Session had some head-scratchers

State legislators have been making the rounds, busily patting themselves on the back for all their hard work.
And they did tackle some big issues.
It’s the other legislation that has us scratching our heads, stuff that never got much in the way of attention and seemed to have rolled through without serious debate.
For instance:
•Buried in that big road improvement bill, the one that also included $42 million for Gov. Pence’s regional cities initiative, was a generous gift of tax dollars to retired state employees.
How big a gift? About $20 million. The bill called for a bonus check for state government retirees equivalent to an extra month’s payment. While the retirees are no doubt grateful, taxpayers might feel as if their pockets had been picked.
•Despite recommendations by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, lawmakers decided to micromanage regulations to allow for the use of high-powered rifles when hunting deer.
The fact that deer hunters didn’t want the change and had, in fact, spoken out against it did not seem to matter. Neither did the fact that high-powered rifles used in hunting will put rural and suburban residents at risk every time they step outside during deer season.
•Someone thought it was necessary to protect the plastic bag industry. Our legislators, who abandoned the concept of home rule long ago, felt compelled to pass legislation that would prevent municipalities from regulating plastic bags.
That’s right, plastic bags, the same ones you see caught in bushes and branches as litter all over Indiana. Apparently our lawmakers felt they represented an endangered species of sorts.
What’s the theme behind this nonsense?
It’s the same one that led the legislature to allow booze in the Indiana Dunes State Park despite local objections: Someone who was well-connected pushed for special treatment and got it.
And that’s a sorry legacy for this legislative session. — J.R.