A number of precedence objects for Northwest Indiana counties and communities, or Area lawmakers, have been among the many 79 new state legal guidelines to which Gov. Eric Holcomb inked his approval Thursday.
Altogether, the Republican chief govt up to now has signed each one of many 93 proposed statutes he is been introduced by the Republican-controlled Common Meeting.
One other 100 or so measures seemingly quickly are headed to Holcomb for his approval because the Legislature subsequent week is anticipated to complete debating its remaining laws after which adjourn for the 12 months on or earlier than April 29.
Listed below are the newest Area-related statutes to earn the governor’s signature. Until in any other case famous, every new regulation takes impact July 1.
Illiana Expressway — Senate Enrolled Act 44, championed by state Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, deletes all references in state regulation to the never-constructed Illiana Expressway, a public-private toll highway that will have linked Interstate 65 in south Lake County to Interstate 55 close to Joliet, Illinois, in an effort to alleviate through-truck congestion on the Borman Expressway.
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Niemeyer defined that eradicating the Illiana authorizing language will finish uncertainty over the Illiana that he stated has depressed property values and slowed improvement in south Lake County, since potential enterprises have been reluctant to take a position whereas ready to see if the expressway can be constructed.
Lake County authorities — Senate Enrolled Act 154 directs the county’s buying and information processing businesses stay beneath the management of the board of commissioners efficient instantly, however latest court docket rulings authorizing the county council to take cost of the departments.
Niemeyer, a former county council member, stated it does not make sense from a good-government standpoint to have the council each answerable for appropriating county funds and spending the cash. He stated contracting and buying are powers extra appropriately exercised by the commissioners, who function the county’s govt.
Tax gross sales — Senate Enrolled Acts 156 and 157 search to enhance the tax sale course of in Lake County by prohibiting people who’re barred from bidding on tax sale properties from being assigned a tax sale certificates by one other profitable bidder (156), and by giving the county new choices for disposing of land parcels with unpaid property taxes that regularly churn by way of tax gross sales (157).
Youngsters’s hospitals — Home Enrolled Act 1313 instantly ensures Northwest Indiana households coated by Medicaid proceed to have entry to kids’s hospitals in neighboring states by sustaining Indiana’s elevated cost charges for providers at out-of-state kids’s hospitals first licensed in 2021.
Annexation — Home Enrolled Act 1418 authorizes a but to be constructed residential subdivision positioned south of Aberdeen, in Porter County, to additionally make use of, efficient instantly, the voluntary annexation course of created final 12 months for the Aberdeen neighborhood to decide on to be annexed by Valparaiso, regardless of being positioned effectively exterior present metropolis limits.
Driving Shotgun with the Gary Hearth Division
PFAS discover — Home Enrolled Act 1341, spearheaded by state Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Level, mandates all firefighting gear bought in Indiana starting July 1, 2024, embrace a completely affixed label indicating whether or not it incorporates PFAS, probably cancer-causing substances, also called “perpetually chemical substances,” utilized in firefighting tools as a result of they’re heat- and moisture-resistant.
Insurance coverage fund — Senate Enrolled Act 353 establishes a course of for completely closing the funds operated by the largely inactive Indiana Political Subdivision Danger Administration Fee, and returning the $5 million remaining within the fee’s accounts to entities together with the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and town of Portage.
Housing commissioners — Senate Enrolled Act 15 permits a commissioner of a neighborhood housing authority to be paid as much as $100 per assembly, as a substitute of a most of $25, as a part of an effort, led by state Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, to entice extra people to function native housing commissioners.
Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond
1st Home District
Represents: Hammond, Whiting
Expertise: State consultant since 2018; retired Cook dinner County, Sick., probation officer
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Household, Youngsters and Human Affairs; Pure Sources
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago

State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago
2nd Home District
Represents: East Chicago, Gary (west aspect), Hammond (east aspect)
Expertise: State consultant since 2016; small enterprise proprietor
Committees: Authorities and Regulatory Reform; Roads and Transportation (rating member); Methods and Means
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary

State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary
third Home District
Represents: Gary (downtown and east aspect), Hobart, Lake Station, New Chicago
Expertise: State consultant since 2018; lawyer
Committees: Commerce, Small Enterprise and Financial Improvement (rating member); Courts and Prison Code; Authorities and Regulatory Reform
State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso

State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
4th Home District
Represents: Valparaiso, Kouts
Expertise: State consultant since 2006; aviation security advisor
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Roads and Transportation; Utilities, Power and Telecommunications (chairman)
State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan Metropolis

