Indiana Catholic Conference's Legislative Priorities Make It To Half-way Point
The Indiana Catholic Conference’s legislative priorities successfully reached the half-way point – also known as “crossover” – in the Indiana General Assembly.
Among the ICC-priority bills that have advanced to “crossover” include: a measure to strengthen traditional marriage; bills to improve early childhood education and child care safety; legislation to clarify insurance coverage for abortion; and a bill to provide better follow-up care after an abortion.
“The majority of the bills we have supported this year have passed the first chamber with bipartisan support,” said ICC Executive Director Glenn Tebbe, who serves as the official spokesman in Indiana for the Catholic Church on public-policy matters.
House Joint Resolution 3, authored by Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, would solidify current law that marriage is between one man and one woman by putting that definition into Indiana’s Constitution.
HJR 3 passed the House Jan. 28 by a vote of 57-40, after being amended the previous day. HJR 3 currently contains only the statement that a marriage is between one man and one woman. On Jan. 27, the House voted 52-43 to remove a second sentence, which prohibits any legal status “identical or substantially similar to that of marriage” for unmarried individuals. Turner argued to keep the second sentence because it provides a stronger definition of marriage between one man and one woman, thus banning other legal same-sex arrangements like civil unions.
HJR 3 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary on Feb. 10. Tebbe expects that there will be attempts in the Senate to restore HJR 3 to its original form by putting the second sentence back into the resolution.
A bill to give low-income families with young children access to an early education voucher passed the House Jan. 16, receiving a bipartisan vote of 87-9. The bill, House Bill 1004, establishes the early-education-scholarship pilot program. The program would provide supplemental funding for eligible children receiving qualified services from certain early-education providers. The bill gives a child or a sibling of a child who receives an early-education scholarship and meets certain other applicable criteria access to the Choice Scholarship program from grades K-12.
The bill is authored by three Indianapolis lawmakers – Rep. Bob Behning and House Speaker Brian Bosma, both Republicans; and Democrat Rep. Shelli VanDenburgh. Tebbe expects the bill to get a hearing in the Senate, but noted that the Senate has been less receptive of early-childhood education.
A bill to improve childcare regulations for families passed the House Jan. 28, by a bipartisan vote of 71-24. The proposal, House Bill 1036, authored by Rep. Kevin Mahan, R-Hartford City, increases accountability and improves group sizes of children; food; health; safety; and sanitation standards. The Division of Family and Children would determine specific standards. The bill moves to the Senate for further consideration. Tebbe expects the bill to get a hearing in the Senate and move forward.
A bill to clarify insurance for elective abortion, House Bill 1123, passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 80-14. The bill, authored by Rep. Jeffery Thompson, R-Lizton, would prohibit elective-abortion coverage in standard health insurance plans. The bill would make elective-abortion coverage available only as a separate rider for health insurance policies purchased privately and in group coverage. It now goes to the Senate for consideration. Tebbe expects the bill to get a hearing in the Senate and move forward in the process.
A bill to enhance follow-up care after an abortion passed the Senateon Feb. 4 by a vote of 34-14. Senate Bill 292, authored by Sen. John Waterman, R-Shelburn, provides clarity to current abortion law by requiring written documentation of admitting privileges and better notification of where follow-up care can be obtained should complications follow an abortion. Tebbe said the fate of SB 292 is uncertain due to the controversial nature of abortion legislation.
“The Church sometimes works to defeat legislation that, if passed, could have a harmful effect,” Tebbe said. He explained that a few bills the ICC was successful in halting include House Bill 1264 and Senate Bill 162, which would have added unnecessary government regulation to the school-voucher program; and Senate Bill 62, a measure to add more out-of-state gaming operations to compete for Hoosier limited charitable gaming dollars.
What happens next in the legislative process? “The process starts over again,” Tebbe explained. “Bills approved by the Senate move to the House for consideration, and measures approved by the House move to the Senate for consideration.”
“If all goes well,” he added, “these bills will be assigned to a committee, scheduled for a committee hearing, be passed by the committee, then get a second and third reading for final passage. During this process, almost anything can happen. A bill can be amended, remain the same, die or pass.”
The Indiana General Assembly must adjourn by March 14.
Stay Connected: The Indiana Catholic Conference provides a Legislative Action Center. Go to www.indianacc.org . Visitors can sign-up for the weekly I-CAN Update newsletter, identify their representatives, contact lawmakers and more. To explore the new means of political engagement go to www.indianacc.org and click “Legislative Action Center.”
