INDIANAPOLIS — A heated debate occurred at the Statehouse on Thursday as part of the largest state government reform effort in decades.
A legislative task force voted 5-3 to pass 12 recommendations along to the General Assembly next session, with that vote split along party lines.
While Republican leadership said the goal is to increase government transparency and accountability for Hoosiers, Senate and House Democrats said they’re concerned some of the passed recommendations are tantamount to a legislative takeover.
”This proposal is, in my mind, a legislative power grab,” State Rep. Ed DeLaney said.
According to DeLaney, several recommendations would reduce the role of Indiana’s executive and judicial branches.
”It would also implicate the chance that we have to become more like a full-time legislature,” DeLaney said.
”One recommendation was that if there’s any change to rules or regulations, that that has to go through the Indiana General Assembly…that’s a separation of powers issue,” Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor said.
According to Taylor, other recommendations could overwhelm an already overburdened court system.
”One of the recommendations was that you have an administrative law judge making final orders, and then that order could be appealed to the trial court. When you do that, that’s a different interpretation in law than what we have now, and you would start the case all over again,” Taylor said.
Another recommendation would tackle a legislative housekeeping issue—something democrats say could help free up close to $40 million in dedicated funds that haven’t been used in the past two years.
”There’s some good stuff in here, but there were some ones that I think are highly dangerous and create too much legislative power,” DeLaney said.
Although he was unavailable for an on-camera interview, Sen. Chris Garten (who chairs the task force) said he’s “pleased with this considerable step in the right direction” and looks forward to continuing the conversation in the interim.
