A ban on intoxicating and synthetic hemp-derived products died Monday after Indiana House lawmakers failed to call it down ahead of a second reading deadline.
Similarly, a bill that would have reduced early voting did not move forward.
Senate Bill 250 would have mirrored a recent federal law that was designed to close a so-called loophole allowing potent delta-8, THCA and other cannabinoid products to proliferate.
Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, was openly critical of his colleagues across the hall for killing his bill.
All he would say: “Another example of why we should be a unicameral Legislature.”
The hemp measure previously passed the Senate in a 35-13 vote.
Rep. Garrett Bascom, the bill’s sponsor in the House, said although he wouldn’t speak for other members, he felt there weren’t enough votes to pass it through his chamber this year. He didn’t offer any specific sticking points, but hoped to try again.
The language could be amended into another bill in conference committee.
The proposal also would have laid out a regulatory scheme for any low-potency, field-grown products — although industry representatives testified no customers would want them.
Indiana lawmakers nixed — at least for now — a push to cut the state’s 28-day early voting period nearly in half.
The Senate on Monday did not take up House Bill 1359, which was amended last week by a Senate committee to include the voting period change without any testimony coming from the public or local election officials.
Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton, added the provision to cutting the time period for early in-person voting from 28 days to 16 days ahead of Election Day.
He argued last week that the shorter time would cut election administration expenses while still allowing plenty of time for early voting.
A similar proposal also cleared the Senate Elections Committee last year but was not called for a full Senate vote because it did not have enough support to pass.
Even if the Senate had endorsed the change, Republican House Speaker Todd Huston had stated his opposition by saying last week he was “very comfortable with our election laws as they are.”
Also, House Bill 1417 — once pitched as a sweeping tort reform effort — stalled in the Senate Monday. The original proposal included new limits on certain lawsuits and changes to settlement rules that could have increased financial risks for plaintiffs, but senators rolled the measure back in committee to narrower language on public nuisance lawsuits brought by government entities and a summer task force to study broader civil litigation issues.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.