State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon reviews some accomplishments of the 2018 Legislative Session

The 2018 Legislative Session has ended. There were many issues that residents of our district took interest in this year, and I wanted to provide you with an update on several of them:

Closing the School Funding Gap

As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I was able to listen to testimony on House Bill 1001, which ensures local schools will receive the amount of funding they originally expected from last year’s budget bill. I am pleased that the final version of the bill, which I co-authored, will provide $100 million to school corporations throughout the state over the next two years to close a funding gap created when enrollment in public schools was much higher than projected this year.

Protecting Northwest Indiana Beaches

I was proud to co-author legislation to protect our Northwest Indiana beaches. The new law, which received unanimous votes in both the House and Senate, includes a requirement that companies removing sand for industrial and other projects must deposit the sand directly on the beaches instead of offshore to help prevent continued erosion. I will continue to encourage measures that help preserve the lake and shoreline for both commerce and enjoyment.

Encouraging Economic Development

I co-authored legislation to allow continued, and hopefully increased, cooperation between the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and local communities to encourage economic development and the creation of good jobs. We need to continue working together across all levels of government to make sure workers and businesses have the ability to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in Northwest Indiana. I also supported a new law that outlines changes for the South Shore Line expansion that allow our local communities oversight of planning, zoning and various financing options.