By State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond)
The Indiana General Assembly finished the first half of the 2024 legislative session this week. The Senate introduced 297 bills in the first half, and of those, 110 passed. Of the bills that passed, 88% received bipartisan support and 58% received unanimous support.
I authored 12 bills that passed the Senate, and I look forward to working with the House of Representatives as we navigate the second half of the legislative session. In particular, I'm pleased to see progress on the following bills.
Senate Bill 6 would require the Indiana Department of Education to develop a method to identify fourth through eighth grade students who are at risk of not being proficient in reading and guide schools to support these students in developing their literacy skills. Too many students have passed third grade despite failing the IREAD test. This bill would help schools identify these students and get them back on track to better prepare them for successful futures.
Senate Bill 183 would allow county governments to exempt mobile homes, not assessed as real property, from personal property taxation. Mobile home assessments can be more expensive to administer than the personal property tax revenue collected. By allowing county governments to not assess a mobile home for taxation, this bill could help save taxpayers and county governments more money.
Senate Bill 185 would require each Indiana school to implement a cellular device policy that appropriately limits the use of these devices in the classroom. Cellular devices can be distracting for anyone, especially students learning fundamental skills in the classroom. This bill would ensure our students are paying attention to lessons being taught in the classroom instead of their phones.
I also authored language amended into Senate Bill 140, which would authorize a person to remove debris from a stream under certain conditions without the need to obtain a permit from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. It can be a tedious and long process for someone to apply for a permit every time they need to clear streams on their property. This bill would simplify that process for Hoosier property owners.
The Senate and House of Representatives will now trade their respective bills that passed the first half of session for further consideration. Lawmakers have until March 14 to complete legislative business during the 2024 legislative session.
Legislative calendars, agendas, vote tallies and proposed legislation can be viewed online by visiting iga.in.gov.
If you have any questions or concerns on these or other topics, feel free to contact me at Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov or 317-233-0930.
-30-
State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) represents Senate District 27, which includes
Henry, Union and Wayne counties, and portions of Franklin County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
