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Saturday, April 23, 2011
Ind. Gov't. - "Major issues avoid Senate public hearing process"
Deanna Martin of the AP has this story, which is in a number of publications today. Some quotes:
Republicans who control the Indiana Senate have advanced major, politically charged proposals in the final weeks of the legislative session by inserting amendments into other bills — avoiding public hearings on issues including defunding Planned Parenthood, fining boycotting lawmakers and changing rules surrounding the indicted secretary of state.If the legislation is such a good idea, critics ask, why not go through the typical public hearing process? * * *
Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, said the Senate prefers to follow the typical legislative process: a public hearing and committee vote, followed by a second reading before the full Senate when changes can be made and then a full Senate vote.
But the five-week boycott by House Democrats earlier this session changed the timeline, Long said, giving committee chairmen less time to schedule hearings.
"This year is an unusual year, a difficult year and a compressed year because we've lost all that extra time," Long said. "It's put us in a very unusual spot."
In the past week, the Senate used amendments to insert several controversial provisions into other bills.
The Senate put a measure to cut funding for Planned Parenthood into a bill tightening abortion restrictions. It inserted into an elections bill a provision to allow GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels to appoint a new secretary of state if Republican Charlie White, who faces charges of voter fraud, is found to have been ineligible — a move Democrats branded a power grab. And it changed the budget to provide a way to fine boycotting lawmakers, a direct response to the House Democrats' walkout. * * *
Sen. Mike Young, a Republican from Indianapolis who sponsored the amendments to change the secretary of state rules and add fines for boycotting legislators, noted that the bills haven't finished their legislative journey. They could get public hearings as Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate try to work out compromises before the session ends Friday. [ILB: Hearings would be surprising to many] * * *
[Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington] chalks up the Senate's recent actions to new, more conservative members who she said may not understand the Senate's history and tradition of civility.
"What's happened this week would never have happened in the Senate five or 10 years ago," she said. "It really has shown that the Senate has changed."
Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 23, 2011 12:48 PM
Posted to Indiana Government