Statehouse — A pair of bills authored by State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) is one step closer to becoming law.
Leising’s legislation aimed at ensuring utility reliability across Indiana passed the Senate Tuesday by a 40-9 vote.
Senate Bill 9 would authorize the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to adopt a review process for when a public utility producing at least 80 megawatts requests to retire sell or transfer an electric generation facility.
“Coal and natural gas generation make up the majority of Indiana’s energy distribution,” Leising said. “Between growing interest in electric vehicles and residents’ need for electricity, this bill would help utility companies withstand the high demand and reduce the risk of blackouts in our local communities.”
When considering a public utility’s intention to relieve ownership of an electric generation facility, the IURC must examine its impact on state and local energy needs.
Accelerated depreciation will not be permitted on early closures unless there is a catastrophic event to the generation plant.
And Leising’s bill that would track how many Indiana students are being taught cursive writing passed the Senate Tuesday by a 42-7 vote.
Senate Bill 72 would require school corporations to report to the Indiana Department of Education on whether cursive writing is a part of their curriculum and at what grade level it is being taught.
“For many years I have pushed for cursive writing to be taught in all Indiana schools so students have the opportunity to learn how to sign their name and read cursive writing,” Leising said. “Reporting how many schools are teaching cursive will give the state a better idea of how many kids in the state are not learning this important skillset.”
Both bills move on to the Indiana House of Representatives for further consideration.
