Funding road with taxes and fetal remains legislation continue to be debated…
Road Funding and taxes
Legislators haven’t settled whether a road funding plan will raise taxes or not, but they have resolved one sticking point:
Eric Berman reports.
Senate panel takes up bill with fetal remains provision
Opponents of a bill containing several abortion-related measures — including one that would require the remains of miscarried or aborted fetuses to either be cremated or interred — have urged an Indiana Senate committee to vote against the measure.
Several people who testified Wednesday before the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee said the legislation’s multiple provisions would create new barriers to Indiana women seeking abortions.
But Republican Senator Michael Young and other supporters of the bill say it contains nothing that would limit women’s access to abortions. Young also said the fetal interment provision is intended to ensure remains are handled in a humane and dignified manner.
Committee chairwoman Senator Pat Miller says the panel likely will vote next week on the bill.
STUDENT TESTING-INDIANA
Pence has ‘confidence’ in ISTEP report despite alterations
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Governor Mike Pence says he has “confidence in the integrity” of a State Board of Education administrator despite findings by The Associated Press revealing the administrator altered a report detailing an independent investigation into the unpopular ISTEP exam.
Pence said Wednesday that he hadn’t viewed the final version of the report or the edits that were made. But he added that the document will be used to show why the state should rethink how student performance is measured.
The AP obtained documents showing State Board of Education Executive Director John Snethen made edits and requested changes to the report.
Some passages he asked to change had reflected poorly on the decision by Pence and his GOP allies to adopt last year’s exam after dropping national Common Core standards.
XGR–FETAL REMAINS
Senate panel takes up bill with fetal remains provision
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Opponents of a bill containing several abortion-related measures — including one that would require the remains of miscarried or aborted fetuses to either be cremated or interred — have urged an Indiana Senate committee to vote against the measure.
Several people who testified Wednesday before the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee said the legislation’s multiple provisions would create new barriers to Indiana women seeking abortions.
But Republican Senator Michael Young and other supporters of the bill say it contains nothing that would limit women’s access to abortions. Young also said the fetal interment provision is intended to ensure remains are handled in a humane and dignified manner.
Committee chairwoman Senator Pat Miller says the panel likely will vote next week on the bill.