The Big Wins — And Some Losses — Of Indiana’s 2023 Legislative Session
Hundreds of bills passed the legislature. Here is a recap of some, as well as key measures that didn’t. Monroe Bush for Indiana Capital Chronicle.
INDIANAPOLIS— Of the 1,154 bills filed, Indiana lawmakers approved 252 of those in the 2023 legislative session, with many still waiting for a final signature from the governor.
The Republican-controlled General Assembly convened for 110 days, during which education, health care and taxes dominated much of the discourse.
The highlight, however, was the passage of Indiana’s new, $44 billion biennial budget plan.
Holcomb Agenda Meets Success
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s 2023 legislative agenda highlighted proposals for several major funding increases in the next two-year state budget, including paying for all K-12 textbooks, salary increases for state police troopers, and millions more for public health services in all 92 counties.
He said the budget “contains unprecedented levels of commitment and investment in public education, public safety and public health — both mental and physical — workforce development and economic development, and community development, and numerous quality-of-life and quality-of-place initiatives that we are eager to get to work on.”
K-12 Textbook Fees
Indiana’s governor rallied hard to eliminate textbook and curricular fees for Hoosier kids. Figuring out how to fund the ask proved less straightforward, though.
Now, $160 million annual line item — added by Senate Republicans — ensures that Hoosier families will not have to pay student textbook fees in K-12 public schools. Private school students who qualify for free or reduced lunch will also see their textbook fee waived, according to the budget.
21st Century Scholars
The Holcomb administrations’ push to get more Hoosiers educated included a move to automatically enroll eligible Hoosier students into Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars Program — a statewide grant program that funds lower income student attendance at two- and four-year schools.
House Bill 1449 requires the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) to work with the state education department to identify kids who qualify for the program, and then notify students and parents about their eligibility. Students must agree to participate in 21st Century Scholars and can opt out at any time.
Big Pay Raises For Some
In his initial budget request, Holcomb stressed the importance of increasing the state’s compensation for its employees, citing high turnover rates during the pandemic. The typical state employee saw a 5% boost to their salary, though lower-paid employees saw slightly more of a raise while higher-paid employees received a slightly smaller increase.
The final budget kept those increases, but gave the state’s highest elected offices their own boost — including a 48% raise for the governor’s office.
Culture Wars
Lawmakers said just weeks before the start of the legislative session that the 2023 General Assembly would avoid so-called “culture war” issues.
That was not the case, however. Multiple contentious bills targeted LGBTQ+ rights, especially transgender youth, and which drew hundreds of oppositional ralliers to the Statehouse throughout the session.
Ban On Gender-Affirming Care
The Indiana Youth Institute estimates that roughly 3,350 Hoosier children identify as transgender, but that small number fell under the spotlight repeatedly during the legislative session.
In particular, lawmakers targeted the estimated 1,000 children seeking gender-affirming care at the state’s only pediatric hospital, Indianapolis’ Riley Hospital for Children. Care includes assistance with social transitioning, access to puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapies – all of which are generally considered to be reversible, time-tested treatments.
Just hours after Holcomb signed the ban on gender-affirming care, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit to block the measure, representing a handful of children whose care would be disrupted by the prohibition.
Pronouns In Classrooms
A controversial bill mandating that Indiana schools notify parents when a student asks for name or pronoun changes is now awaiting a signature from the governor.
House Bill 1608 also bans human sexuality instruction to the youngest Hoosier students.
But critics of the bill — which was pared down in its final iteration — have argued that it’s part of a nationwide wave of legislation “singling out LGBTQ+ people and their families.” More specifically, they say that the legislation could put transgender children at risk of harm if they’re outed to unsupportive or abusive parents.
Legislating ‘Anti-Woke’ Pension Investing
Indiana’s public retirement system and its external investment managers will begin operating under new scrutiny — after House Republicans successfully pushed through “finances-first” priority legislation.
School Library Book Restrictions
In the final hours of the legislative session, Republican state lawmakers resurrected a much-debated ban on materials deemed “obscene “or “harmful to minors” in school and public libraries.
The bill requires school libraries to publicly post lists of books in their collection and create a formal grievance process for parents and community members who live in the district to object to certain materials in circulation.
Language in House Bill 1447 also removes “educational purposes” as a reason that schools or district board members could claim legal protection for sharing “harmful material” with underage students. The charge is a felony.
Public libraries would not be affected, however, despite other proposals debated earlier in the session that would have expanded the language’s reach.
Some Bills Fell Short
Republican lawmakers touted big wins across the board at the conclusion of the legislative session, but several big-ticket items didn’t make it across the finish line. Some bills failed to make it through the process due to a lack of GOP consensus, while others were put to rest after public push back.
Many of the measures are expected to be reworked and introduced again next year.
School Board Elections
A bill that would have let Hoosier communities decide if local school board elections should be partisan died in the House in February. Although similar language could have been inserted elsewhere, lawmakers did not return to the issue before the end of the session.
That means school board races will stay non-partisan — at least for now.
Health Care
Several major health care bills were watered down in their final versions, whether doctor non-compete agreements or price caps for Indiana hospitals. Those that did pass also didn’t get the full funding advocates requested.
High Tax Bills Vs. Government Service Costs
Property tax bills shot up this year, as the pandemic’s high-priced home sales and subsequent rise in assessment values. But even before the legislative session began, lawmakers were urging caution in any relief efforts.
House Bill 1499 went through numerous transformations: several dilutions, followed by a final version with several key provisions resuscitated. It expands multiple deductions, and temporarily limits growth in school operating referendum taxes and local unit property tax hauls.
See Full Article Here
