STATEHOUSE (Nov. 20, 2019) — State Sen. Chris Garten (R-Charlestown) gathered with fellow legislators yesterday at the Statehouse for Organization Day – the ceremonial start of the Indiana General Assembly.
Organization Day marks the annual first roll call of all state lawmakers. This day also provides each Senate and House of Representatives caucus with the opportunity to gather before session officially reconvenes in January. By state law, the 2020 session will conclude on or before March 14.
“Last session, we made important progress passing legislation that supports our Hoosier students and educators by increasing K-12 funding by an additional $763 million,” Garten said. “Indiana now devotes a total of $17.4 billion, or 50.1% of our General Fund, to K-12 education; which is a higher percentage of funds spent on education than all other states in the nation with the exception of two.”
“Additionally, we supported Hoosier veterans by passing legislation that now guarantees all veterans’ pensions are tax free, and we continue to address the opioid epidemic with legislation that focuses on prevention, treatment and enforcement. As I begin my second session representing Senate District 45, I look forward to continuing to be accessible and continuing to engage in conversations with all constituents, while supporting legislation that puts Hoosiers first.”
As the 2020 session gets underway, Garten encourages residents of Senate District 45 to contact him with any questions or comments they may have. Garten can be reached via email at Senator.Garten@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.
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