January 20, 2009
Legislative session provides Purdue with plenty of bills to watch
The state budget will be the major focus of the Indiana General Assembly’s 2009 session, but many other issues will be under careful consideration by both lawmakers and Purdue.
"Most of the expected thousand-plus bills have been introduced now," says Kevin Green, director of state relations for Purdue. "We usually end up tracking about a third of the introduced bills. People might be surprised how many proposals affect the University in one way or another. This year will be no exception."
Some of the bills the University will watch include:
-- College and university police officers. House Bill 1023 authored by Rep. David Niezgodski, D-South Bend, and Senate Bill 54 authored by Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, expand the jurisdiction of university and college police officers from campus to the entire state.
"This change would allow university officers to assist other law enforcement entities across the state if an investigation or crime begins on campus and extends outside university property or if a situation is brought to campus," Green says.
-- Voter identification. Senate Bill 5 authored by Sen. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, would allow identification issued by a public or private higher educational institution located in Indiana to be used as a photo ID for voting purposes.
For the 2008 general election, Purdue and Tippecanoe County election officials worked out a system that allowed students to use their university identification cards, Green says.
"This bill would allow any student in higher education to do the same across the state," he says.
-- Age discrimination. House Bill 1014 authored by Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, adds age to the list of traits including sex, race and religion that cannot be considered in decisions on housing, employment and other similar matters.
"Purdue consistently has been dedicated to creating an inclusive environment on campus, and our policies specifically prohibit discrimination based on age," Green says. "The University welcomes this expansion of the state's commitment to ensuring that all individuals have the same rights and opportunities."
-- Possession of firearms at state universities. Senate Bill 12 authored by Sen. Johnny Nugent, R-Lawrenceburg, prevents a state college or university from regulating the ownership, possession, carrying, or transportation of firearms or ammunition on campus.
"One of our priorities is to ensure the safety of all faculty, staff, students and visitors on campus, and this bill could hurt our efforts," Green says.
To track bills or actions, go online at www.in.gov.