Legislative Report

August 2017 August 2017 Interim Update Top News Top Events We hope you enjoyed your summer vacation! Interim study committees will begin meeting in earnest this month at the statehouse. We know what August 16 10:00am Rm 431 you’re thinking: the neighborhood pool isn’t even closed yet. Interim Study Committee on Eleven interim committees so far have scheduled meetings over the next Financial Institutions and Insurance few months, with more to come. Most committees will complete their work by the end of October with recommendations for legislative action August 22 1:00pm Senate Ch referred to the General Assembly. Organization Day is anticipated to be held on November 21. We’ll be at the statehouse all-day, every-day Alcohol Code Revision before you know it. Commission Also included in the category of things-we-wished-were-further-away, there’s been a lot of activity in preparation for a busy 2018 election year, August 23 1:00pm Room 431 especially in the hotly contested race for U.S. Senate. Interim Study Committee on Here’s your monthly report from the team at 1816 inc… Public Health, Behavioral Health, and Human Services Statehouse News In the news… Twenty interim committees exist but not all of them meet each year. The Legislative Council can exercise their discretion to assign topics to the Pence’s official governor portrait appropriate committee. We know from the June council meeting that not all revealed (The Hill) committees have assignments ahead of 2018. But to date, eleven committees Holcomb talks opioid crisis, have scheduled hearings and will begin meeting this month. They must healthcare (Kokomo Perspective) complete their work and have reports submitted by the end of October, unless otherwise specified. Hogsett will introduce Indy’s first ‘honestly balanced budget’ in a The first committee scheduled to meet is the Interim Committee on Financial decade (Indy Star) Institutions and Insurance. The committee should draw a small but important Hill teams up with 10-point (Indy crowd of folks interested in incorporating accreditation standards into law from Politics) the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. They meet at 10am on August 16. Pence talks anti-violence efforts at Indy luncheon (WFYI) About a week later, the Alcohol Code Revision Commission will pack the Senate chamber and begin the two-year process of reviewing the state’s alcohol Trump aides predicting ‘brutal’ September (Politico) laws. The commission is comprised of 16 members, two legislators from each caucus and two lay members appointed by each caucus. Chairing the commission is former Republican state senator Beverly Gard. June 1, 2017 Page 1 of 2 The legislature divided the task of reviewing Title 7 of the Indiana Code into two parts. The first step of this review deals with retail and consumer-facing issues. For example, should Sunday alcohol sales be allowed, or should cold beer be available for carryout grocery stores. The commission plans to meet three times between August and September and will then make a recommendation to the legislature for action in 2018. The Interim Study Committee on Roads and Transportation will consider whether there are too many barriers to entry for small companies to do work with INDOT. Fresh off of a session that produced billions in new investment for a generation of road and infrastructure projects, there is concern among key lawmakers that the construction industry in Indiana won’t be able to handle such a rapid and substantial increase in investment. The committee meets on September 13th to hear from industry stakeholders and consider whether changes should be made to the standards contractors must meet to work with the state, or whether those changes would have a negative impact on the quality of work. The interim committee tasked with energy and telecommunications issues at their first meeting in September will consider solutions to expanding rural broadband. And after a decade of installing and expanding windfarms in north central Indiana, the committee will investigate the effects of those wind power devices on health, property value, and public safety. Political Landscape The field may be set in the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. State Representative Mike Braun (R- Jasper) was the first to announce this month that he would seek the nomination. Congressman Todd Rokita made his candidacy official last week, and Congressman Luke Messer followed over this past weekend. Rumors persist that Attorney General Curtis Hill will run and he left the door open to that possibility when asked by a reporter during an unrelated event last week. The winner of the GOP primary takes on incumbent U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly. With Rokita and Messer in the race, two safe Republican congressional seats are now open. In the 6th district, State Senator Mike Crider (R-Greenfield) has announced he is running to replace Messer. Sen. Crider is the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Transportation Committee and was reelected this past November. If he wins the nomination and the general election, his state senate seat will be vacant after he is sworn in and there will need to be a caucus to fill the remainder of the term. The brother of Vice President Mike Pence, Greg Pence, may also seek the nomination in the 6th district. In the 4th district, former Pence aide Diego Morales announced his candidacy this past week. Former State Representative Steve Braun, brother of Mike Braun, is considering a run as well. Steve Braun is currently the head of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. He would need to leave that post in the Holcomb Administration if he runs for Congress. State Senator Brandt Hershman announced he will not run for congress. Contact Matthew D. Whetstone, Principal – e: [email protected] p: (317) 501- 2790 Michael R. O’Brien, Executive Vice President – e: [email protected] p: (317) 796-5710 Tyler O. Starkey, Policy Advisor and General Counsel – e: [email protected] p: (317) 694-1693 June 1, 2017 Page 2 of 2 .

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