Sen. Becker’s statement on conclusion of this year’s session

Statement from Sen. Becker
State Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville) made the following statement today regarding the
conclusion of this year’s legislative session and the passage of several important bills:

“This session, the Indiana General Assembly passed a variety of bills to benefit Hoosiers.

“Many states across the country, including Indiana, have been experiencing problems presented by under-funded roads. As a result, lawmakers passedHouse Enrolled Act 1001 and Senate Enrolled Act 67, which work together to provide $1 billion for state and local road projects over the next two years without raising state taxes or creating new state debt.

“In response to problems with homes in my district that were built over underground mines, I authored Senate Enrolled Act 336. This passed the legislature and enables owners of homes built over formerly mined land to be eligible for mine subsidence insurance coverage.

“Another initiative that I authored and passed was Senate Enrolled Act 172, which allows private clubs, such as Germania Maennerchor, to open their doors to the public four times a month, while relaxing the weekly stipulation. Private clubs that had tried to schedule their guest nights four nights in a row kept running into a lot of red tape. This bill will open up the opportunity for these clubs to host festival events that are open to the public without running into any costly regulations.

“Lastly, I am pleased the funding for a third Regional Cities grant was approved, which funds 19 projects in Southwest Indiana to improve livability and connectivity, attract talent and workforce into the area, and leverage the new IU School of Medicine facility in downtown Evansville.

“We’ve been very busy these past few months, and I am pleased with the outcome. These bills were the right thing to do for our state and show that lawmakers heard the most immediate concerns of their constituents.”