Commentary by Rep. Kathy Richardson
Each legislative session, lawmakers are able to draft bills and pass new laws. While every bill’s passage is discussed and debated during this time, certain issues might require more input from the public or further discussion before moving forward.
That is why throughout the summer months, lawmakers serve on interim study committees, which are assigned topics that we feel require additional consideration and debate before a decision can be made. Recently, the Legislative Council, which I’m honored to be a member of, assigned topics that will be discussed this summer. Information on these topics can be found at www.in.gov/legislative/house_republicans.
Although we have a part-time legislature, much of our work is conducted while serving on these summer committees. Since more time is allotted for subject matter experts and public input, lawmakers are able to make stronger recommendations on a variety of challenging topics. Oftentimes, these recommendations turn into bill drafts for the following legislative session.
I’m very excited about some of the topics that will be addressed this summer. One of the topics that the Interim Study Committee on Education will discuss is the new law we passed creating a preschool pilot program. This program will provide funding for some of Indiana’s most vulnerable children to attend quality preschools. Since this is the first time Indiana will have a program like this, the committee will be charged with evaluating it and considering new ways we can work to improve it.
This is just one of the many topics that will be considered this summer, and I encourage you to attend one of these committees and become a part of this amazing process.
For anyone unable to attend a meeting, but are interested in following along with the discussions, you can watch a live broadcast of each meeting on our website. As soon as the times and dates of committees are announced, the meetings will be posted on www.in.gov/legislative.
I’m honored to be a part of this process in order to make our community and state a better place to live, work and raise a family, and I look forward to serving on these committees once again. I hope you can join me and become involved in this process so that we can make Indiana a stronger state together.
