Inaugural 2015 Legislative Breakfast: Council president, mayors, object to “predatory” designation

For the first time in (known) history, legislators representing Dubois County — two state senators and two state representatives — are all Republicans. In addition, one member from each House hails from Jasper.

All four were in attendance last Saturday at the Jasper Chamber of Commerce/VUJC-sponsored legislative breakfast held in the CTEM (technology center) at the college. Despite temperatures hovering around 5 degrees with a wind chill of -14, most of the seats in the theater were filled, some with elected officials and others with interested constituents.

State Representative Lloyd Arnold (District 74-Marengo) noted, “The first time I did one of these [legislative panels] there was over 70 years of legislative experience up here. Now, there’s eight.”

Arnold just began his second, four year term. State Senator Mark Messmer (District 48-Jasper) boasts the other six years, but it was garnered on the House side. He started his inaugural term in the state senate last week. Messmer replaced Sen. Lindel Hume, who retired and was himself replaced as State Representative District 63 by Mike Braun, also from Jasper. The fourth panel member, newly elected State Senator Erin Houchin (District 47-Salem) defeated Richard Young in November.

While each outlined their legislative agendas and shared committee assignments, much of the follow up Q and A revealed what Dubois County residents are interested in.

Ferdinand Town Council President Ken Sicard voiced concern about Senate Bill 309. The recently introduced piece of legislation provides that after May 12, a municipality that: (1) owns and operates an electric utility; and (2) annexes an area beyond the assigned service area of its municipally owned electric utility, may not petition the utility regulatory commission (IURC) to change the assigned service area of the municipally owned electric utility to include the annexed area according to certain procedures permitted under current law.

“This would be a definite detriment to incorporated communities,” Sicard explained.

Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz had just received his copy of Electric Consumer magazine, a publication of Indiana Rural Electric Cooperatives, in which an article calls municipalities “predators.” Seitz said he didn’t know he was a predator and was also shocked to learn “You’ve been nothing but trouble since we formed in 1942,” from the local REC.

He told legislators that since his election, he has been unaware of any territory problems with the electric cooperative. “It’s very, very sad, for Huntingburg, Ferdinand and Jasper. And I find I’m a predator,” He added.

Seitz and Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner are serving their first terms, but Sicard has been an elected official for almost 16 years and says the only time during his tenure that any REC territory was acquired to be served by Ferdinand, it was at the REC’s request, in this case Southern Indiana Power headquartered in Tell City.

Spinner added, “The predatory label is completely unjustified.” He, too, has had no direct dealings with the Co-op.

Ironically, both Seitz and Sicard are REC customers at their homes.

Seitz said he hopes the bill introduced by Senator Crider, “doesn’t restrict its [Indiana’s] most dynamic cities and towns.”

This all appeared to be news to the state officials, who offered very little comment.

They did, however, share some of the issues each is working on personally.

Rep. Lloyd Arnold reports that government transparency, a balanced budget and public safety are his top priorities.

One of the bills he has in the works would help make up for lost revenue in counties with state or federally owned land. Perry County for example, includes 40 percent of federally-owned land a/k/a the Hoosier National Forest, so he proposes grants for those counties taking this type of loss on property taxes.

He also wants to require all members of the State Board of Education to have an education-related background, much as the requirements for the State Board of Medicine or Board of Realtors. Currently only four members must come from education, which is one reason Arnold believes educators complain, “No one listens to us.”

In addition, Arnold is working on legislation to offer tax holidays and eliminate textbook fees (not by taking it from the current budget but by providing additional funding).

Rep. Arnold also suggested a couple of his bills might be controversial. As vice-chair of the Natural Resources committee, he opposes “canned” hunting and would like to banish the practice. He also wants to make Indiana a Constitutional Carry state for firearms. When a state or other jurisdiction has adopted Constitutional Carry, it is legal for law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun, firearm, or other weapon concealed with or without an applicable permit or license.

After only four days in, Rep. Mike Braun said he was still trying to learn which way to turn after entering the Statehouse. He did not request the assignment, but was put on the Ways and Means committee (with an MBA from Harvard, this may have only been a surprise to Braun). While 80 percent of his time has been spent dealing with that committee, one of his goals is a revision of the funding formula for Indiana’s Department of Transportation. “Roads and transportation are pressing issues regionally and maintenance and construction are underfunded,” he asserted.

Braun, who owns a transportation logistics company, said it would seem semi-tractors do the most damage to roadways and some sort of user fee would be appropriate. He would favor it but does not know how his fellow trucking company owners would view the charge.

He is concerned about public health and health care costs and the lack of transparency. A routine colonoscopy can cost $1,000 at one hospital and $6,000 at another.

Braun is also working on changing the assessment on farm acres, and reducing the cost of higher education, as well as increasing technical education opportunities.

Messmer is working on legislation to add PSC and other telecommunication entities to a state code that prohibits charging easement fees to utilities when they cross state-owned land. The fee is prohibitive to extending broadband, especially in rural areas. Also on revising language so the Coal-Gasification plant in Spencer County to be developed by Leucadia can move forward, a bill to protect LP gas suppliers and put them on an even footing with natural gas suppliers as to liability, and a bill concerning makeup and appointees for library boards.

Houchin said she is the “new kid on the block,” although she interned as a senior in college in 1999 and worked for Senator Dan Coats. Her focus is on education, child safety, economic development and local government. She has filed a bill to move the IREAD-3 test to second grade to allow more time for remediation and add classroom time for third graders. She is also working on improving processes for local governments, shoring up legislation for child exploitation and working on ways to facilitate expansion of rural broadband, including streamlining the permit process. “I’m just very excited to get she started,” she noted, “and to listen this first session and learn.”