INDIANAPOLIS – The Associated Press reported on several bills passed by the Indiana General Assembly Thursday.
County executives might replace \ncommissioners
County commissioners could be replaced with a single county executive – but only if voters and the commissioners themselves decide to make the reorganization – under a bill passed by the House on Thursday.\nThe House voted 73-25 for Senate Bill 312, which would allow a county’s three commissioners to begin the process of replacing the board of commissioners with a single person to handle the county’s executive functions. The county council would become the legislative branch of county government, and would continue to handle financial duties.\nIf commissioners approve a reorganization, the decision would then have to be affirmed by voters in a referendum. If approved, the change would occur four years later, so the earliest a county could change would be 2012.\nCreating a single county executive was among many local government reforms suggested in December by a commission headed by former Gov. Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard.\nIt might seem odd for county commissioners to want to eliminate their own jobs. But bill sponsor Rep. Win Moses, D-Fort Wayne, predicted that some future candidates \nfor county commissioner could run on a platform supporting a reorganization.\nRep. Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale, said the legislation could encourage local leaders to think about streamlining.\n“Many are fearful of what the local officials will say, but I think it’s time to take that step,” Espich said.\nSome said the bill doesn’t go far enough because it does not mandate a reorganization, but other lawmakers said they wanted people to have a voice in the process.\n“It gives the counties and the people in the counties the option,” said Rep. Suzanne Crouch, R-Evansville.\nThe bill is different than a version that previously passed the Senate, so it will likely end up in a House-Senate conference committee where lawmakers from both chambers will try to reach a compromise on the proposal.
\nBill would enact domestic violence ‘cooling off’ period
People arrested for domestic violence would have to spend at least eight hours in jail to “cool off” under a bill that the Indiana House unanimously approved Thursday.\nLawmakers said Senate Bill 27 would give those arrested time to settle down in jail, rather than seek retribution. The legislation would also give victims the time to go to shelters or find help with relatives or friends.\n“It will give people a safe place to go,” said Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond.\nAlthough there’s no statewide requirement for such cooling off period, some Indiana judges already impose similar restrictions. In some counties, however, people arrested for domestic violence can get out of jail on bond or be released without bail soon after they are charged.\nAdvocates say victims need time to locate help, pack their belongings and get their children to a safe location.\nThe bill already cleared the Senate. If the bill’s Senate sponsor agrees to a change to the bill made by the House, the bill would head to the governor for consideration.
