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INDIANAPOLIS – With just days before lawmakers converge on the Indiana Statehouse for the 2009 legislative session, citizens can review bills filed so far at www.in.gov/legislative.
Senate leadership has made public almost 200 bills, while the House has unveiled none.
Some of the proposed bills have been filed many times before – such as one giving lawmakers the authority to conduct marriages and another establishing a one-year cooling-off period before legislators can become lobbyists.
Others are a little more original.
For instance, Senate Bill 9 would restrict access to the arrest record of someone who was never charged, was acquitted or had a conviction vacated.
Senate Bill 51 would increase the maximum hiring age for police and firefighters from 35 to 39.
Senate Bill 80 would ban anyone under 18 from using a cell phone while driving (actually, this concept figures into a number of bills).
Senate Bill 93 would require that if gas prices exceed $3 per gallon, sales tax on gas would still be figured at the $3-per-gallon price.
And Senate Bill 119 would create a special lottery game to aid the military family relief fund.
We’re sure there are many more interesting bills to come in the first few days of the session, which starts Wednesday.
And citizens are always welcome to testify on bills during the next four months. For those who can’t attend, some committee hearings are aired live on the Internet.
At least one county official hopes the separate Fort Wayne and Allen County wish lists could merge before they are sent to Washington, D.C., for consideration.
“I think we should be working together on it. It seems like it would be a no-brainer,” County Councilwoman Paula Hughes, R-2nd, said this week. “Apparently politics gets in the way.”
Fort Wayne officials solicited projects from Fort Wayne Community Schools, the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority and Citilink to add to the city’s laundry list of projects to be pursued if Congress approves an economic stimulus bill that President Obama is expected to push.
The 113 projects totaling $281 million were included in a report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The city did not ask for the county’s input, and the county, for now, is going it alone.
“We would only position ourselves better as a community if we work together as a community,” Hughes said. “It’s foolish to submit separate lists. It’s foolish to compete against each other.”
John Urbahns, Fort Wayne director of community development, said the city did take the county into consideration when asking for money for numerous bridge projects.
The county abdicated its historic responsibility of financing bridge work, beginning this year.
As the Fort Wayne City Council enters a new year, it will select a new president this week during its organizational meeting.
Councilman Tom Didier, R-3rd, who served as president last year, said he does not want the position again but instead wishes to focus more of his time on his district.
The presidency offers some prestige, and the gavel, but historically hasn’t meant any true power at the council table.
The most logical choice to fill the position would be Councilman Tom Smith, R-1st.
Smith is the most tenured Republican on the council – Republicans hold a 5-4 majority – and he has held the position before.
Smith said he would be willing to accept the position but is not actively campaigning for it.
The dark horse candidate would be Councilman Marty Bender, R-at large. Bender is serving his second stint on the council, and Didier said he mentioned to Bender that he should seek the spot.
It would be unlikely that Councilman Mitch Harper, R-4th, or Councilwoman Liz Brown, R-at large, would be appointed in just their second year on the council. In fact, Harper said he wouldn’t expect to be considered.
The long-shot candidate would be Councilman John Shoaff, D-at large, who, while in the political minority, is respected by Republicans as an accomplished parliamentarian and would likely run tight meetings by the rules.
Amanda Iacone of The Journal Gazette contributed to this column.
