State legislators representing the Columbus area will take questions from the public and talk about key issues facing Indiana in a Third House preview session as the General Assembly returns in session next week.
On Tuesday, Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus; Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour; Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus; and Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, will be at Donner Center, 739 22nd St., from 7:30 to 9 a.m. for a special preview Third House Session sponsored by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and hosted by The Republic. The event is free and open to the public.
The public is encouraged to submit questions in advance to the legislators, said Cindy Frey, president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce. Questions may be submitted to Republic editor Julie McClure at [email protected] by noon Monday.
“People will get to hear from many of our legislators,” Frey said. “Most of them will be there to talk about what they’re most dedicated to see passed this year. Some are sponsoring legislation.”
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Elected officials are planning to take up a wide range of issues during the upcoming legislative session, which begins Monday and continues to March 12, but rising health care costs are likely to be a prime topic for legislators.
“I think it’s going to be the No. 1 issues of the session,” Walker said of health care costs. “It’s what’s on everyone’s mind. That’s what I’m hearing from constituents. …There are inexplicable forces that are raising costs beyond cost-of-living growth, well beyond our historical costs. It’s become a greater part of everyone’s budget. That is an impediment to growth.”
Additionally, Walker said election cybersecurity is one of the topics he plans to focus on during the next legislative session in an effort to guard against cyber threats and bolster voter confidence.
“We’re trying to help people in our counties who run the elections face those threats proactively,” Walker said.
Lauer said infant health care and college tuition assistance for the children of disabled veterans are among the topics he plans to focus on during the next legislative session.
Lauer said he filed a bill Monday that would add adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, to Indiana’s newborn screening law, which requires that every baby born in the state for 49 conditions, including sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, among others, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
ALD is rare but deadly genetic brain disorder that destroys the protective sheath around the brain’s neurons, according to the Stop ALD Foundation. Though the disorder is not currently included in Indiana’s newborn screening law, the condition is on a list of recommended screenings by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“I’m looking to get that (bill) put on the books so we can protect those kids,” Lauer said. “This is a condition that, if treated early, can have very positive outcomes. If not diagnosed, it can very well lead to death and very serious life-threatening conditions.”
Lucas said he plans to focus mainly on guns, marijuana and schools during the next legislative session.
Last month, he announced plans to introduce two bills that would legalize medical marijuana across Indiana and reduce penalties for possessing less than one ounce of the drug to the level of a “seat belt violation.”
“I’m introducing medical cannabis legislation and also another bill that takes possession of less than an ounce and/or paraphernalia down to a (Class) D infraction, which is basically a $25 fine,” Lucas said.
Besides attempting to relax some of the state’s marijuana laws, Lucas said he plans to reintroduce a bill that would allow state-funded handgun training for teachers who are permitted by their school boards to carry weapons on school grounds.
Another issue Lucas said he hopes to focus on involves “tightening up” the state’s red flag law, which allows a police officer to confiscate a person’s firearms with or without a warrant if a risk to public safety can be demonstrated.
By “tightening up” the law, Lucas said he hopes to pass some accountability measures to guard against false accusations.
“If you knowingly or intentionally falsely accuse somebody that puts them on the radar of local police or prosecutors and, God forbid, they have their personal property (guns) confiscated, you should be held accountable,” Lucas said.
Frey said the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce does not take political positions on legislation or candidates for public office, but strives to hold forums to give the public a chance to meet their legislators face to face.
“It’s nice to live in a community where you can get to know the people who represent you,” Frey said. “You can meet them. They can meet you and you can have a face-to-face conversation. That is what democracy is all about.”
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Questions for legislators can be submitted via email to Julie McClure, editor of The Republic, at [email protected]. Deadline to submit a question is noon Monday.
Please include a name and contact phone number with your question.
For more information: 812-379-5631.
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What: Special Third House Preview Session
When: 7:30 to 9 a.m. Tuesday
Where: Donner Center, 739 22nd St.
Visit business.columbusareachamber.com/events/details/legislative-preview-a-special-third-house-session-3369 for more information.
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Upcoming 2020 Third House sessions will be Monday, Feb. 10 and Monday, March 9, both at Donner Center.
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