State Rep. Gail Riecken’s Report From The Statehouse
INDIANAPOLIS — Every legislative session defines itself by the bills it hears.
This session, the Indiana House of Representatives has passed out notable bills on transparency and access to public records and efficiency measures.
A favorite bill of mine, House Bill 1164, has been killed as per some in the Senate relay to me and it truly protected elected officials from being wrongly accused of fraud by the State Board of Accounts by giving them access to data bases they cannot access now. It got wrapped up in politics and turf battles—pure and simple.
House Bill 1019, the body camera bill, is in the Senate and is scheduled for hearing this Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. EST. The bill still needs balance. I would like to see the public (other than media) reimbursed for court costs; and I like the senior judge amendment that didn’t get accepted. Here the judge has a hearing and his decision is binding. Now the public access counselor’s opinion is non-binding.
The issue of transparency and accountability was the reason I offered the amendment on 2nd reading to House Bill 2015. These particular historic preservation grants are now an equity grant awarded at the time of loan approval.
It was presented in the Ways & Means Committee without any guidelines or clawbacks for non-performance. Thanks to support of the Republican majority, that amendment is in the bill. Let’s hope it makes it through the Senate that way.
The amendment that is now included requires that these historic preservation grants from the Office of Community & Rural Affairs have an agreement with certain minimum requirements included:
a proposed timeline,  the financing plans,  construction improvement plans, and remedies, if the project does not substantially comply with the proposed plans approved by the office.
I will continue to update you on the progress of these and other legislative issues of importance to the citizens of Indiana House District 77.
Sincerely,
Gail Riecken
State Representative for District 77
