Two big bills making their way through the Indiana legislature will have a significant impact on Indiana’s wetlands.
SB246 is a good bill which will encourage property owners to preserve wetlands on their property by establishing tax incentives for such preservation. This is a great step in protecting and preserving the wetlands around our state. This bill passed the both the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Tax and Fiscal Policy with bipartisan, near-unanimous support. Now it moves to the full Senate where it will face a final vote likely Monday, Feb. 5.
Please contact your State Senator and ask them to support SB 246.
Click here to find your State Senator and their contact information.
HB 1383 is a bad bill which will further strip wetlands of their protections in Indiana by moving many wetlands currently in the Class III protected category down to Class II where no mitigation is required for their removal.
Wetlands have already lost significant protections in recent years and IFA strongly opposes any further effort to weaken these protections. HB 1383 passed through the House and, in a highly unusual move, was quickly rushed to the Senate where it passed the Senate Committee on Environmental Affairs in a party line vote (meaning all Republicans supported it and all Democrats opposed.)
Several Republican Senators on the Environmental Affairs Committee expressed their concerns with this bill and still voted in favor, indicating that the Senate GOP Leadership has clearly pressured their members to vote in favor of this bill, which expands much of the destructive deregulation the Indiana Builders Association has sought for years.
The Senate GOP’s fast-tracking of this bill, in addition to the scandal and IDEM whistleblower controversy surrounding its origin, mean we need all hands on deck to STOP THIS BILL.
Please contact your State Senator and ask them to oppose HB 1383.
Click here to find your State Senator and their contact information.
Many legislators will be home in their districts this weekend. The Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC) has compiled a list of some upcoming “Third House” meetings around the state where residents have the opportunity to meet with their state legislators face to face. Click here to view the list. While this list is not complete, you may find one in your area by searching “Third House [Your Area]” or by reviewing local news sources.
If you are unable to call or talk face to face with your State Senator, HEC has also created a tool to assist in sending emails to your State Senator simply by inputting your name, address and contact info. Click here to view that tool.
As always, we thank you for your support in these efforts.
