Claims about the impact of a controversial “religious freedom” bill have been overstated by supporters and opponents, Indiana House of Representatives Speaker Brian Bosma said Tuesday.
In an online chat with CNHI reporters and readers, the Republican leader said on Tuesday that the divisive bill, now headed to the desk of Gov. Mike Pence, may have been distorted by advocates on both sides.
The legislation, approved by wide margins in the GOP-controlled Legislature, bars government from placing “substantial burdens” on religious practice. Opponents, though, say it could provide cover for discrimination against gay people.
“Both the critics and the proponents have mischaracterized its impact, probably not on purpose,” said Bosma. “All the bill does is set a judicial review standard when matters of religion and equality compete. … It will not allow denial of service for any category of Hoosier.”
Bosma addressed the measure in a wide-ranging chat that also covered school funding, the HIV outbreak in rural Southeast Indiana and the potential for a steep tax increase on cigarettes.
Bosma raised the possibility of the Legislature giving officials dealing with an HIV crisis in Scott County the authority to launch an emergency needle-exchange. Local doctors and law enforcement have asked for such a program to slow the spread of the virus among intravenous drug users.
Bosma acknowledged it’s controversial, as opponents contend it enables illegal drug use. But he said the severity of the situation, at 55 confirmed cases and growing, may prompt action.
“(G)iven the extreme nature of this outbreak, we are looking at a temporary needle exchange program possibility,” he said. “It will be controversial, but we have to look at all possible solutions.”
On education, Bosma said changes that House Republicans have proposed in the state funding formula are intended to close the gap between urban schools with declining enrollment and those in the suburbs and rural areas, where numbers are increasing.
Republicans have proposed boosting K-12 funding by $469 million over two years, but the money would be doled out differently to schools.
Bosma described the changes as an “attempt to right the ship” and correct the imbalance in funding among districts.
“That disparity has been as much as $4,000 per student. And we have cut that in half with our version of the budget,” he said.
Legislators rejected a call this session from health advocates to raise the state tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1 to drive down tobacco sales, but Bosma said he’d support an increase though not sure how much.
He said the size of the tax needs to be closely studied, because tax revenues from tobacco sales currently go to help fund the state’s Medicaid expansion plan for low-income Hoosiers.
”(T)here is some concern about the impact of a tax increase,” he said. “But I’m not opposed to the concept. We just have to be sure we know the result.”