Tully: The important Indiana bills you might not know about

What I’m about to say will probably lead you to suggest that I need better hobbies, but one of my favorite January rituals is to spend quality time going through the hundreds of bills filed by lawmakers at the Statehouse.

When I do this, I’m not looking for the big bills that will get plenty of attention in the coming months (the state budget, major education initiatives and tax proposals, for instance) but rather for the type of hidden gems that might seem minor but actually address a serious topic — or at least mattered enough for a legislator to file it.

While scanning through a few hundred bills, you will find some that seem silly (such as one designating the Say's Firefly as Indiana’s official insect) until you do some research and learn about the high school biology students pushing for it. And, of course, you’ll find plenty of bills that might make you want to bang your head on the table and yell: “This is what you’re spending your precious time on?”

Others, however, make you think. And they make you glad that there are lawmakers who offer ideas that matter to their communities and that could actually make Indiana a better place.

Take House Bill 1207, filed recently by Rep. Lloyd Arnold, a Republican from Crawford County. Arnold’s bill would allow development districts, funded by taxes collected within them, for downtown Main Streets in small Indiana communities. Indiana is filled with small towns struggling to be reborn in the 21st century, and their decline has revealed a lot of untapped potential around the state. A focus on the unique struggles facing these communities, and offering them a chance to help themselves, seems like a wonderful idea.

Or House Bill 1174, from Rep. Wes Culver, a Republican from Elkhart County. Culver’s bill would create the Indiana bicycle trail task force and charge it with developing “actionable concepts to connect existing bicycle trails,” and finding ways to fund the effort. In a state with a growing but somewhat uncoordinated bike trail philosophy — and a lot of rankings that should be pushing us to embrace things like biking — this seems like another great idea worth exploring.

As does House Bill 1184, from Lake County Democrat Linda Lawson. The bill would order the Hoosier Lottery Commission to create a scratch-off ticket program to benefit veterans, pumping profits into a relief fund for military families. A similar program in Illinois raised more than $8 million in its second year. Given how much service members and their families sacrifice, this bill deserves consideration.

Same with House Bill 1179, from Terre Haute Democrat Clyde Kersey, which would extend the close of Election Day voting hours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Given the long lines at many precincts and the hectic schedules of many working parents, our early closing time no longer makes sense. Yes, as with most bills, this one would require some juggling to make it work, but the goal of making voting more convenient is a great one.

In the Senate, Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, introduced Senate Bill 17, which seeks to inject sense into Indiana’s fireworks laws by giving local communities the right to limit the days and hours in which your neighbors can shoot off fireworks. Listen, I love fireworks. But fireworks at 2 a.m? A week after July 4th? Come on, let’s get back to local control. If ever a bill needed to pass, it’s this one.

Senate Bill 29 is one of those bills that is great in concept but perhaps not in execution. It would require every high school to offer a class on Indiana studies. I love the idea of Hoosiers knowing more about our history and better appreciating what Indiana offers the world. But decisions like this are probably best left to local schools, school boards, families and students.

Another bill, Senate Bill 141, would cost Indiana government millions up front, but could perhaps do a tremendous amount of good and pay off in the years to come. Sen. Lonnie Randolph’s bill would give small businesses a tax credit for hiring men and women returning from military service, as well as veterans collecting unemployment. Businesses could reduce their tax bills by up to $100,000 annually, or $3,000 per full-time hire. Those hires, of course, would reduce unemployment claims and add to the income tax base.

One of my favorite bills, and, thus, also one of the least likely to pass, comes from Democratic Sen. Mark Stoops. Senate Bill 394 follows years of increased logging in Indiana forests and simply requires from the state Department of Natural Resources a cost-benefit analysis of “the removal of merchantable timber from state forests.” Wouldn’t it be nice to have a better idea of the long-term costs, economically and environmentally, of all the logging the state is allowing?

When it comes to legislation, there are always factors that complicate the situation — even the best bills come with unintended consequences and costs that must be considered. But at a time when political dysfunction is leading to a lot of bad ideas and actions, it’s nice to see that there are still plenty of bills aimed at improving our state.

If you’re looking for a good bill, here’s a tip: Find those that steer clear of partisanship, hot-button issues and matters that simply divide us. Stay away from those things, and there’s a good chance you’ll find a good bill.

Thank you for reading. Please follow me on Twitter: @matthewltully.