Indiana

Indiana Week in Preview

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

A lot of us will be focusing on the funeral of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer David Moore this week; however there are some other items on the radar screen that will be worth paying attention to.   I’ll likely blog more about them on Wednesday, but here’s a quick preview.

The Ten-Point Coalition, City of Indianapolis and a number of other neighborhood and community organizations are expected to hold a news conference this morning announcing steps to crack down on violence and the illegal possession of handguns.  I’ve spoken to a number of organizers about recent events in Indianapolis and they say it’s time for the community to have some frank and harsh discussions about how to crackdown on violence.

The State Chamber of Commerce is expected to release a poll today showing wide support across Indiana for “right to work” legislation.   Under “right to work” an individual cannot be compelled to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment.  The Chamber has been pushing “right to work” as part of its legislative agenda, saying it will create jobs.  Unions oppose it saying it will depress wages and harm workers.  The Governor’s Office has been cool to the idea.

Expect a contentious hearing this week on immigration reform.  Republican Sate Senator Mike Delph’s immigration bill is expected to get  a hearing this week and security at the Statehouse is expected to be tight.  Delph’s bill would parallel Arizona’s immigration law.  Senate Pro Tempore David Long told the media late last week that while he opposes illegal immigration he wants a bill that will be fair to businesses.  He says the legislation will likely come down do whether an employer should be fined if they are found to have intentionally hired illegal immigrants or whether they should lose their license.  There is also the question as to whether Indiana should wait until the courts decide what to do with Arizona’s immigration law.

And finally, the Indiana House of Representatives is expected to take up two major bills this week; a ban on smoking in most public places and changing Indiana’s unemployment insurance law.   The smoking ban legislation would be similar to the Marion County model, which bans smoking in most places that allow minors.  The unemployment legislation would raise premiums for some employers while reducing benefits being paid out.  The effort is necessary to close nearly $2 billion owed to the federal government for unemployment.  In addition, new rates have to be set soon so lawmakers are working on a fast deadline.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on January 31, 2011 (boomark / email).