Bray tackles legislative issues in solo act at 'Update' session

Thursday, February 21, 2013
Listening to Greencastle resident Kelsey Kauffman (right) make a point following the recent Legislative Update program, District 37 State Sen. Rodric Bray (center) awaits a conversation with Putnam County Councilman Phil Gick as well.

The latest Putnam County Farm Bureau Legislative Update session evolved as a solo act.

Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville), the first-term state senator for District 37, was the lone ranger for the second of three 2013 update programs conducted Saturday morning before a rather slim crowd of fewer than 20 in the Farm Bureau Board Room.

With District 44 State Rep. Jim Baird (R-Greencastle) attending a similar function in Owen County and District 24 State Sen. Pete Miller (R-Avon) taking a three-day weekend trip with his family, Bray tackled questions about activity in the 2013 Indiana General Assembly on his own.

Bray briefed the group on some of the pending legislation, including the Healthy Indiana Plan that is a response to so-called Obamacare.

"The biggest thing I've had a hand in on the Senate Health Care Committee is what to do with the (federal) Affordable Care Act," Bray said.

The Affordable Care Act gives states the option to expand Medicaid eligibility to everyone who makes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, Bray explained, noting that would add a half-million Hoosiers to the program.

"Obviously, a very, very expensive cost goes along with that," Bray said.

It has been estimated that implementing the expansion would cost Hoosier taxpayers $1.4 billion by 2020.

Sen. Bray reported that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has said the state will not expand Medicaid by using Washington's approach.

"I agree with Gov. Pence," Bray said, "and that's why I support legislation to use home-grown, financially responsible ideas like the Healthy Indiana Plan as a substitute to Medicaid expansion."

Bray called the Healthy Indiana Plan "consumer-driven," noting that people have to pay "a little bit" through co-pays, which ultimately can help keep health care costs down.

The feds' Affordable Care Act "stair-steps down" federal and state contributions until 2020, but provides for nothing beyond that, Bray noted.

"What happens after 2020?" he asked. "I don't trust the federal government not to say at some point, 'sorry, folks, we're out of money.'"

During the question-and-answer portion of the program, Bray tackled age-old issues like local road funding, education concerns and briefly addressed bills of local interest.

County Commissioner Don Walton introduced the issue of funding for local roads and bridges.

Walton asked about a proposal in the House budget bill that would remove Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Indiana State Police funding from the gasoline tax and free up those revenues for local maintenance issues.

"That is on everybody's radar," Bray said of freeing up those funds for all kinds of potential uses. "There are other ideas floating around and we'll keep an eye on it."

That served to introduce the old pickup truck issue into the discussion, reviving the disparity of how state vehicle counts for gasoline tax disbursement do not count pickup trucks in the equation. It's an argument that has fallen on deaf ears at the statehouse level for decades.

"When you start talking about that," Bray said, "you immediately know where (other legislators) are from. They'll respond, 'then we're going to use lane miles.'

"And actually," the freshman state senator noted, "both parties have reasonable positions in that (discussion)."

Audience member Rodger Winger agreed.

"It costs six times as much to maintain a six-lane road as it does a one-lane road," Winger said, calling it a fair notion.

That brought a response from Farm Bureau moderator Steve Cash.

"The problem with that," Cash said, "is most of our six-lane roads are in good shape, while our one-lane gravel roads around here are falling apart. It's a matter of 'how far can we let them go down before we do something about them?'"

Meanwhile, Ivy Tech officials raised the question of potential funding for expansion of the Greencastle facility to add food services. They pointed out that students often can be on campus all day with no way to be fed there.

"What is the appetite in the state legislature for that?" Bray was asked.

"A very slim appetite, I'm afraid," Bray responded, noting that although the proposed budget is expected to have some extra funding, there are "many competing needs."

In another local-related bill, Bray advised that he plans to shepherd the Cloverdale food and beverage tax bill through the Senate when it reaches that point.

The proposal would allow a food and beverage tax to be implemented in the Town of Cloverdale that would designate funds for relief of water and sewer bills in the town.

"I've talked to Jim Baird about it," Bray said in response to comments from Cloverdale's Don Gedert about how the bill passed out of committee on a 20-1 vote, "and I've agreed to carry it through the Senate."

The third and final Legislative Update program will be conducted following the Saturday, March 16 Ag Day breakfast at the fairgrounds. The breakfast is set for 8 a.m. with the Legislative Update program expected to start about 9 or 9:30 a.m.

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