Drawing close to the 2015 legislative session

With the end of session drawing near, there are still many bills going through the legislative process and making their way to the governor’s desk. Many important pieces of legislation like the Indiana budget requires extensive discussion and debate and will not be finalized until the very end of our time here.

There are many factors to consider when crafting the state’s spending and savings plan for the next two years. Overall, our goal is to pass an honestly balanced budget with no tax increases that funds our state’s priorities, mainly education and public safety. While the budget includes additional funding for several public safety initiatives, I was also proud to work on several bills this session towards this goal.

Currently, Senate Bill (SB) 532, which works to combat human trafficking, is making its way through this process. As House sponsor, SB 532 would establish the Human Trafficking Prevention and Victim Assistance Fund by utilizing funds acquired from crimes involving human trafficking. Creating this fund will not only help provide victims of human trafficking with specialized services, but also works to reduce the amount of victims trafficked in Indiana.