By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz
IndyPoltics.Org

I have to give it to Indiana lawmakers. Just when I think they are about to do something that is not only silly, but politically short-sighted, they pull themselves back from the brink. In this case, it was the marriage amendment.

Abdul Hakim-Shabazz is an attorney and the editor and publisher of IndyPoltics.Org.

You know what I mean. The Senate voted Monday 32-17 to pass House Joint Resolution 3 in its amended form.

The amendment originally stated “Only a marriage between one (1) man and one (1) woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.”

The House voted to remove the second sentence and the Senate decided not to change it back. By making the change and sticking with it, the lawmakers made sure HJR 3 won’t appear on the ballot at the earliest until 2016, if it does at all.  There was some talk that supporters would have tried try to defeat it on the Senate floor, but that was only talk.

By punting this issue – which by the way is not the first time, because they did it about a littleover a year ago – we can now truly focus on things that matter.

State revenues are coming up short again, so that will have a serious impact on Indiana’s financial health. Officials are trying to figure out what to do about the possible reduction/elimination of the business personal property tax and minimize the impact on local governments. Early childhood education and the skills gap are always major concerns. Mass transit is an issue. We need to continue to reform the criminal code. We have to figure out a long-term solution on how to pay for roads with less revenue coming from gas taxes as we drive more fuel efficient cars. And Sunday alcohol sales would be nice too.

Okay, I had to throw that one in.

This is not to say these issues aren’t being addressed, but let’s face, HJR 3 was the 362-kilogram gorilla in the room that was sucking up all the oxygen; which is really annoying for an issue that wasn’t supposed to a priority.

And if this issue comes up again in 2015 or 2016, the time and trends work against HJR 3 supporters.  According to Gallup, back in 1996, nearly 70 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage; the most recent poll put support at 52 percent.  HJR 3 supporters know this, which is why they had been trying to move heaven and earth to get this on the ballot because they know they were running up against the clock and time was not on their side.

I’ll be shocked if this issue comes up ever again. It is a giant waste of time and distracts from the real work lawmakers are doing that actually helps create jobs, improves the state’s economic environment and improves the quality of education. Those are the types of things that will make Indiana a much better place to live and will carry it into the future.  HJR 3 did none of that. Good riddance to bad idea. And even if it was only kicked down a couple years, in reality it was pushed that much closer to ashes of history.

Abdul is an attorney and the editor and publisher of IndyPoltics.Org. He is also a frequent contributor to numerous Indiana media outlets. He can be reached at abdul@indypolitics.org.

TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – The transition to civilian life can be difficult for military veterans.

After being subject to a strict schedule in almost every aspect of their lives, they finally have the opportunity to make decisions for themselves – a freedom that can be invigorating but also daunting.

And one of the major choices many veterans must face immediately after leaving the service is which career path to pursue.

Senate Bill 331, authored by state Sen. Susan Glick, R-LaGrange, aims to help.

The bipartisan legislation passed through the Indiana House of Representatives on Thursday and would give veterans an incentive to choose education as a profession.

“We’re trying to make it a little simpler for the transition for these veterans to get their degree and be able to go into teaching,” said the bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Dennis Zent, R-Angola.

The bill, backed by the Indiana State Teachers Association and State Superintendent Glenda Ritz requires public universities to award educational credit to veterans for courses they took while in the service. It also requires state institutions to award educational credit to current military members taking courses from other schools.

Kellard Townsend, a soldier-turned-teacher at North Central High School, said the program is a good idea.

“No soldier like to redo things,” he said. “I think it’s good that there is an incentive there.”

Townsend, a former Army lieutenant, began his military career in the ROTC and chose to pursue teaching because he had already completed some introductory courses.  During his stint in the Army, he was exposed to different types of instructors and was given some leadership opportunities.

Townsend said that these experiences make for a good teacher. He also said that because of their time spent in the military, soldiers tend to be “a little more worldly.”

After his time in the Army, Townsend attended Indiana University and graduated with a degree in American Studies.

Zent echoed Townsend’s views. “We get veterans, typically a mature person, you know. Everybody has their people that maybe are outliers, but by in large pretty mature people come back interested in something. If we can facilitate that and get them on a track, I think it would be an ideal person to be a teacher,” he said.

“They don’t just have a small view, they’ve usually been some place and done some things. I think it would be hugely beneficial for the students that they are going to be teaching later on also,” Zent said.

When asked why he sponsored the bill, Zent proudly raised his black and gold U.S. Army necktie to signify his former service.

Zent, a dual veteran, spent time in both the Army and the U.S. Air Force and understands all too well the transition period to civilian life.

“When you get separated from the service, you come back and about the only thing you want to do is be with your family and get your life going,” he said. “I think during your time in service, you’ve acquired some education, you can get them online, you can take courses… some of these are history courses. You should be able to take those credits with you.”

The surge of Baby Boomers retiring from the teaching profession was the main reason legislators chose education as the bill’s focal point.

“Baby Boomers, which I’m one, are getting to the point, we’re going to see that in the teaching profession, they’re going to start retiring. Huge numbers. When they are retiring, how are we going to backfill on that?” Zent said.

While addressing the members of the House on Thursday, Rep. Karlee Macer, D-Indianapolis, shared statistics regarding the amount of veterans enrolled in Indiana public universities.  Indiana University currently has 500 veterans, Ball State has 449, and Purdue has 279.

Rep. John Bartlett, D-Indianapolis, also spoke to the House and expressed his support for the legislation. “I think that we can sit in places such as this, not worrying about bombs being dropped, someone attacking us, because the jobs that are men and women do in our military. I am not a veteran, but I can never show enough appreciation for our veterans of this great state and this great country,” he said.

The bill now moves back to the Senate where lawmakers will consider the changes made by the House.

Jacob Rund is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College Journalism students.