Session Update: Halfway Point

Session Update: Halfway Point

Monday, March 2, 2015

As the Indiana General Assembly begins the second half of the 2015 legislative session it is important to take a step back and assess what we have accomplished so far. The following agenda items contain some of the most noteworthy legislative proposals to date:

Improving Education Governance

State Sen. Travis Holdman (R-Markle) authored Senate Bill 1, which seeks to improve the effectiveness of the Indiana State Board of Education. SB 1 would create more balance in Board membership by reducing the number of appointments by the Governor and adding bipartisan legislative appointments. The bill would also allow Board members to choose their own chairperson to lead the meetings. It is in the interest of all Hoosiers to have a fully functional, effective State Board of Education, and these changes will encourage cooperation by giving multiple state leaders a stake in the Board makeup.

Supporting Indiana Teachers

Senate Bill 566, authored by State Sens. Ryan Mishler (R-Bremen) and Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville), responds to concerns from parents and educators about over-testing in schools. The bill aims to streamline student testing by replacing ISTEP+ and I-READ with one national testing product that will be easier for schools to administer. This bill would also make more teachers eligible for School Performance Grant bonuses and would allow school boards to make up to half of these bonuses part of teachers’ permanent salaries.

Protecting Religious Freedom

Senate Bill 101, known as the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), is modeled after the federal RFRA passed by Congress in 1993, as well as the RFRA’s in 19 other states. The proposed Indiana RFRA says that the state government cannot substantially burden the exercise of religion unless the government has a compelling reason and acts in the least restrictive way possible. This test will provide heightened protection for religious liberty when courts consider the legality of government actions.

To stay up to date on the progress of these and other bills, visit www.iga.in.gov.