Getting in the legislative, ummm…groove

While last week was heavily dominated by the logistics of a new administration settling into the Statehouse, week three was laden with heavy policy topics that slid everyone into a tizzy of committee hearings, some lasting five hours due to long agendas and controversial topics including immigration, parental rights, nuclear energy, DEI, and state budget debate.

Meanwhile, the public learned more about Governor Mike Braun’s budget which includes an across-the-board 5% cut to all state agencies, fully funds the state’s Medicaid program, expands universal school choice (eliminating any and all income requirements), a matching grant initiative to expand access to child care to eliminate wait lists, and the repeal of the tax on tips amongst other items. Important to note: expanded healthcare funding was not included in the Governor’s budget, despite continued poor health outcomes for Hoosiers.

This week also brought a slew of Executive Orders from Governor Braun that aimed to “invest in a healthier Indiana.” In his press availability on Wednesday, he ordered state agencies to identify any ways to avoid surprise billing and other policies that exacerbate healthcare affordability. Gov. Braun’s other orders pointed to eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in safety-net programs such as Medicaid while concurrently proposing strategies to reduce enrollment in those programs.

Indiana Biennial Budget Released

Bills have all become public and assigned to committees. And committee hearings have been scheduled quickly with an inordinate amount of bills being heard this week (just Wednesday alone there were 12 committee hearings!)

Released this week was the State’s Biennial budget reveal on Tuesday. HB 1001, which houses the state’s funding for the next two years, is detailed in the House Majority’s rundown of priorities here. The House Ways and Means Committee will continue its conversations on HB 1001 and more discussion will occur leading up to the State of the State address in the Indiana House Chamber Wednesday evening.

Priority Bills Heard

In addition to the budget (HB 1001), the General Assembly began hearings on signature legislative priorities including a hefty piece of legislation that aims to reform Indiana’s K-12 education system. HB 1002 was amended by the House Education Committee this week, and the Indiana Capital Chronicle has the details on this complex and expansive bill targeting charter schools, teacher benefits, and K-12 education as a whole. A key energy bill authored by House Utilities Chairman Ed Soliday was also heard and amended this week. HB 1007 is an omnibus utility bill that paves the way for small modular nuclear technology and could extend the life of coal plants – read more about the story behind this complex bill.

Upcoming

Governor Braun will detail his vision for Indiana with his State of the State address which will be carried live by Indiana Public Broadcasting (check local listings) on Wednesday, January 29th at 7 pm. Watch from home or at in.gov.