State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan Metropolis
ninth Home District
Represents: Michigan Metropolis, Beverly Shores, Chesterton, Lengthy Seaside
Expertise: State consultant since 2018; retired small enterprise proprietor
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Environmental Affairs; Pure Sources (rating member)
State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage

State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage
tenth Home District
Represents: Portage, Burns Harbor, Dune Acres, Ogden Dunes, Porter, South Haven
Expertise: State consultant since 2008; monetary options affiliate
Committees: Employment, Labor and Pensions; Monetary Establishments; Veterans Affairs and Public Security
State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron

State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron
eleventh Home District
Represents: Hebron, Cedar Lake, DeMotte, Lowell, Morocco, Roselawn, Schneider
Expertise: State consultant since 2014; farmer, former state environmental regulator
Committees: Agriculture and Rural Improvement (chairman); Courts and Prison Code; Environmental Affairs
State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster

State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster
twelfth Home District
Represents: Munster, Griffith, Highland
Expertise: State consultant since 2020; small businessman
Committees: Monetary Establishments (rating member); Veterans Affairs and Public Security; Methods and Means
State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary

State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary
14th Home District
Represents: Gary (south aspect), Merrillville, unincorporated Calumet Township
Expertise: State consultant since 1990; training professor at Indiana College Northwest
Committees: Training (rating member); Monetary Establishments; Native Authorities
State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville

State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville
fifteenth Home District
Represents: Dyer, Schererville, St. John
Expertise: State consultant 2012-18, reelected 2020; small enterprise proprietor
Committees: Monetary Establishments; Guidelines and Legislative Procedures; Methods and Means
State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer

State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer
sixteenth Home District
Represents: Rensselaer, Knox
Expertise: State consultant since 2022; farmer
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Environmental Affairs (vice chairman); Utilities, Power and Telecommunications
State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Level

State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Level
nineteenth Home District
Represents: Crown Level, Hobart, Lakes of the 4 Seasons, Wheeler, Winfield
Expertise: State consultant 2014-2018, reelected 2020; small enterprise proprietor
Committees: Commerce, Small Enterprise and Financial Improvement (vice chairwoman); Household, Youngsters and Human Affairs; Guidelines and Legislative Procedures
State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie

State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
twentieth Home District
Represents: LaPorte
Expertise: State consultant since 2016; small enterprise proprietor
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Authorities and Regulatory Reform; Roads and Transportation (chairman)
State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland

State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland
1st Senate District
Represents: Highland, Dyer, Griffith, Merrillville, St. John, Schererville
Expertise: State senator since 2022; undertaking supervisor
Committees: Training and Profession Improvement; Environmental Affairs; Native Authorities; Pensions and Labor
State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago

State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago
2nd Senate District
Represents: East Chicago, Hammond, Munster, Whiting
Expertise: State senator since 2008, beforehand served 1994-98; lawyer
Committees: Appropriations; Ethics (vice chairman); Insurance coverage and Monetary Establishments (rating member); Judiciary (rating member); Tax and Fiscal Coverage
State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary

State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary
third Senate District
Represents: Gary, Hobart, Lake Station, Merrillville, New Chicago
Expertise: State senator since 2016; neighborhood relations supervisor
Committees: Appropriations (rating member); Well being and Supplier Providers; Public Coverage; Tax and Fiscal Coverage
State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton

State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton
4th Senate District
Represents: Chesterton, Beverly Shores, Burns Harbor, Michigan Metropolis, Portage
Expertise: State senator since 2021; lawyer
Committees: Corrections and Prison Legislation (rating member); Ethics; Judiciary; Native Authorities (rating member); Pensions and Labor; Guidelines and Legislative Process
State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso

State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso
fifth Senate District
Represents: Valparaiso, Hebron, Jasper County, Wheeler
Expertise: State senator since 2007; lawyer
Committees: Appropriations; Well being and Supplier Providers (chairman); Guidelines and Legislative Process; Tax and Fiscal Coverage
State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell

State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell
sixth Senate District
Represents: Lowell, Cedar Lake, Crown Level, DeMotte, Winfield
Expertise: State senator since 2014, state consultant 2012-14; small enterprise proprietor
Committees: Environmental Affairs (chairman); Judiciary; Native Authorities; Tax and Fiscal Coverage
State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores

State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
eighth Senate District
Represents: LaPorte County
Expertise: State senator since 2016; advisor
Committees: Corrections and Prison Legislation; Well being and Supplier Providers; Native Authorities