Senate Bill 2, HB 1001 move forward despite mixed feelings in Indiana

2022-07-29 23:51:17 By : Mr. YALIGHT Tomsen

Indiana lawmakers passed a pair of bills Friday to increase spending on services for women and children, but critics say it's not enough to deal with the aftermath of banned abortion in Indiana.

Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 1001, which aim to support families and mothers amid inflation and proposed abortion restrictions — which critics say could lead to increased reliance on these services — passed and now move to their opposite chamber for consideration. The impacts of Senate Bill 1, Indiana's proposed abortion ban, remain uncertain.

The Senate was divided on the abortion legislation late Thursday night, where they voted to keep exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother in the bill.

More:As eyes focus on the abortion bill, Indiana lawmakers aim to help women and children.

Rep. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, and Sen. Tim Lanane, R-Anderson, said they support the bill. They both had caveats of wanting to see more be done, and that the currently proposed legislation is not enough.

Senate Bill 2, which passed 46-1, is a sister bill for the Senate's abortion restrictions. Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, was the only opposition vote.

This proposal directs $45 million, establishing the Hoosier Families First Fund, to the Department of Child Services, the Family and Social Services Administration, the Indiana Department of Health and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to support programs for families and mothers. The bill also allocates $5 million for adoption tax credits.

"I firmly believe that the state of Indiana is not ready, not ready to deal with the consequences of Senate Bill 1," Qaddoura said.

Earlier this week during committee, Sen. Lanane proposed an amendment to the bill of an additional $250 million from the state's general fund for mental health programs. It failed. A lone amendment to compile data on Medicaid reimbursements made it to ink.

The bill now heads to the House, which proposed its own take on family and maternal health aid in House Bill 1001.

Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, said the House could have done better than House Bill 1001.

“Ladies and gentleman, we could have done more,” Porter said, although he still voted in favor of the stimulus relief bill.

House Bill 1001, which passed 93-2 Friday, would follow Gov. Eric Holcomb's tax refund proposal of using $1 billion of the state’s reserves to give every Hoosier taxpayer a $225 refund on top of the $125 refunds being released.

This proposal would also allocate $58.5 million of funding for programs that support families and mothers, such as Medicaid services, a grant program to reduce infant mortality and the Child Care and Development Fund voucher program in addition to increasing the adoption tax credit.

Democrats tried to make the bill more fair, he said as they proposed dozens of amendments on HB 1001, with only one of their amendments passing the Republican-controlled House.

Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, proposed an amendment to establish a doula advisory board to recommend a doula reimbursement rate. She received support from both parties, including from bill author, Rep. Sharon Negele, R-Attica. Doulas help provide mental and physical supports to expectant mothers, according to the amendment.

Negele said she would consider more of the proposals during next year's session.

"I think they are a critical piece of the healthcare as it relates to women having healthy babies," Pryor said.

Porter commended the House’s bill for cutting the state’s sales tax on children's diapers. But he said it could have been extended to more child necessities, like pacifiers and baby formula. 

An amendment from Porter to do so failed along party lines Thursday. 

More:Indiana House wants to spare families diaper tax. So far Senate has not done the same.

“There are too many mothers, families that will be negatively affected because we didn’t do more,” Porter said. “Another missed opportunity.”

But House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said the money under consideration belongs to the Hoosier taxpayers.

"I don't want to have determine exactly who gets it and who doesn't," Huston said. "I think you should go back to everyone."

So far Senate Republicans have opposed refund checks, so the passage is by no means guaranteed. Senate Republicans have their own version of inflation relief, Senate Bill 3, that doesn't include an additional taxpayer refund.

More:Indiana Senate Republicans propose gas tax cap, sales tax exemption to address state inflation

More:Indiana Senate shoots down abortion ban without exceptions, after divisive debate

Instead, the bill places a cap on the state's sales tax on gas and on utilities to address inflation.

A vote on this proposal will take place Saturday along with the Senate’s final vote on abortion restrictions.

Contact IndyStar's general assignment reporter Rachel Fradette at rfradette@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter: @Rachel_Fradette.