Balancing the Powers of Indiana Government

by State Senator Vaneta Becker

To ensure the governor is communicating with members of the General Assembly during disaster emergencies, HB 1123 would create the Legislative State of Emergency Advisory Group. The 10-member bipartisan group would consult with and advise the governor during emergencies that the Legislative Council determines have a statewide impact, and would share information with other legislators about the emergency.

Additionally, if the governor declares a state of emergency that the Legislative Council determines has a statewide impact, HB 1123 authorizes the Legislative Council to convene an emergency session of the General Assembly at their discretion.

Finally, under HB 1123, all federal stimulus dollars that the state can spend at its discretion would be subject to legislative oversight.

My colleagues and I are also working to pass legislation this session that would create an appeals process for local health department actions during emergencies; allow compassionate visitation in nursing homes; protect religious freedom during emergencies; and improve oversight of our elections.

House Bill 1197 would declare the renamed P-47 Thunderbolt “Hoosier Spirit II” as the official state aircraft. Formerly known as Tarheel Hal, the Hoosier Spirit II is one of the nearly 6,300 P-47 aircrafts produced during World War II at the Republic Aviation Plant in Evansville. The aircraft now resides at the Evansville Wartime Museum following its return on Oct. 15, 2020.

In 2015, I authored legislation that made the P-47 Thunderbolt the official state aircraft, but now that one has returned home to Evansville, I’m happy to sponsor legislation that would specifically designate the Hoosier Spirit II P-47 Thunderbolt as the new state aircraft.

These planes made major contributions to our state’s economy and operations during World War II. I’m pleased to see such strong support for this legislation that honors our Hoosiers – the P-47 is a true symbol of Evansville’s American spirit and will be a great icon for years to come.

Now, the Evansville P-47 Foundation is fundraising to repaint the aircraft to better reflect Indiana’s history and its origins. In addition to the Hoosier Spirit II’s redesign, the foundation is also seeking donations for maintenance expenses to keep the plane in Vanderburgh County.

Contributions can be made here. For updates on the P-47 Foundation, visit BringEvansvilleP47Home.org.

HB 1197 will now move to the full Senate for further consideration.

To learn more about HB 1197, click here.