Budget and education reform will be two of the highest priorities this legislative session. As a state legislator, it’s my responsibility, not only to think about how to best benefit our great state, but also serve the needs of my local district.
As a result of listening to the concerns of local constituents and additional feedback from surveys, town hall meetings, etc, I filed several bills that I think could benefit not only our district, but also the state.
I have heard many concerns regarding alcohol displays in stores. I share the same apprehension because we have had too many occurrences where minors walk out of big box stores with liquor in hand. Cigarettes are behind the counter and out of the reach of minors, why should alcohol be treated differently?
House Bill (HB) 1175 would require stores, excluding liquor stores, to display liquor in a room or partitioned area separate from other retail items for sale on the premises. Minors would be prohibited from those areas without a parent or guardian who is at least 21 years of age.
On a similar note, I authored HB 1016 to allow a juvenile court judge to have the option of making a juvenile a ward of the Department of Correction. They could then require the minor to stay in a juvenile facility overnight, if the minor was caught with alcoholic beverages.
The Center for Disease and Control Prevention, reports that alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs. We have to do something constructive to protect our youth against this easy access to alcohol.
In 2008, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 28% of youth aged 12 to 20 drink alcohol. My legislation is simply one small measure designed to bring those statistics down.
At the request of our newly-elected sheriff, Doug Cox, I also filed a bill to allow county jails and the Department of Correction to return unused prescription drugs. A majority of jails are given “packs” of prescriptions, but are not given the option to return any unused drugs. State prisons are allowed this option, but not county jails.
The bill would give county jails the opportunity to exchange prescription drugs that are no longer needed for ones that are. This legislation has already received a hearing in committee and will be scheduled for a floor debate this week.
As Chairman of Financial Institutions Committee, I have filed several bills that I think will help our Hoosier consumers.
HB 1182 establishes the “Consumer Protection Assistance Fund” (CPAF) to be administered by the attorney general. CPAF would provide financial assistance to individuals who are (1) awarded restitution by a court in connection with a violation of certain consumer protection statutes and (2) are willing to assist the attorney general in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
HB 1181 would amend the definition of “mortgage” in order to help with foreclosure prevention efforts. In addition, HB 1181 would require creditors to prove they have the most up-to-date contact information on the lender before filing foreclosure on a property.
HB 1174 came at the request of Mayor Fred Paris of Franklin, allowing local governments the option of hiring a broker to sell real estate directly rather than having to use a bid process.
You can keep up-to-date on these bills and other pieces of legislation by visiting www.in.gov/legislative. If you want a status report, you can search by the bill number or subject matter.
If you want to watch a committee hearing, you can click on “Watch the Indiana General Assembly Live.” You will see a list of committee rooms, you just have to click on the appropriate room and watch live. You can also watch live session footage by clicking “Watch video live from the House.”
If you have any questions or concerns regarding these pieces of legislation or any other legislative matters, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can call me at 1-800-382-9841 or email me at H58@in.gov. In addition, please visit my website at www.in.gov/h58 and take a moment to fill out my legislative survey.
I look forward to hearing your comments.
