Jan. 12—INDIANAPOLIS — Southern Indiana lawmakers had a busy week in Indianapolis as the state legislature convened for the 2024 session.

DEMOCRATS CALL FOR CAP ON PRESCRIPTIONS

State Rep. Rita Fleming, D-Jeffersonville, joined her party colleagues Thursday to layout the Democratic agenda for the session.

Increasing access to affordable, high-quality childcare, providing homeowners with a $250 tax credit from surplus dollars and addressing third-grade reading proficiency were at the top of the list.

Democrats also called for caps on prescription drug costs. They’re proposing a $35 cap on insulin, $55 for albuterol and $25 for epinephrine, or EpiPens.

“In 1921, Frederick Banting, Charles Best, and JJR Macleod discovered insulin,” Fleming said. “They sold the patent for $1 each. Banting famously said, ‘Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world.’ Today, lifesaving medications carry a hefty price tag.”

Prescription drugs including insulin and EpiPens are sold at much higher rates than the costs to produce the medications, Fleming continued.

“I’m an OB-GYN, I know what happens when patients don’t have access to their medication,” she said. “No moms or babies should put their health at risk due to costs. It does cost drug companies to research, develop and market drugs. But sometimes profits far exceed what is needed to make drug available.”

POLICE TRAINING BILL MOVES THROUGH COMMITTEE

State Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, presented Senate Bill 129 to the Senate Committee on Local Government on Thursday.

The bill would allow a county, city or town to be entitled to reimbursement of employment and training costs from a unit that hires a police officer up to one year after the officer completed the law enforcement basic training course.

It received bipartisan support and was approved by the committee.

GARTEN SPEARHEADS ACCOUNTABILITY BILL

State Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, is leading a Senate Republican initiative to ensure responsible use of taxpayer money.

Garten, who chaired the Government Reform Task Force in 2023, is sponsoring Senate Bill 4. It would require the State Budget Agency to prepare a report that identifies the balance of dedicated funds that have not been used in the prior two years and makes recommendations from the state budget director. The report would be submitted to the General Assembly in the fall before each budget session. The General Assembly would then have the opportunity during the session to make changes regarding unused funds. Money still left unused at the end of the fiscal year would revert to the State General Fund.

“It’s no secret that a personal legislative priority of mine has simply been ‘good government’ — cutting waste where there is waste and holding our government accountable for how it uses taxpayer dollars,” Garten said. “Hoosier taxpayers give their hard-earned money to the state, so we owe it to them to put those dollars to good use. If we have money sitting in some ignored fund, going unused, we are not being the best possible stewards of Hoosiers’ tax dollars and that does not sit right with Senate Republicans.

The legislative session runs through March 15.