The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin
Each Indiana legislator will be allowed to introduce only five bills this session, down from 10 last year.
Perhaps it will be a refreshing break for Hoosiers who got into heated debates last session over the near-total abortion ban and bills attempting to limit LGBTQ influence.
However, some pressing social issues demand consideration.
Near the top is the state’s fentanyl crisis, which has both health and social ramifications.
Indiana is too reliant on federal agencies to battle the fentanyl epidemic, though the One Pill Can Kill campaign has yielded important arrests.
But with fentanyl and synthetic drugs the leading causes of Indiana’s 2,500 annual overdose deaths, legislators need a stronger push to place treatment centers in areas of the state currently without access to facilities. Availability of Narcan, long-term treatment centers and medication addiction treatment are vital.
A fresh discussion in the 2024 General Assembly, which begins Jan. 9, needs to result in an increased emphasis on the fentanyl crisis.
Other social issue priorities for the Legislature should include the following:
Homelessness
Unfortunately, legislators last session removed a requirement for school districts to employ a local liaison for homeless families. Legislators must show that these students are valued.
For 2024-2025, the Legislature appropriated $5 million for homelessness prevention grants and $75 million for the Residential Housing Infrastructure Assistance Program to spur housing by Indiana communities applying for grants.
The program is to be run by the Indiana Finance Authority. But as of September, the director and finance manager spots were vacant.
Immigration
No gubernatorial candidate has a stated plan to address immigration, leaving it up to the Legislature and courts. The concept of welcoming cities has been under attack by the Legislature and Indiana’s attorney general.
Lawmakers should take a more humanitarian and practical approach. For example, they should drop the requirement for verification of citizenship in order to participate in the national school lunch program.
Criminal code reform
The majority of criminal court cases involve non-violent Level 6 felonies and Class A misdemeanors. Suspects are likely to be released on their own recognizance or with a bail less than $1,000. The re-arrest rate is 49%, typically for failure to appear or a violation of pretrial release, according to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
Better notification systems, along with child care and transportation assistance, could help.
Tantamount to this concern is support of mental health efforts both during and after incarceration. Legislators can help the state’s Recovery Works push to find more providers for offenders, notably those sentenced to complete substance abuse educational courses.
The Indiana Behavioral Health Commission urges better collaboration between Indiana’s court system and behavioral health offerings. Also in order: funding for more mental health courts and an alternate pre-sentencing path for non-violent crime offenders who have a mental illness.
Foster care system
A new law gives foster teens better access to auto insurance and extends the $2 million annual limit on foster care tax credits.
While it’s a recurring request to reduce Department of Child Services caseloads, the Legislature should resist the idea of placing more foster children in residential or group homes, which could be ripe for abuse.
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