Mike Wolanin | The Republic State Sen. Greg Walker addresses issues related to legislation concerning teacher’s pay and public education during a Third House session with state legislators in the council chambers at Columbus City Hall in Columbus, Ind., Monday, March 25, 2019.
Third House will return this month in virtual format to allow local residents to directly ask questions about what legislators are considering at the Indiana Statehouse.
The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce will host its first virtual Third House Session of the year at 8 a.m. Jan. 24. Two more sessions are planned at 8 a.m. Feb. 7 and Feb. 28.
“The Third House Sessions provide an outstanding opportunity for constituents to hear directly from the state legislators who represent Bartholomew County as the legislation is moving through the two chambers,” chamber officials said. “Third House is free and the public is encouraged to attend.”
Registration is available on the chamber’s website.
Chamber President Cindy Frey said that state representatives and state senators who represent Bartholomew County (or portions of it) will be invited the sessions. Members of the public who have questions for the legislators should email them to [email protected] in advance of each session, according to the chamber’s website.
Past sessions have included Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus, and Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus.
Frey said the upcoming session will begin with remarks from each legislator on their priorities, expectations and the legislation they’ve personally sponsored.
“Then we’ll turn to the Q&A and go through the list of questions and things that are of concern to our constituents,” she said. “The Chamber of Commerce has 600 members, and there are several really interesting things going through the legislative process this year.”
The chamber noted in its release that business and workforce-related topics to come before the session include “government mandates that prevent businesses from making autonomous decisions about vaccination requirements for employees,” remote workforce attraction incentives, promotion of entrepreneurship, child care access and quality, possible changes to Tax Court, tax structure and support for electric vehicle initiatives.
“Last year, the attendance on Zoom was so much greater than when we had held these in person,” Frey said. “And it’s one of the reasons we decided to go virtual again, because it just seems very convenient for people. It’s a Monday morning, so especially for our business members, the constituents we primarily serve, they can get to their desk on a Monday morning, flip on Zoom, listen, flip through some emails. So it’s convenient.”
She also said that a “major driver” for the virtual format is the desire to keep the community safe amid the pandemic.
In addition to the three chamber sessions, Dakota Hudelson with the Columbus Educators’ Association said that the group is looking to once again hold an education-focused virtual Third House in the near future. The CEA is tentatively looking to hold the session at 9 a.m. Feb. 18, though this could change pending certain logistical details.
The CEA and Bartholomew County Retired Teachers Association previously co-hosted and moderated a Third House in February 2021, with Walker and Lauer attending virtually. The event, held over Zoom and open to the public, focused specifically on education-related legislation and issues. After answering questions from the moderators on legislation and budgeting, the two legislators also fielded questions from the public.
Proposed legislation for the 2022 session includes several education-related bills on topics such as public comment at school board meetings, political affiliations of board candidates, curriculum, mask mandates and other COVID protocols, parental rights and textbook fees.
