With the start of the second half of the legislative session, the Senate started its deliberations on bills that were introduced and passed in the House and conversely, the House started consideration of Senate bills. It was a quiet week with few committee meetings and very little legislative action, which is a normal sequence of evens for the week after a Third Reading deadline.  

We testified in opposition of House Bill 1053 in the Senate Committee on Commerce and Technology on Thursday. As a reminder, HB 1053 preempts local authority concerning plastic grocery bags and sets a dangerous precedent while trouncing on the Indiana Home Rule statute. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 6-4.

The Indiana Law Blog covered the issue here.

Upcoming Next Week

The “No-More-Stringent-Than” bill, HB 1082, authored by Rep. Dave Wolkins (R-Winona Lake) will be heard in the Senate Environmental Affairs on Monday morning. CAC will again join a large coalition of organizations and individuals opposing the bill, led by Hoosier Environmental Council.

The Senate will discuss HB 1053 on Second Reading later in the week.

Respectfully Submitted,
Lindsay Shipps
Government Affairs