well as the property it rests on. Yarde’s bill would remove the tax on the value of the equipment.
The measure hopefully would lead to more people pursuing solar energy alternatives, Yarde said. Large-scale solar energy farms would not be eligible for tax breaks.
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