Township, computer science bills dominate first Legislative Update
Township government and computer science may be poles apart on the political spectrum but they were opposites attracting interest Saturday at the first Legislative Update session of the 2018 Indiana General Assembly.
Sponsored by Putnam County Farm Bureau, the first of three scheduled Update programs drew more than 40 persons to the Farm Bureau Insurance board room in Greencastle to hear from State Rep. Jim Baird (R-Greencastle) and State Sens. Rod Bray (R-Martinsville) and John Crane (R-Avon).
While the legislators representing Putnam County touched on bills concerned with the opioid epidemic to Indiana Workforce Development issues to recurring school funding concerns, it was the potential consolidation of townships with populations of fewer than 1,200 residents and a bill requiring each public school to include computer science in its science curriculum that spawned the most discussion.
Putnam County has three townships (Madison, Jackson and Russell) that fit the description of those which would be required to merge with a larger township by Jan. 1, 2023, according to House Bill 1005, authored by Rep. Cindy Ziemke (R-Batesville) and co-authored, among others, by Rep. Jerry Torr, a Greencastle native who represents the Carmel area.
Farm Bureau opposes the bill, Legislative Update moderator Steve Cash noted.
Pressed for his organization’s reasoning on that opposition, Cash said among other things, it would “make it tougher on trustees,” having to deal with greater numbers of people and people they don’t really know seeking assistance.
“It would be a little more difficult in both directions,” he said of trustee and resident. “They don’t know you and you don’t know them.”
Sen. Bray said “one good thing” about the proposal, is the result is expected to “provide the same services with lesser government.”
Others weren’t so sure.
Audience member Mike Clodfelter said he can “understand the logic behind it,” but unintended consequences may result, like the loss of identity for the people and history of Jackson, Russell and Madison townships.
The measure would result in keeping the name of the larger township upon a merger. Clodfelter suggested that if that comes to pass, it should instead allow for names like Jackson-Floyd Township to allow for greater local continuity.
“We’ve all been through the school consolidation thing,” he noted, alluding to a system that created schools like North Putnam and South Putnam but saw the end of high schools like Russellville, Belle Union, Reelsville, Fillmore, Putnamville, Bainbridge and Roachdale.
Who would consolidate with whom, Clodfelter suggested “is something we ought to take a long look at before we put the cart before the horse.”
Greencastle Mayor Bill Dory pointed out from the audience that real estate documents use the township names in legal descriptions, which could become an issue if a township name no longer existed after a merger.
City Councilman Tyler Wade, also in the early morning audience, suggested that such mergers would likely “end up with people having to go greater distances for services.”
The bill does create “some practical challenges,” as Sen. Bray called them. For example, the merger could result in two township trustees or multiple advisory board members perhaps having to run against each other, he noted, in an at-large election to determine who would be in charge of the merged unit.
“The Indiana Township Association is in support of the bill,” Bray added, “which is very interesting to me. So if it comes over to the Senate, we’ll take a serious look at it.”
District 44 State Rep. Baird who listed the township consolidation item on the 2018 Legislative Priorities handout he distributed said he nonetheless has not committed to a stance on the legislation.
“We’re not necessarily talking about doing away with services,” Baird said. “It’s about consolidating committees.”
Meanwhile, it was Sen. Crane, a member of the Senate Education Committee, who sparked the discussion on Senate Bill 172, which would require computer science classes and offer grant money to create a program to develop such teachers but fails to even define computer science within the bill.
“Conceptually I think it’s a good idea,” Crane said, noting that educators universally believe they won’t be able to find the necessary teachers for the program that beginning July 1, 2021 would require each public school to offer a computer science course as a one-semester elective in its curriculum at least once each school year to high school students and require each public school to include computer science in its science curriculum for students in grades K-12.
“To actual practitioners, there are some hurdles,” Crane assured.
Later he figuratively climbed atop a “soapbox of mine” to address further education issues.
“What is the purpose of education?” he asked. “At the end of the day, what is its purpose?”
Crane said he poses that question to everyone he sees, including the governor.
“My response,” Crane offered, “is ‘to create responsible citizens.’”
Make them contributing members of society, he urged, saying the outcome could better result in “people of character, responsibility, integrating all those good things” so in the end Indiana doesn’t end up with so many folks in prison.
Sens. Crane and Bray and State Rep. Baird are scheduled to return to the Farm Bureau building on North Jackson Street for two more 8 a.m. Legislative Update programs, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17 and March 17.