A welcome surprise is the traction that legal reform bills have had thus far. The three bills prioritized by the Chamber in this area are as follows: HB 1090, authored by Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie); HB 1160, authored by Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne) and SB 226 (authored by Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendelton).
House Bill 1090 is the Indiana Department of Transportation’s agency bill and includes provisions that make important previously excluded information available to jurors at the damages stage of trials involving automobile accidents; specifically, whether the victim was wearing a seatbelt. If passed, this may reduce costs to employers and insurance providers. The House passed HB 1090 85-12.
House Bill 1160 expands the lawsuit lending statute to protect commercial litigants from being sued by a party that is funded by foreign adversaries interested in obtaining intellectual property through the court’s discovery process. We expect opponents to argue that the bill will dissuade legitimate foreign money from competing in this marketplace – lenders who are not attempting to gain access to trade secrets. True, they might not want it for themselves, but they also will not hesitate to sell the proprietary information to the highest bidder. The House passed HB 1160 unanimously, 96-0.
Senate Bill 226 provides a much needed update to a law that will help both plaintiffs and defendants engage in meaningful settlement discussions. The Senate also voted unanimously (48-0) in favor of this measure.
Two Chamber-backed bills – that we knew would be an uphill battle – did die in the first half of session: SB 133, authored by Sen. Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne) on supplier diversity for local subdivisions, and SB 138, authored by Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen) regarding driving privilege cards.
Senate Bill 133, which would have eliminated bureaucratic red tape for women, minorities and veterans who obtain state and local certifications for their small business, met with significant resistance from Indianapolis-based certified business owners. Senate Bill 138, which would allow undocumented Indiana residents to obtain a driving privilege card, failed because of the alleged cost ($1.9 million) to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to redesign two new credentials.
Meanwhile, progress is being made on other fronts, including bills related to occupational licensing and innovation and entrepreneurship. In any event, here’s to hoping the “whirlwind” dies down a bit and we can remain focused on helping good bills pass and defeating those that are bad for your business.
