Wolkins, Nisly Speak At Legislative Wrap Up Session

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Jennifer [email protected]

Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce held   a legislative wrap-up session this morning.
The event was held at Center Lake Pavilion and sponsored by the Chamber, Freedom Oil Company, Good Oil Company, Century Link, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and City of Warsaw Parks Department.
State Reps. Dave Wolkins and Curt Nisly provided updates.
Wolkins said there were 1,258 bills introduced during the session and 250 bills became law.
He said the Sunday alcohol sales bill did not pass.
“Those who were for it became against it and those against it became for it and the bill died,” Wolkins said.
Microbreweries can now put out 90,000 barrels instead of 30,000 barrels.
Wolkins said the budget was a big issue with a total  $31 billion budget and $474 million extra was put into eduction this year.
There will be a vice chair of education established as of July 1.
Other things that were approved were if a driver is in the left lane blocking traffic and they are impeding traffic they can be arrested. Other rules are that judges must be attorneys and elected officials can be on the fire department, but if they are in a budget-approving position their budget must be approved by the county council.
Nisly said it has been a good first session for him and he has learned a lot.
“The more I learn, the more I realize there is to learn,” Nisly said. “It’s an honor to represent you in the statehouse. You put your trust in me and I hope I represented you well there.”
Nisly said the big thing was the budget and education was the focus.
“Nearly two thirds of our state budget goes to education and we increased funding for K-12 education by almost half a billion dollars and most of the schools in our district will feel the effects of that,” Nisly said.
Nisly said he co-sponsored the short-barrel shotgun bill that passed and was made into law.
The length of the barrel of a shotgun in Indiana doesn’t matter anymore.
Nisly also was co-sponsor of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
“I’m convinced it is a good bill instructing the courts on how to process what steps they have to go through if there’s a conflict between religious freedom and the law,” Nisly said.

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Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce held   a legislative wrap-up session this morning.
The event was held at Center Lake Pavilion and sponsored by the Chamber, Freedom Oil Company, Good Oil Company, Century Link, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and City of Warsaw Parks Department.
State Reps. Dave Wolkins and Curt Nisly provided updates.
Wolkins said there were 1,258 bills introduced during the session and 250 bills became law.
He said the Sunday alcohol sales bill did not pass.
“Those who were for it became against it and those against it became for it and the bill died,” Wolkins said.
Microbreweries can now put out 90,000 barrels instead of 30,000 barrels.
Wolkins said the budget was a big issue with a total  $31 billion budget and $474 million extra was put into eduction this year.
There will be a vice chair of education established as of July 1.
Other things that were approved were if a driver is in the left lane blocking traffic and they are impeding traffic they can be arrested. Other rules are that judges must be attorneys and elected officials can be on the fire department, but if they are in a budget-approving position their budget must be approved by the county council.
Nisly said it has been a good first session for him and he has learned a lot.
“The more I learn, the more I realize there is to learn,” Nisly said. “It’s an honor to represent you in the statehouse. You put your trust in me and I hope I represented you well there.”
Nisly said the big thing was the budget and education was the focus.
“Nearly two thirds of our state budget goes to education and we increased funding for K-12 education by almost half a billion dollars and most of the schools in our district will feel the effects of that,” Nisly said.
Nisly said he co-sponsored the short-barrel shotgun bill that passed and was made into law.
The length of the barrel of a shotgun in Indiana doesn’t matter anymore.
Nisly also was co-sponsor of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
“I’m convinced it is a good bill instructing the courts on how to process what steps they have to go through if there’s a conflict between religious freedom and the law,” Nisly said.

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