New laws in Indiana

Governor Holcomb has signed several bills into law recently. Here is a look at ab few of them.

STATE BUDGET/SCHOOLS

The new two-year $44.6 billion budget includes a broad expansion of eligibility for the state's private school voucher plan. It will take up more than $500 from the state's $1.5 billion set aside for k-12 funding. That will leave traditional public-school districts with a projected 5.4% boost next school year and 1.3% the following year.

TEACHER GUN TRAINING

State-funded handgun training will be available for teachers who seek to be armed while at their schools. School boards may already permit teachers to have weapons and bill supporters say the 40 hours of optional training will help them be better prepared in any active shooter situations. Critics argued having additional guns in schools could worsen safety.

ESG INVESTMENT

The new law aims at preventing leaders of the state’s pension funds for teachers and other government workers from investing any of their some $45 billion with firms that consider environmental, social, and governance principals. So-called ESG investment strategies have become the target of Republican lawmakers across the country who argue they are focused more on pushing political agendas rather than earning the best returns. The Indiana pension fund board has said it hasn’t followed such ESG strategies.

PUBLIC HEALTH EXPANSION

The state will have $225 million in the next two years to help counties expand public health services with the aim of improving Indiana’s poor national rankings in areas such as obesity, smoking and life expectancy and upgrading local emergency services. Legislators approved about two-thirds of the money Holcomb had sought for the program as it faced some public opposition over distrust of health officials following the COVID-19 pandemic.