The 2022 legislative session is now in full swing, and my colleagues and I are working hard to pass legislation that will continue improving our state.
One of my biggest concerns is the violent crime that has been on a consistent rise in our capitol city and state as a whole. In an effort to combat this, my fellow Marion County Republican senators and I spent the summer and fall working on five pieces of legislation we think will go a long way toward curbing this problem.
This session, I am authoring Senate Bill 8. This legislation aims to regulate charitable bail organizations by requiring they register with the Department of Insurance. SB 8 would also prohibit these organizations from bailing out individuals charged with a felony and ensure taxpayer money, in the form of crime prevention grants, is not used to post bail for criminal defendants.
Over the past year, we have seen a number of individuals released by such organizations who were given little to no supervision. They then went on to commit violent crimes. By providing some guardrails and regulations, we can try to reign in some of the violence in our community.
This is just one piece in a package of bills aimed at reducing crime. Senate Bills 6 through 10 all aim to curb crime in various ways, such as creating other bail reforms, improving ankle monitoring standards, increasing communication among law-enforcement departments and increasing officer presence in high crime areas.
In addition to these bills, I have authored Senate Bill 115 to ensure our children are properly protected. This bill would improve the background check process for working with or inside of a school corporation. I also authored Senate Bill 123, which would also ensure all Hoosier children are screened for dyslexia.
Lastly, I am aiming to help small businesses by reducing taxes on equipment, also known as business personal property. Currently, business personal property tax is applied when a business exceeds $80,000 in acquisition costs. Senate Bill 150 would raise that floor to $250,000.
As the 2022 session progresses, I encourage you to contact me with any questions or comments you may have by email at Senator.Freeman@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.
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