Budget session priorities detailed
Education, public safety top state legislators’ list
As region senators get ready for the coming legislative budget session, funding education and public safety are among top priorities.
Northwest Indiana’s Senate delegation includes Sens. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell; Eddie Melton, D-Gary; Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton; and newcomer Dan Dernulc, R-Highland.
Niemeyer said he plans to work on legislation dealing with some local government issues including finding extra funding for volunteer firefighters and township governments for poor relief efforts.
The senator said he is looking at some taxation issues such as how properties are assessed to find a more balanced procedure so there are not substantial changes in property tax assessments each year.
“I want to get it more stable for individuals instead of them getting a big sticker shock from year to year,” Niemeyer said.
He also plans to take a look at the assessment appeals process for big box retailers and how Hobart and the Merrillville schools can repay the millions of dollars that must be paid back to property owners after a successful appeal of their taxes.
Niemeyer said he also wants to restore the checks and balances within county government in Lake and St. Joseph counties after the Indiana Appeals Court ruled in favor of Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez by restoring contract oversight to county commissioners. The legislation from the 1980s that created the situation is specific to Lake and St. Joseph counties.
“I have legislation drafted dealing with that issue,” Niemeyer said. He said he has worked to eliminate county specific legislation, and would like to see all counties
in the state on a level playing field. The matter still can go before the Indiana Supreme Court.
“To me the only fix of that situation is legislative because that is how it was created,” Niemeyer said, adding he has been working with his fellow senators and representatives in St. Joseph County to craft legislation on which they all agree.
This year he takes on the role of chairman of the environmental committee and he will be looking at a variety of environmental issues that impact the region.
Melton said he will be looking at ways No. 1 to help his district and No. 2, as ranking minority members of the appropriations committee, how to help the delegation.
“There are a lot of things we have been fighting for the last decade or so. I want to work to improve the quality of life of all Hoosiers,” Melton said. The senator said he wants to raise the minimum wage and will be looking at ways to figure out the school funding formulate to get spending up to where it needs to be from an inflation standpoint. He also supports funding for teachers salaries.
“With a nearly $5 billion surplus there is no excuse not to address some of these serious issues,” Melton said.
He wants to see the Gary Community School Corp. returned to local control and ensure the district is sustainable for the future.
“Now is the time. I’m optimistic that will happen,” Melton said.
He would like to make sure Gary receives its fair share as the South Shore Double Track project moves forward. A lot of development is taking place in Porter County and LaPorte County and he is happy to see that.
Gary’s train station downtown has to be addressed with funding, he said, adding the facility is not compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, has an inadequate security system and has a sinkhole in the parking lot.
“Every single station or platform is going to get an upgrade. Gary deserves that too,” he said.
Pol said education will be a primary focus of his legislative agenda this session including making sure the budget appropriately funds education.
“My No. 1 objective is funding education, which has been woefully underfunded for decades at this point,” Pol said. He also supports going forward with legislation emerging from a summer study session that would provide more for educational support staff such as bus drivers and teachers’ aids. School systems are struggling to fill the roles because of pay.
Pol is hoping to gain some traction on environmental bills benefiting the region now that
Niemeyer is chair of the environment committee and he has some veterans services measures he plans to pursue, along with taking action on juvenile justice and creating a prohibition on the deceptive investigative tactics used on juveniles.
“Study after study shows you do not get the truth from a kid by threatening them with a lie,” Pol said.
Finally, Pol said, he is continuing to carry the torch of his forebear, former Sen. Karen Tallian, regarding cannabis legislation. Indiana would be the 39th state to legalize cannabis in some form.
“It’s only hurting us as an agricultural state … 38 states figured it out. We can do it. It’s not that hard,” Pol said.
Dernulc said he ran on two main issues, helping the state’s teachers and helping police with officer retention. “I’m looking at seeing what we can do with teachers’ pay,” Dernulc said.
Communities across the state are losing police officers to different careers. Dernulc said he will be meeting with some of the local police chiefs to get a better understanding of their challenges and wants to create some type of legislation that will make policing a more attractive field in which people want to stay.
Dernulc said there will be a learning curve, but he is ready. He has asked the Legislative Services Agency to put in a shell bill on his behalf so he can iron out the details prior to the start of the next legislative session in January.
Only Pol had definitive plans at this point to craft legislation to support the state’s pregnant women. He plans to file a bill dealing with pregnant accommodations in the workplace in the wake of the passage of the state’s near total ban on abortions.
“We need to make sure pregnant women in the workplace in our state are taken care of,” Pol said.