The Indiana Statehouse on Jan. 23, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
The majority of Republican committee members on the Senate Elections Committee shared their reservations concerning a bill to make school board elections partisan, but nearly all still voted the proposal forward Monday.
Bills halving early voting period, closing primaries head to Senate floor
Just one Republican, Columbus Republican Sen. Greg Walker, joined Democrats to oppose the measure, which advanced on a 6-3 vote.
Under Senate Bill 287, candidates for local school board would be nominated like other political offices under a party banner. Pay for the office must not exceed 10% of the lowest starting salary for a teacher within the school corporation.
Author Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, said the political bodies control local property taxes and control important policies for school corporations.
“I believe communities need to understand and have someone who represents their priorities,” said Byrne, a former school board member. “… People will go down the ballot and they get to school boards and they don’t know who’s who or what ideologies or views they have.”
Four of the committee’s seven Republican members shared concerns about the legislation, which is a revival of an effort that died in the House last year. Byrne’s peers said they might change their votes on the Senate floor.
In the Senate …
The Indiana Senate on Monday voted 40-9 to criminalize a Hoosier’s refusal to give DNA when they are arrested for a felony.
Lawmakers required the collection of the DNA back in 2017, similar to taking fingerprints and mugshots. But Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, said sheriffs recently reported that more and more arrestees are refusing to give the DNA sample.
Senate Bill 120 would make refusal a Class C misdemeanor — the state’s lowest.
He told the chamber that DNA is a wonderful tool to both catch a criminal and exclude them.
Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, said he opposed the bill in 2017 and recalled tearing up the Fourth Amendment on the floor. He said fingerprints and photos are about identifying a person but DNA is used to get evidence on someone.
He joined seven Democrats and one other Republican — Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville — in opposing the bill. The legislation now moves to the Senate.
… and in the House
House lawmakers opted to unanimously incorporate four amendments into a bill requiring health care entities to report their owners, including two that would ease the reporting process for eligible providers.
Another amendment would exempt providers which are wholly owned by practitioners, rather than corporations, a measure that would exclude many small practices and dentists, who asked to be excluded during committee testimony.
Author Rep. Julie McGuire, R-Indianapolis, authored three of the four amendments on House Bill 1666. Her final amendment, however, changed which body would have the regulatory power to approve future mergers and acquisitions between health care entities.
The original bill would have given that authority to the Office of the Attorney General. Now, a newly created merger approval board will vote on such proposals, with one seat reserved for the Attorney General or their designee.
Two of the governor’s cabinet members will also have a seat and the governor has the authority to appoint two members. Finally, The legislative council will have two appointees who cannot be members of the General Assembly.
The House also greenlit a bill that split both caucuses, advancing House Bill 1125 to the Senate for further consideration on a 70-18 vote.
Rep. Jake Teshka, R-North Liberty, said the measure “allows individuals to access money they already earned, but they have yet to receive.”
Using a process established by their employer or a private service, Hoosiers can opt to receive wages prior to a set payday, but only for wages they’ve already worked to earn.
In committee, supporters painted Teshka’s effort as one setting regulations on an industry already used by thousands of Hoosiers.
The bill moves to the Senate for further consideration.
Editor-in-Chief Niki Kelly contributed to this story.
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