Last week officially marked the end to the first half of the 2021 legislative session with the deadline for bills having to clear their original house of origin. It’s a good time review where our top policy priorities stand for the Hoosier business community.
Broadband expansion into rural Indiana
Five pieces of much-needed broadband legislation moved on this week: The House passed HB 1164 and 1449, while the Senate approved SB 352, 359 and 377. They will make technology infrastructure easier to deploy and increase the access to and adoption of high-speed broadband regardless of the city, town or community in which an individual or business resides. Having high speed broadband in all corners and areas of the state is so critical to further prepare the state for the digital economy. While not all of these measures will pass – some overlap – it remains to be seen what the ultimate vehicle(s) will be for the broadband language. The Chamber will be pushing for legislation that is as strong as possible.
Cigarette tax increase
The good news: There is a cigarette tax increase in the budget (HB 1001). The bad news: The 50-cent per pack increase is woefully inadequate to have any positive impact on reducing smoking. That said, we are in the game and discussions will continue on the Senate side. We were pleased to hear Sen. President Pro Tem Rod Bray (R-Martinsville) echo our concerns at his media availability this week. Along with our Alliance for a Healthier Indiana partners, we will be advocating that the Senate increase the cigarette tax by $2. The original House bill contained a $1 tax hike.
COVID-19 lawsuit immunity
As we noted last week, SB 1 has already been signed into law by Gov. Holcomb! It provides businesses that follow accepted safety guidelines with legal protection regarding coronavirus exposure for employees and the public. The law, which is retroactive to March 2020, will provide certainty for employers and eliminate one more thing they have to worry about during the pandemic.
FAFSA requirement for high school seniors
Senate Bill 54 requires Indiana high school seniors, with few exceptions, to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The legislation cleared the full Senate, but the final outcome remains far from certain. Some lawmakers want to give too much credence to largely unfounded arguments by education association lobbyists that the measure poses too much of an administrative burden for local schools. Requiring FAFSA is a common-sense policy that offers clear benefits to both Hoosier families and Indiana’s workforce. Over the past two years, similar bills have been passed by both legislative houses but not in the same year. As the bill moves to the House, we will redouble our advocacy efforts to try to get it across the finish line.
Grants for remote workers and employers
All may not be lost on getting remote worker grants for individuals and work sites. While the bill (HB 1416) died last week when it was not acted on by the House Ways and Means Committee, we received an indication that there may be a willingness to amend the bill into a related one on broadband. That is something we will definitely pursue. Many communities around the country are developing successful programs to attract these workers and Indiana needs to continue competing for the best talent.
Township and local government reform
Gaining momentum in this area is akin to moving a large boulder uphill. It’s virtually impossible. It doesn’t matter how incremental or cost saving the consolidation is or the levels of authorization that have to happen to trigger it, including local referendums. Legislators have made it clear they would rather keep the inefficiencies in the local government system and waste taxpayer money than see reform take place. All of these measures died in committee. Realistically, it looks like nothing will change until some legislators – namely those who come from local government or have friends there – are no longer in office.
Work share unemployment insurance program
As we reported, legislation to create a state work share program – an extension of the unemployment insurance system – died because Sen. Phil Boots (R-Crawfordville) refused to call for a committee vote. Despite the very disappointing result, the business community really came together on this issue and played a major part in Senate leadership pressuring Sen. Boots to hear the bill. So, thank you to everyone who voiced strong support for work share! There is overwhelming bipartisan support in the General Assembly for this policy, but for nearly a decade the legislation has been stopped from proceeding in committee. We will be taking stock on this issue and see what can be done going forward to make work share a reality.
