Legislative session begins Thursday, Lucas shares priorities

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The 2019 legislative session will convene Thursday and this year’s long session could lead to a few interesting debates on major issues.

Each legislator will be able to introduce 10 bills to introduce for this session, which ends April 29, began. The deadline for filing bills is 2 p.m. Jan. 10 for representatives and 4 p.m. that same day for senators.

District 69 Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, has decided medical cannabis will be his top priority entering as he begins his fourth two-year term, while a spokesman for District 44 Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, declined to share the senator legislative priorities ahead of Thursday.

Lucas introduced legislation to legalize medical cannabis in the 2018 session, but it failed.

This year, he said he’s worked with a national law firm that specializes in medical cannabis legislation, although he declined to name the firm. He plans to final another bill to legalize medical cannabis.

Lucas also plans to file a bill to decriminalize possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana to a Class D infraction and decriminalize possession of paraphernalia.

That sets up an interesting dynamic as Gov. Eric Holcomb, also a Republican, has said he opposes such legislation, even as states surrounding Indiana have legalized marijuana. Some states, such as Michigan, have legalized it for recreational use.

It’s unclear how much support Lucas will have in his effort until bills get debated on the House floor, but similar legislation for legalizing medical cannabis is being drafted by senators.

Lucas also plans to introduce legislation legalizing industrial hemp. Legalizing hemp was included in this year’s farm bill signed by President Donald Trump.

Education policy also is on Lucas’ agenda, and his plans include legislation taking money that presently goes to school corporations and giving it to parents.

The money would go into what Lucas calls an “Education Options Account” for parents to choose where to send their children to school.

“It puts the parent in charge of their child’s education,” he said.

Lucas also plans to include a measure eliminating state accountability measures to “give public school teachers greater freedom” in the classroom and to unveil a course he has developed with the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy to train educators in active shooter scenarios. He said it will not be mandatory for educators, but an option for those who want to participate.

It’s a 40-hour course at the academy in Indianapolis and would cost about $20 million to educate an estimated 12,500 teachers across the state.

Lucas came up with that figure by looking at the number of teachers, and the license to carry rate in Indiana, which he said is 18 percent.

“Teachers are the first responders,” he said. “Noblesville proved that.”

Other gun legislation Lucas plans to introduce include the institution of Constitutional carry; eliminating gun free zones; strengthening the state’s Stand Your Ground Law; and providing a $200 tax credit to gun owners who complete a certified firearms safety course.

He said he also plans to introduce legislation that would further criminalize those who falsely accuse others of a crime. He said the legislation stems from the hearings to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in the 1980s when the two were in high school and testified before the Senate Judiciary committee on the matter. It was part of a contentious debate where Kavanaugh was later confirmed following an FBI investigation into her accusations.

Ford has maintained those accusations against Kavanaugh, who has continued to denied them.

Lucas’ bill would enforce the same sentencing standards of a crime that an accuser brings forward if they’re proved to have knowingly made it under false pretenses. He said it is not limited to sexual crimes, but includes all crimes.

When asked if he thought that may discourage people from coming forward, Lucas said he didn’t think so and said people should if they’re a victim.

“It has to be knowingly,” he said. “Anybody who has gone through a horrible event like that should come forward, but we also have to be aware of the fact that false accusations diminish the crimes of the actual people that are subjected to that.”

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