Updated: 3:48 PM EDT May 13, 2021
DANVILLE, Ind. Last week I spent about an hour in the law office of State Rep. Greg Steuerwald, a Republican who wanted to talk about something unbelievable. It was HEA 1006, a sprawling police reform bill that passed and was signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb without a single dissenting vote.
The next day, I met with U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz at a Carmel coffee shop, asking this freshman Republican what her first impressions of Congress were. I didn t have very high expectations from Congress as most American people don’t, Spartz said. The reason I am saying that was I thought it was going to be like a high school. I was recently talking to a colleague and I said, It s more like middle school.
Holcomb, a Republican, vetoed Senate Bill 5 last week, arguing it would reduce local health departments flexibility and ability to act quickly during an emergency.
The Indiana House voted to override Holcomb s veto by a 59-30 vote, and the Senate voted to override it by a 36-10 vote Monday. In Indiana, where gubernatorial powers are weaker than other states in many ways, only a simple majority is needed to override a veto.
Holcomb argued Indiana is in good spot economically partially due to the quick actions taken during the pandemic at the local level. This veto override, he argued, was a step backward.
First published April 23, 2021 in TheStatehouseFile.com
Current and former state legislators and a former Indiana Supreme Court justice are raising concerns that a bill to extend rather than adjourn the 2021 session blurs the separation of powers and could have “dangerous” implications for the future.
The Indiana General Assembly passed House Bill 1372 late in the session with little discussion or opposition, extending the legislative session until Nov. 15. The coronavirus pandemic postponed 2020 census results and the change was necessary in order to vote on election redistricting in the fall, proponents say.
Now some worry the unusual move could set a precedent for a full-time legislature, and others wonder about lawmakers fundraising while technically still in session, which is typically not allowed.
(INDIANAPOLIS) One notable story from this year’s legislative session was what didn’t happen:
a COVID outbreak.
Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis) acknowledges feeling “scared” at the start of
the session that the virus would rip through the House and Senate, with 150 legislators from
across the state working closely for four months. And House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers),
who had his own bout with COVID-19 before the start of the sssion says for the first couple of
months, the legislature had a member or staffer sidelined just about every day, either by infection
or to quarantine after exposure.
Indiana Lowers Vaccine Age to 50; Teachers Eligible Through Separate Program wibc.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wibc.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.