By Sen. Erin Houchin
The 2021 Legislative Session has now concluded, and I’m proud of the work we were able to accomplish for Hoosiers. We maintained our commitment to responsible fiscal discipline by passing a balanced two-year state budget that provides record funding to K-12 education, including $1.9 billion in new dollars, and accounting for over half of our entire state budget. We did this while cutting over $1 billion in state debt, supporting small businesses and local economies, and making new investments toward critical broadband infrastructure expansion.
We also passed legislation to allow the General Assembly to play a more active role in decision-making during statewide emergencies, ensuring no single individual has complete control in long-term crises, and your locally elected officials have a seat at the table. This legislation creates a 10-member bipartisan group to consult with and advise the governor during emergencies and authorizes the General Assembly to convene for an emergency session. Over the past year, we have seen multiple decisions made on our behalf by the governor and local un-elected health officers. We must bring the General Assembly into the process to provide advice and consent in decisions being made on behalf of our constituents. The pandemic has been hard on everyone, and we took steps to help protect those already critically impacted from further harm. Senate Enrolled Act 1, which I co-authored, protects business owners, schools, churches, not-for-profit organizations and individuals from frivolous lawsuits related to COVID-19, as long as they are not grossly negligent. Supporting our small businesses harmed by the pandemic by helping them recover is critical and this legislation is another tool to help in these efforts. Additionally, Senate Enrolled Act 5 provides local accountability by allowing anyone who is subject to a public emergency-related enforcement action under a local health department order to appeal their case to the relevant local legislative body.
Finally, I authored Senate Enrolled Act 352 to help facilitate broadband infrastructure expansion in unserved areas, including right here in Senate District 47. Representing a rural district, it has always been a priority of mine to ensure individuals, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities and farmers have the high-speed internet access they need. I’m proud to continue our work to expand broadband service until we reach the last mile so every Hoosier has the opportunity to access affordable and efficient broadband service.
While we have concluded our regular legislative business, our work is far from done. I will continue to champion issues that affect our local communities and look ahead to our next session. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if my office may ever be helpful.
About Sen. Houchin
Sen. Erin Houchin, R-Salem, represents Senate District 47, which includes Crawford, Orange, Harrison, Perry and Washington counties, and eastern Dubois County.