Jim Bratten
The 2019 legislative session has been filled with more progressive nonsense than in previous years. Whatever the reason, there’s fewer conservatives in the party, as evidenced by the serving governor.
Republican super-majorities exist in both the Indiana House and Indiana Senate, and have for years, but you cannot discern this if you examine the legislation proposed by these Republicans. In recent years, the Indiana GOP failed to reject the indoctrination of Common Core; beat down a popular amendment to the state’s constitution supporting traditional marriage; and completely botched a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). How do you fail to support a law that mirrored existing federal law and overwhelmingly ensured First Amendment rights?
The 2019 session began with Republicans introducing bills to benefit illegal aliens. HB (House Bill) 1030, SB (Senate Bill) 138, and SB 335 would grant in-state tuition benefits to illegal aliens attending public colleges and universities. For Indiana University, in-state tuition amounts to a publicly-funded subsidy of $24,776 per year!
Then there was another “feel good” bill, the misguided, misnamed “hate crimes” (actually a politically-correct “thought crimes” attempt) SB 12, apparently written because the governor didn’t want Indiana to be one of five states that didn’t have one… or NEED one. There’s no justification for it.
A “School Safety” bill, SB 266, sets up a commission to “develop and coordinate… children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health… comprehensive mental health services… from birth through twenty-two years of age…” It provides “mental health screening,” etc., and a vast database that collects “mental health” opinions about children, incorporating SEL (Social Emotional Learning). More data collection and testing = less learning.
Welcome to the new Progressive-Republican Party of Indiana and its identity politics.
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