State Rep. Sheila Klinker: Report from the Statehouse for March 17, 2016

For immediate release:
March 17, 2016

The column below by Indiana State Rep. Sheila Klinker was issued from the House Media Relations Office earlier today:

INDIANAPOLIS — We just completed a short legislative session. There were positive accomplishments, including infrastructure, education, assistance for low-income Hoosiers, veterans, and people with disabilities.

There were five proposals on the table at the beginning of session to address Indiana’s infrastructure problems. Each caucus had a plan as did Gov. Pence. The diversity of opinion reflected a variety of sincere ideas by concerned elected officials.

The final solution in House Enrolled Act 1001 (HEA 1001) was not a single proposal, but rather parts of all five plans. Total road funding will be approximately $900 million, plus $100 million in redirected Major Moves money from 2015. HEA 1001 is not a panacea, but nearly everyone in the Legislature and the Governor’s Office believes it is a good start. The General Assembly will revisit the issue again during next year’s long, budget session.

In addition, Senate Enrolled Act 67 releases $430 million from the Local Option Income Tax (LOIT) back to local communities for infrastructure needs. Tippecanoe County’s total distribution of the LOIT reserve will be $14,892,000.

We also passed House Enrolled Act 1002, which put aside $10 million for the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship program. The scholarship is designed to attract top students into the teaching profession. Qualifying students will receive a $7,500 stipend, which can be sought during each of the student’s four years at the university. It is a long-term measure, which goes into effect in July, 2017. However, more needs to be done in the short-term to recruit and retain teachers. We need to bring back financial incentives for teachers who earn a master’s degree and continue professional development.

Another positive was that the Legislature chose not to hold teachers accountable for the problems encountered by last year’s ISTEP test. In fact, legislators voted to end ISTEP in House Enrolled Act 1395. ISTEP will be used for the final time in the 2016-17 school year. A committee was created to find an alternative to ISTEP.

I was also pleased with Senate Enrolled Act 325, which increased the maximum income eligibility for Individual Development Accounts or IDAs. Currently, the level is at 175 percent of federal income poverty guidelines. It will now be set at 200 percent. IDAs help economically struggling Hoosiers attain self-sufficiency, build financial assets, learn personal finance skills, buy a home, finance transportation, and improve families’ quality of life.

House Enrolled Act 1089 is also a step forward. It gives veterans better access to veteran services officers and recommends learning opportunities to better serve our veterans.

House Enrolled Act 1012 would have a great impact as well. The legislation requires the Indiana Department of Health to issue, upon request, identification bracelets and/or identification cards to people with disabilities. This will help emergency responders to better assist those individuals.

Finally, it has been an honor to serve with Rep. Randy Truitt. I wish the best for him and his family. He will be missed.