Introduced, debated but not passed in the General Assembly

Not every bill introduced gains the traction needed to get to the governor’s desk. Many times, a proposed new law fails to get a committee hearing, or it stalls once it reaches the floor. Other times, as a measure progresses through the Statehouse, it ignites disagreements that are ultimately too much to overcome.

Here are a couple notable bills that stumbled during the 2019 General Assembly.

SB 279 – Waiver

This bill was promoted as a response to the shooting at Noblesville West Middle School in May 2018 that severely injured science teacher Jason Seaman and student Ella Whistler. The Hamilton County prosecutor complained that under Indiana law, his office could not charge the 13-year-old shooter as an adult.

Legislators proposed Senate Bill 279, which added language that allowed juveniles as young as 12 years old charged with attempted murder to be waived to adult court. Although the measure breezed through the Senate, it met a strong headwind in the House as state and national groups vocally opposed the bill, and the Courts and Criminal Code Committee declined to schedule it for a hearing.

Undeterred, the waiver provision was inserted into House Bill 1114. But even though the amendment to include the new provision prevailed on a voice vote, the final version signed into law did not contain the waiver language.

HB 1495 – Land contracts

Hearing a constituent’s story prompted the drafting of House Bill 1495. Clark County native Aaron Fairbanks eventually testified at the Statehouse, sharing his childhood memories of moving from house to house and attending multiple schools because his family chased the dream of homeownership by entering into land contracts. Despite making significant and costly improvements to the residences, the family would lose the house, as well as the equity they had invested when they fell behind in the monthly payments.

The measure was supported by housing advocates, who saw it as a way to tame predatory rent-to-own contracts that often trap low-income buyers into agreements that cost them great amounts of money and leave them with nothing.

After moving through both chambers, the bill returned to the House, where a dissent was filed to the Senate amendments. The divisions continued into the respective conference committees, where they could not be overcome, killing the legislation.

HB 1090 – Blocked crossings

For motorists stopped at a railroad crossing, waiting for the long line of cars to clear the tracks, this bill would have provided a welcomed relief. House Bill 1090 was meant to improve safety by prohibiting trains from blocking crossings for more than 10 minutes with informing emergency personnel. Although the measure picked up some bipartisan support, it never got out of committee.•