Pence deciding whether to strip towns, cities and counties of local power

Now he must decide whether Indiana should deny Hoosiers, acting through their local governments, the authority to regulate businesses and the environment.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly last week voted to send the Republican governor House Bill 1053, barring local governments from enacting a ban or tax on plastic shopping bags; and Senate Bill 20, co-sponsored by state Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, prohibiting ordinances that require businesses provide workers their schedules in advance.

No Indiana community has a plastic-bag ban or limits on just-in-time scheduling practices.

But supporters of the measures want to be sure businesses aren't forced to follow different rules in different communities, even if it requires the state overriding the power of local governments.

Pence has yet to say whether he plans to sign or veto the proposals.

They were among some two dozen measures to advance to the governor's desk last week, including:

Spay/neuter — House Bill 1201, sponsored by state Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, state Sen. Jim Arnold, D-LaPorte, and Randolph, requires cats and dogs at public and private animal care facilities be spayed or neutered prior to being made available for adoption, starting in 2021.

"We are one step closer to saving the lives of thousands of animals across the state," said Lawson, who has worked seven years to end euthanasia of unwanted pets.

Corrections — House Bill 1102, sponsored by Lawson and Randolph, allows the Indiana Department of Correction to pay for mental health and addiction treatments for county jail inmates. It also encourages coordination between community corrections programs and state agencies to reduce recidivism.

Palliative care — Senate Bill 272, sponsored by state Reps. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, and Donna Harris, D-East Chicago, establishes the Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council within the State Department of Public Health to study and recommend policies for Hoosiers suffering serious illness.

Drugs — Senate Bill 290 increases recently reduced drug crime penalties by classifying any person caught with 28 grams of a controlled substance as a drug dealer, even if there is no other evidence the person is selling drugs.

Unclaimed veterans — Senate Bill 145 permits veteran service organizations to take possession and bury the remains of a military veteran who is unclaimed by family or friends one year after death. State Sens. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, Arnold and Randolph are sponsors.

Contracts — Senate Bill 327 mandates local governments post on the state's transparency website any contract worth either $50,000 or 10 percent of its property tax levy.

After-school programs — Senate Bill 251, sponsored by state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, creates the Out of School Time Learning Advisory Board to evaluate existing before- and after-school programs and recommend to the Legislature policies and funding levels needed to support the best programs.