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Crane cooks up bills-into-law process at Legislative Update
Here’s a question: What do Bob Evans, Otto von Bismarck, Jimmy Dean and State Sen. John Crane have in common?
Answer: Sausage.
Or at least how symbolically in the old adage that sausage is linked with creation of laws as two things in life you never want to see being made.
That old sausage-and-laws rationale goes back to Bismarck, the 1800s Prussian statesman and architect of German unification.
The legendary combination came up Saturday morning during the final Legislative Update session of the 2024 Indiana General Assembly. Typically the program focuses on the progress of various bills through the legislature but with only District 24 State Sen. Crane in attendance, Saturday was more like a master class in the gamesmanship necessary to get it done.
The four-term senator, who is not running for re-election, talked openly and candidly about the process, admitting “it’s a mess,” stealing that assessment from one of the 15 audience members who braved snow-covered roadways and 12-degree temperatures.
Crane explained that when bills are at the committee level, or on first reading, that’s when the general public can come in and testify.
“A lot of people don’t know that,” the Avon Republican said. “They think you need a secret handshake or golden ticket to get in.”
Astoundingly, he noted that “less than one percent of Hoosiers take part in the process.”
Looking around at the small gathering in the Farm Bureau Insurance office board room, Crane said, “You’re here and you represent less than one percent of Putnam County (and its 36,700-citizen population).”
Crane said his big-picture view has changed over his eight-year tenure. “I used to believe the best way to exert influence was to rally the army,” he said, adding that he now realizes, “you don’t have to have the army, you need relationships.”
“Don’t come with pitchforks,” Crane cautioned. “Come with a prepared solution from your vantage point. Stay engaged. Can you figure out how to help us get this solved. At the end of the day, we’re all Hoosiers.”
The state senator said he advises incoming legislators that “we’re being forced to make decisions involving millions of dollars that affect millions of people with very little time and even less information.”
“The misconception I had back in the day was that I had to lead the charge and there’s no one behind me. You have to scale the invisible wall.”
The problem, he reasoned, is that nobody wants to put in the time and energy to forge the relationships necessary for accord. Combining information through relationships “is hugely valuable,” he added.
“It’s just that it takes a long time to put that effort in and nobody wants to do that,” Crane said, adding that “people in education, health and engineering have better information than we have.
“The challenge for us is trying to get enough information to make the decision we know is looming. That’s why we need people to show up at hearings as well. If an engineer doesn’t show up, I don’t know what I don’t know.”
Crane said he even has a constituent who contacts him every week and admittedly it’s left an impression.
“She asks, ‘How can I pray for you and your leadership?’” he said. “Here’s the key, if she ever asks for anything, boom, you’re at the top of the list.”
Crane, who represents the upper nine townships in Putnam County (including the City of Greencastle and Greencastle Township) along with portions of Hendricks County, did delve into where some bills stand with the legislative session at essentially the halfway mark.
“We just concluded the first week of the second half of the session,” Crane said. “If you think of it as a ball game, there’s the first half of session, a brief halftime and the second half of the session.”
He further explained that with the legislature in a short session this year, 297 bills were introduced in the Senate with 110 bills passing out of the Senate to the House and another 110 going from the House to the Senate.
Crane said 88 percent of those bills have received bipartisan support, which tends to surprise people who think legislators are conducting some bloodied battle to affect passage.
“That Hoosier Hospitality thing tends to bleed over into the legislature,” Crane said, admitting that nonetheless, politicians often “take their gloves off first before trying to be thoughtful. Personally, I think we need to have more thoughtfulness.”
While Jan. 8 was the first day of the session, March 14 is the deadline for passing laws in the short session.
“We’re probably talking two to three weeks (to go) tops,” Crane said. “Sen. (Rodric) Bray makes the point we’re landing that plane usually two to three days ahead of time. So don’t be surprised if it’s popping pretty fast.”
The first bill Crane spoke about, Senate Bill 1, is a multi-year effort born out of the fact more than 20 percent of Hoosier students are struggling to read by the third grade. SB1 would require some corporations to offer summer school courses for students who are not proficient at reading or who are considered at risk.
The senator said he believes if a student needs to be held back in school, it is better for him or her to be embarrassed on the front end than being unable to read and get pushed forward and struggle as they go on in life.
“One of the things that has come up, and I am in favor of it,” Crane said, “is to trying to target the kids struggling sooner, like second grade, so you can address it proactively.”
During questioning from the audience, South Putnam School Board President Lisa Cooper asked about a House bill that would allow students an opportunity to work. House Bill 1062 defines “exempted minor” for purposes of the law concerning employment of minors and permits certain exempted minors to work at farm labor during school hours on a school day and allows certain exempted minors to work during school hours on a school day with limitations.
Cooper said her daughter, South Putnam swim coach Anna Kendall, has already experienced students who have chosen to work rather than swim, an issue partly attributed to the Covid crisis. Cooper is concerned more students may opt for working rather than studying, playing sports or participating in other extracurricular activities.
Cooper characterized the issue as “it’s just messy.”
“Yes it is,” Crane responded, calling her assessment “the most truthful statement” of the morning.
“Some of the families don’t have a choice because of economics,” Cooper continued. “I am all about learning to work hard, but if you have a luxury of choosing, do I learn to work hard at this or work hard at academics?”
Another audience member, Phil Gick, a Putnam County councilman not running for re-election, questioned how the state legislature can govern the issue. Kids doing well enough academically can play athletics and work as well, he suggested.
“How do you address the problem you’re talking about at the state level?” Gick asked. “The only way I know to do it is you say if you are younger than such and such, you don’t work because I don’t see how you get down to the individual family situation and say this kid can work and that kid can’t. You can’t do that at the state level.”
Crane believes that is the struggle before legislators.
“I believe there are certain things we have to do and should do,” he replied. “That’s our job. There are plenty of other things people want us to do, many of which we agree to do that are not our job. That is the challenge,”
In closing, Crane addressed the coming end of his tenure.
“This is my last rodeo with the Legislature and the Farm Bureau meetings we’ve had these past eight years,” he began. “Thanks for those of you who’ve brought perspective, especially when we’ve had to get out in the winter tundra when we could be elsewhere or back in our warm bed. Thank you for participating in this process. It’s been my pleasure to be able to serve you all.”