Press Release

Several pieces of legislation co-authored by State Representative Woody Burton passed the Indiana House of Representatives on third reading on Monday, which was the deadline to pass bills out of their first House of origin.

House Bill (HB) 1483, authored by State Representative Jud McMillin (R-Brookville) and co-authored by Rep. Burton, passed the House with a 78-17 vote. It requires the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) to administer a drug testing program for individuals who are receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for themselves or on behalf of a child.

“Those applying for assistance will go through an initial screening process which consists of a written substance abuse inventory test,” said Rep. Burton. “This assessment will test for possible drug abuse problems. Based on an individual’s performance on this test, they may be subject to random drug testing throughout their time on assistance.”

HB 1423, dealing with anti-bullying, passed the House with a 77-17 vote. It requires the Department of Education to develop guidelines to assist school corporations in establishing bullying prevention programs, reporting procedures and discipline rules.

“One in four kids has been bullied in the past year,” said Rep. Burton. “Having a safe environment is critical to student success and improving student performance. This bill will hopefully lessen the problem of bullying by offering training for both students and teachers.”

HB 1015, authored by State Representative Eric Koch (R-Bedford) and co-authored by Rep. Burton, passed the House with a 95-0 vote. This bill establishes an interim study committee to examine issues related to student discipline and safety.

“We have seen many issues from school bullying to violent acts of crime, and it is important that we do not enact legislation in a rush of emotion, but fully study and comprehend these situations and determine the best course of action to take,” said Rep. Burton.

HB 1334, authored by State Representative Jeff Thompson (R-Linton) and co-authored by Rep. Burton, passed the House with a 62-33 vote.

In its original form, this bill would prevent union dues from being automatically deducted from a teacher’s salary. However, Rep. Burton offered an amendment which allows a school to deduct dues for a school employee organization, or union, from the pay of a school employee if the employee provides written authorization for the deduction. Any dues deduced may not be used for political activities.

“HB 1334 helps separate policy from politics,” said Rep. Burton. “It gives teachers the choice to give to unions while also giving them the ability to contribute to political organizations without the state serving as the middleman.”

These pieces of legislation will move to the Senate for further discussion and debate. To stay up-to-date on these bills and any other piece of legislation in the General Assembly, visit www.in.gov/legislative.

State Representative Woody Burton authored an amendment to House Bill (HB) 1334 regarding school employee paycheck deductions. The amendment passed the Indiana House of Representatives on Thursday with a 64-33 vote.

“In its original form, this bill would prevent union dues from being automatically deducted from a teacher’s salary,” said Rep. Burton. “If an employee wants to contribute to a union, they can still do so, however, they would now have to write a check themselves.”

The amendment authored by Rep. Burton allows a school to deduct dues for a school employee organization, or union, from the pay of a school employee if the employee provides written authorization for the deduction. The authorization is valid for one year and may be renewed for successive one year periods. However, the dues deduced may not be used for political activities.

“I think this amendment does a great job of separating policy from politics,” said Rep. Burton. “Unions often work to influence policy in accordance with their interests, and I believe that should be permissible. However, the gray area comes when unions use their financial contributions to contribute to political campaigns or political action committees. I feel it is improper for a public employer to collect money that would go to a political campaign or a political action committee (PAC).”

HB 1334 will be up for a final vote in the House on Monday. To stay up-to-date on this bill and any other piece of legislation in the General Assembly, visit www.in.gov/legislative.

Senate Bill (SB) 319, sponsored by State Representative Don Lehe (R-Brookston) and cosponsored by State Representative Woody Burton, passed the Indiana House of Representatives on Monday with a unanimous vote. SB 319 is the first piece of legislation to pass both houses in the 2013 legislative session.

SB 319 addresses the assessment of farmland for property tax purposes. The Department of Local Government Finance had produced a list of changes last year that equals an immediate 20 percent increase in property taxes on farmland. Taxes on farmland the last few years have increased dramatically as the newly enacted controls have held other classes of property static or reduced. By fast tracking the bill, local assessors can implement the new statute before spring documents are mailed out to property owners.

