Holdman, Prescott combine for 14 measures

INDIANAPOLIS — Jay County lawmakers wasted no time introducing bills a week after the Indiana General Assembly reconvened.

State Rep. J.D. Prescott (R-Union City) and Sen. Travis Holdman (R-Markle), both of whom represent Jay County, have combined to introduce a total of 14 bills with both lawmakers addressing guns in public spaces.

Though he said he doesn’t expect it to get a hearing in the House, Holdman once again introduced a bill requiring teachers and staff members to undergo firearm training prior to being allowed to keep a gun in schools.

Holdman said the bill, which has passed through the Senate in previous sessions, has failed to gain any traction in the House because the National Rifle Association opposes mandating gun training, even if those guns are being kept and potentially used in schools.

“I think it’s a little beyond reason,” Holdman said, arguing that since Indiana already allows school corporations to decide whether guns can be kept in schools, training should be required.

Prescott, meanwhile, has taken a different approach to guns, introducing bills that would eliminate a requirement to have a license to carry a handgun in public spaces and eliminating gun restrictions in the state capitol, government center and Indiana State Fair, among other changes.

As he said he would in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prescott also introduced a bill outlining how the Assembly could reconvene for an “initiated session” if Indiana’s governor issues a state of emergency.

“I don’t want it to be a common occurrence,” Prescott said. “I want it to be very difficult to call ourselves back into session.”

Lawmakers, including Prescott and Holdman, have criticized the Assembly’s non-involvement with the pandemic response, both arguing that the state’s legislative body should have been reconvened to weigh in on decisions that were ultimately left to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb under public health emergency declarations.

The state has been in a public health emergency since March 6, and Holcomb has extended that declaration 10 times through Jan. 30. Another bill introduced by Prescott would prohibit an emergency declaration from being renewed unless it is approved by the Assembly.

Retroactively, that bill would’ve limited Holcomb’s ability to mandate the wearing of masks and other executive orders without approval of the power to do so from the Assembly.

A bill akin to Prescott’s on emergency declarations authored by Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne) passed through Tuesday’s House Rules and Legislative Procedures committee and now moves to the House floor, all-but confirming that Prescott’s bill won’t get a hearing.

Noting that most of his legislation is “kind of boring,” bills Holdman introduced outline the establishment of a new housing tax credit for eligible projects, reporting requirements for local and state redevelopment corporations and new definitions regarding the state’s economic development for a growing economy (EDGE) Tax Credit.

Other bills Prescott introduced include amending Indiana’s notary requirement for real estate-related documents, limiting a fine on oversized loads to a year after a citation is issued and one that would force the Assembly to reconvene if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns preceding rulings allowing abortions or if the U.S. Constitution is amended to allow states to prohibit abortions.

A full list of each bill introduced by Holdman and Prescott is online at bit.ly/3nzFgho and bit.ly/35wIFHv, respectively.

Both Holdman as a chairperson and Prescott as a new member serve on committees regarding fiscal policy in their respective chambers. The Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy and House Ways and Means committees meet weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, respectively. Those meetings along with every other committee meeting and chamber session can be streamed online at iga.in.gov.

Holdman also serves on the Senate Rules and Legislative Procedure and Appropriations committees.