Angela,
I enjoyed meeting you and Greg at the hearing. Hopefully this bill can get
to the House floor for consideration before the mad rush over the budget and
the many controversial bills that have been introduced. The 10-0 committee
vote will go a long way to getting this bill passed in the house, as long as
the ways and means committee doesn't get their hands on it. And Sen. Gard
will be a huge help in the senate. She is highly respected by that chamber.
But, like many have said, it is very important to let YOUR rep, then later
you senator, know about your interest in this bill.
Also, lets please stay focused on the county commission issue. Many think
all 92 counties need to have a cemetery commission. That may or may not be
the case, but it is not relevant. The $50,000 or so raised will go to the
counties that do have a cemetery commission. This will probably be an
incentive for other counties to create commissions, but we will never see a
commission in all 92 counties. If you think your county needs a commission,
lobby your county commissioners to create one. But lets keep the math
straight. For now, it will be $50,000 divided by, what is it, 15 or so
counties that do have a commission? Provided cemetery commissions aren't
done away with.
And several have made a good point about local funding. Those closest to the
issue are often the best to make the decisions. Township trustees and county
councils (or a commission if you have one) can raise local property taxes.
Most don't because it is not popular, but with persuasion, you should be
able to get some funding for important projects locally.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gregory D. Tielking" <tielking(a)knightstown.net>
To: <INPCRP-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 5:52 PM
Subject: [INPCRP] Good News!!
Hello everyone,
H.B.1155 passed unanimously 10-0! Rep. Neese and Rep. Ripley were absent.
Rep. Tom Saunders stated that he and Rep. Win Moses (the one who really
questioned
the $3 increase) had a quick meeting in chamber he said and the
reduction came about that way. So it is $1 fee increase for death
certificates, the first one only.
Greg and I ran into Rep. Tiny Adams at the elevator going home and he was
happy
with the vote. He said he had spoken with his caucus to not make this
"tax increase" a political issue.
HB 1155 will need to be read in the house twice. It could be referred to
another
committee or it could pass to the Senate or it could be defeated in
the House. We will have to wait and see what happens from here. Tiny said
make sure "you put it back on them". Ask them how they would feel if they
found their Grandmother in a cemetery like Gard.
Larry Tippin from the list was there too. It was a pleasure meeting him.
John Molitor from Historic Landmarks was also present for the vote.
I hope the majority of you will be happy with this news.
FYI, the Local Gov't Committee will be discussing the Indy Works proposal
on
Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 at the Gov't Center South in either the auditorium or
the conference room.
The meeting most important to us would be the Feb. 2 meeting at 3:30 p.m.
It will
be about twp. trustees among other topics.
Have a good evening.
Angela Tielking
==== INPCRP Mailing List ====
THIS IS A CEMETERY -----
"Lives are commemorated - deaths are recorded - families
are reunited - memories are made tangible - and love is
undisguised. This is a cemetery.
"Communities accord respect, families bestow reverence,
historians seek information and our heritage is thereby enriched.
"Testimonies of devotion, pride and remembrance are carved
in stone to pay warm tribute to accomplishments and to the life -
not the death - of a loved one. The cemetery is homeland for family
memorials that are a sustaining source of comfort to the living.
"A cemetery is a history of people - a perpetual record of
yesterday and sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery
exists because every life is worth loving and remembering - always."
--Author unknown -- Seen at a monument dealer in West Union, IA