“Indiana farmers have been negatively affected by the recent drought, yet the factors used to assess the value of farmland have not changed,” said Rep. Burton. “A recent study showed that agricultural land has experienced the largest property tax increase of any type of land since 2007. This particular bill prevents farmers from seeing a hike in their property taxes by maintaining the current soil productivity factors.”

In SB 319, the current soil productivity factors, used for the March 2011 assessment of agricultural land value, would remain in place for property taxes payable in 2014. The new soil productivity factors could not be used until 2015. The bill also establishes an interim study committee to study agriculture property tax issues.

SB 319 now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

To stay up-to-date on this bill and any other piece of legislation in the General Assembly, visit www.in.gov/legislative.

Members of the General Assembly have joined forces in the fight against Hoosier hunger. Partnering with Feeding Indiana’s Hungry Inc., a statewide association of Feeding America affiliated food banks, lawmakers are working to raise awareness and assist with the state’s domestic hunger relief efforts through the month of February.

All four caucus leaders participated in a public service announcement which can be viewed at: http://youtu.be/cqfNSUt6pXw (30 seconds) or http://youtu.be/m9Z4ba-ilew (60 seconds) to kick off the month of awareness.

“I support the efforts of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry to bring together the public and private sectors in order to best utilize Indiana’s resources,” said Rep. Woody Burton.  “No Hoosier child should have to wonder if there will be dinner for them when they get home from school, and no Hoosier parent should have to wonder if they will be able to provide for their child.”

In 2011, a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report states that 13 percent Hoosier households are food insecure. Today, one in four Hoosier children, an estimated 358,000 statewide, experience a lack of accessible nutrition required for a healthy lifestyle. In addition, more than one million Hoosiers statewide are at risk of hunger.

“Food insecurity is a problem which knows no boundaries,” said Rep. Burton. “The rural food insecurity rate and the urban food insecurity rate in Indiana are the same, at 16 percent. Generally, we see urban and rural areas affected in very different ways by economic plight, but that is not the case in this instance.”

Feeding Indiana’s Hungry has 11 regional member food banks, each serving a specific geographic area. The food banks supply food to more than 1700 local soup kitchens, homeless shelters, church pantries, day cares and other nonprofits. The food banks provide sustenance for roughly 117,900 Hoosiers each week throughout all 92 counties, giving emergency food assistance to those in need.

“Feeding Indiana’s Hungry and our member food banks are thankful for the attention that the Indiana General Assembly and its caucus leaders are giving to hunger,” said Emily Bryant, Executive Director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry. “One in six is at risk of hunger in Indiana, and those Hoosiers live in every county and every legislative district across the state.  By coming together, we can shed light on the shadows of hunger and bring our neighbors together to prevent anyone in our state from worrying about where to find their next meal.”

State Rep. Woody Burton (R-Whiteland) authored legislation regarding pension13th checks, which passed the Indiana House of Representatives on Tuesday with a unanimous vote. The bill is coauthored by State Reps. Bob Cherry (R-Greenfield), Ed Clere (R-New Albany), Suzanne Crouch (R-Evansville), Dave Frizzell (R-Indianapolis), Rebecca Kubacki (R-Syracuse), Bob Morris (R-Fort Wayne), Milo Smith (R-Columbus), Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso), Greg Steuerwald (R-Avon) and Kathy Richardson (R-Noblesville).

“In the Pension Management Oversight Commission this summer, we looked at legislation regarding the retirement process for public employees,” said Rep. Burton. “This bill is a result of that discussion and serves to provide additional funds for retired teachers, police officers and public employees.”

House Bill (HB) 1080 provides a one-time thirteenth check, based on years of service, to eligible members of the Public Employees Retirement Fund and Teachers Retirement Fund. It will also apply to State Excise Police, Gaming Agents, Gaming Control Officers and members of the Conservation Enforcement Officers’ Retirement Plan.

“It is often necessary to revisit pension amounts to adjust for inflation, rising costs of living and economic volatility,” said Rep. Burton. “In light of the recent recession and the increasing costs of living, a 13th check would allow a one-time lump sum of money for Hoosiers who have dedicated years of selfless service to our state.”

HB 1080 will move to the Senate for further discussion and debate. To stay up-to-date on this bill and any other piece of legislation in the General Assembly, visit www.in.gov/legislative.