7pm UPDATE:
House lawmakers Wednesday adjusted a measure that would reform the state’s medical malpractice system. But, legislators acknowledge the bill isn’t a finished product.
Indiana’s medical malpractice cap – currently $1.25 million dollars – hasn’t been raised in nearly two decades. That’s lead to concerns about its constitutionality, and the bill aims to fix that.
The bill came out of committee with a plan to raise the current cap next January and raise it further in 2019, 2023 and 2027. An amendment approved on the House floor Wednesday eliminates those last two increases – the bill would now only raise the cap twice. And it would top out at $1.8 million in 2019.
Rep. Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville) – who is also an emergency room doctor – says work on the bill, including the amendment, is about compromise between all the stakeholders.
“This is an amendment that doesn’t make everybody happy,” he says. “So it must be a good amendment.”
Lawmakers also expanded the list of who’s considered a provider under the law and slightly increased the pay to members of the medical malpractice review panel.
The bill will be up for passage by the House Thursday and its sponsors say, if approved, it will go to a conference committee for further work.
EARLIER:
BMV OVERHAUL
Legislation overhauling the Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ registration and fee system is inching closer to law as the Senate approved the bill Tuesday. Lawmakers from both parties say the change is long overdue.
The BMV has been under fire for a couple years, issuing millions of dollars in refunds after a series of under- and over-charges were uncovered. New leadership at the agency – installed last year – worked with lawmakers over the summer to completely rewrite its registration and fee system.
The result, says Sen. Carlin Yoder (R-Middlebury), is a nearly 500-page long piece of legislation.
“Through this very thick bill, it results in the reduction or elimination of 163 BMV fees,” Yoder says. “It allows for a BMV fee chart that fits on one page, so when you go to the BMV, you no longer see this wall of different fees and charges.”
One example of this reduction: The measure cuts the number of ways to register a vehicle from 191 - to 23. Yoder says the bill is also revenue-neutral – while eight fees would increase, more than two million Hoosiers would see a decrease in the fees they pay.
The Senate approved the bill 45-5. It will likely go to a conference committee.
COSMETOLOGY
Legislation that will allow cosmetologists to shave their customers’ mustaches and beards is just one step away from the governor’s desk after Senate lawmakers approved the measure Tuesday.
After decades of thinking they could shave their customers’ beards and mustaches, cosmetologists were told last year they couldn’t. That’s because of an interpretation of state law made by the Attorney General’s office. Legislation as approved by the House would have codified cosmetologists’ right to wield their razors.
But barbers strongly objected – and a Senate committee punted on the issue, allowing the State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners to set rules about shaving. Sen. Lonnie Randolph (D-East Chicago) says he’s disappointed the bill doesn’t specify training requirements for cosmetologists who want to shave their customers.
“By passing this bill, you’re going to shortcut the method for them to be able to shave,” Randolph says.
Sen. Phil Boots (R-Crawfordsville) says the bill just maintains what had always been the status quo.
“This is not going to impact your local barber in any way, shape, or form because if there was competition out there before, it’s still out there and it’s not going to change that,” Boots says.
The Senate approved the bill 41-9. The House author of the bill says she plans to concur with the Senate’s changes and move the bill to the governor.
ABORTION
Senate lawmakers Tuesday approved a wide-ranging abortion bill, which includes provisions on disposing of aborted fetuses and a ban on certain abortions. But, the bill’s ultimate fate is uncertain.
Earlier this session, the Senate passed a bill banning women from having an abortion because of the fetus’ race, gender or disability. But the House wouldn’t hear the bill, so Senate lawmakers added it to another abortion bill, one that outlaws the disposal of aborted remains as medical waste.
Sen. Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne) says the issues are related.
“All people have value,” Brown says. “All lives should be worth something.”
But Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville) says if that were the real motivation behind the bill, its supporters would back more resources for Hoosiers with disabilities.
“This particular bill doesn’t really value life,” Becker says. “It just values birth.”
The Senate approved the bill 37-13, sending it back to the House. Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) says the Senate’s circumvention of the House in adding one abortion bill to another presents a difficulty.
“Hasn’t happened so much in recent years, successfully. We’ll see,” Bosma says. “We have a lot of time left to try to sort through these issues.”
The legislature plans to end its session next Thursday.
