Carrasco
The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette
Two tornadoes formed on the northeast side of Fort Wayne last year, damaging homes and farms near Grabill and Harlan. No local injuries were reported, but five people were killed by the storm system that spawned about a dozen twisters the evening of March 31.
President Joe Biden declared 12 counties, including Allen, as major disaster areas, making federal relief funding available. Without the president’s OK, local governments and individuals would have needed assistance from the state, which offers much less in financial aid than the federal program.
A bill rolling through the General Assembly proposes significant and needed improvements to the State Disaster Relief Fund. Senate Bill 190 would make more money accessible and more easily available to households after catastrophic events, while allowing governments to tap the fund for mitigation projects that could limit damages from storms and other disasters before they strike.
It rightly passed both the full Senate and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public Safety without a “no” vote, and is awaiting a hearing from the Ways and Means Committee. It deserves the support of every lawmaker and Gov. Eric Holcomb’s signature.
The bill’s author, Indianapolis Republican Cyndi Carrasco, succeeded Sen. John Sandlin, who died of a heart attack in September. SB 190 is her first piece of legislation, a product of conversations with state Department of Homeland Security officials.
“When I started to talk with Homeland Security about the bill and what this would do, I thought this is something I really want to champion,” Carrasco told The Journal Gazette.
SB 190 simplifies the formula that’s used to calculate how much money communities can receive from the state disaster fund, while increasing the maximum amount of assistance to households. Individuals would receive up to $25,000 to compensate for damages not otherwise covered by private insurance plans, a 150% increase from the previous cap of $10,000.
“The House Veteran Affairs and Public Safety Committee heard the bill, and the Indiana Catholic Conference came and testified in support of it,” Carrasco said. “They gave examples about how the cost of certain products has just skyrocketed. This bill is very much intended to be able to cover the higher cost of just things in general.”
Perhaps the most consequential change would make state disaster relief funding available to governmental entities for mitigation projects. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, $1 spent on mitigation saves $6 in disaster recovery costs.
Communities wouldn’t have to wait until a disaster strikes in order to apply to the Department of Homeland Security for public improvements such as tornado shelters, or acquiring and demolishing homes and businesses in a floodplain. Under SB 190, governments could take proactive steps to minimize future disasters.
Last year, the State Disaster Relief Fund received a $149,784 appropriation, as well as $2.56 million from the Public Safety Fee. A review of SB 190 by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency found no additional appropriations would be necessary for the Department of Homeland Security to implement the bill’s proposals. That should give members of the Ways and Means Committee, endeavoring to limit cost increases to the current two-year budget, confidence to pass the bill to the full House for consideration.
For a lead-off bill from a first-time lawmaker, SB 190 is good public policy. It finally makes funding available to communities to implement mitigation efforts that could help limit damage in case of a natural disaster, and increases the maximum payout to households, offering such families some peace of mind when it’s most needed.
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