The Indiana General Assembly was able to address critical issues and end session in a timely manner despite an unprecedented five-week walkout by House Democrats. I worked hard this session to pass a balanced budget that does not raise taxes, to promote private sector job growth, and enact historic education reforms. Additionally, I believe we took great strides on other important issues that may be of interest to you and I would like to take this opportunity to update you on some of those measures.
Many states across the country are raising taxes and making cuts to vital programs. Fortunately, through the strong fiscal management of Governor Daniels and the General Assembly, Indiana is in a far better position. I worked hard to not only pass a balanced budget without tax increases, but also maintain funding for the Community and Home Options to Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled (CHOICE) program. This program is vital for many seniors who wish to remain living independently at home.
Another piece of legislation I worked on helps protect individuals from being victimized by fraud and deception involving residential real estate transactions, credit services organizations, and mortgage foreclosure consultants. As a result of House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1182, these victims can now receive assistance from the Consumer Protection Assistance Fund (CPAF). The CPAF provides fraud victims an incentive to bring lawsuits against entities that violate various consumer protection statutes. Unfortunately, senior citizens are often times victims of telephone solicitation by individuals and organizations who sell fraudulent products over the phone. To combat this growing problem, I worked on HEA 1273 which expands the reach of Indiana’s “Do Not Call” list. To sign up for this program, please call 1-888-834-9969.
As we become a more mobile society, we are continuingly seeing problems with multi-state adult guardianship cases. During this session, I worked on HEA 1055 which enacts a uniform adult guardianship law. HEA 1055 will help provide uniformity and reduce conflicts among states when dealing with this very important subject. Families should not have to deal with undue legal burdens during these difficult times. Additionally, I supported Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 169 to clarify the law dealing with wills and estate plans to help ensure they are properly carried out.
Finally, I supported SEA 331 which requires a task force to develop a state plan concerning the provision of Alzheimer’s and related dementia services. The state plan will create the infrastructure and programs necessary to build dementia-specific programs to help improve the quality of life for the 120,000 Hoosiers diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Although we made progress and passed many pieces of legislation that will positively impact seniors, I believe there is still work to be done. I will continue to work toward improving programs that will benefit senior Hoosiers. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any suggestions, comments or concerns at either 1-800-382-9841 or by e-mail at h58@in.gov. I want to hear from you.
