Latest news with #Dernulc
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oath of ballot counter bill dies after House committee hearing
A bill requiring the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots to be sent to the state election division died after a hearing in the House Elections and Apportionment committee. Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, authored Senate Bill 186, which would require the circuit court clerk to give a copy of each oath counter on provisional ballots to the election division no later than 30 days after the election. Chairman of the House Elections and Apportionment committee Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, offered an amendment to the bill to remove the requirement for the circuit court clerk to transmit a copy of each oath taken by a ballot counter for the 2024 election. The amendment was adopted unanimously during a March House Elections and Apportionment committee meeting. The bill was held during the March 26 committee meeting and was not heard in committee after that. Dernulc said the bill died after officials determined it created 'duplicative work.' 'I was disappointed it didn't get a vote,' Dernulc said. 'All I wanted to do was to make it transparent. I wasn't able to convince (Wesco), so I'll do more work next year.' In drafting the bill, Dernulc previously said he worked with Secretary of State Diego Morales and Brad King, co-director of the Indiana Election Division. Dernulc previously testified that he authored the bill after residents came to him to talk about more transparency in the election process. 'They would like to see a little more transparency, that's all,' Dernulc previously said. 'There's nothing that anybody's doing that's adversarial or bad, just a little more transparency into it.' Indiana Election Division Democratic co-general counsel Matthew Kochevar testified in committee that he opposed the bill because people can file a FOIA request to see provisional ballot signatures at their local election office, which is easier than traveling to Indianapolis to see the signatures. When the bill was heard in the House committee, Brad King, Republican co-director of the Indiana Election Division, said the bill was drafted because of a records request filed in the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration office. The Lake County election office 'experienced, from the perspective of the Republican assistant director at that time, difficulty in responding to public records requests for oaths of the provisional ballot counters,' King said. 'The bill before you comes from the actual experience that the individual had in providing those records upon request,' King said. 'It's not unprecedented. It mirrors a provision in current law.' Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman sent a letter April 1 to legislators to inform them that she opposed the bill and that Lake County never received the FOIA in question. Fajman wrote that she spoke with LeAnn Angerman, the former assistant director, who told her that she did not recall receiving a FOIA request for provisional ballots. Further, Fajman said in the letter that her office staff checked FOIA records between November 2024 to February 2025, since the bill referenced the 2024 general election, and no provisional ballot FOIA requests were filed. 'A bill should never be introduced based on one complaint and never by one that has not been substantiated,' Fajman wrote. If the argument for the bill was that a county had difficulty responding to a FOIA request, having staff copying the ballots and filing them with the state Election Division wouldn't make the process easier, Fajman wrote. As a test run, Fajman wrote that she asked her staff to copy all the provisional ballots from the 2024 general election. It took her staff an hour and a half to do so, Fajman wrote. Fajman said her office retains all election documents for 22 months, and it wouldn't be difficult to respond to a FOIA request to see the provisional ballots. The ballots are kept under lock and key in a room with video surveillance, Fajman wrote, and all provisional ballots are signed by full-time staff. 'Lake County does an excellent job in conducting elections. I am offended that Lake County's name is being tarnished by this bill,' Fajman wrote. Fajman told the Post-Tribune Thursday she was glad the bill didn't make it out of the House committee. 'There is no broken part to this. It didn't need fixing,' Fajman said. 'It's a redundant process, and it's not needed.' akukulka@
Chicago Tribune
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Oath of ballot counter bill dies after House committee hearing
A bill requiring the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots to be sent to the state election division died after a hearing in the House Elections and Apportionment committee. Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, authored Senate Bill 186, which would require the circuit court clerk to give a copy of each oath counter on provisional ballots to the election division no later than 30 days after the election. Chairman of the House Elections and Apportionment committee Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, offered an amendment to the bill to remove the requirement for the circuit court clerk to transmit a copy of each oath taken by a ballot counter for the 2024 election. The amendment was adopted unanimously during a March House Elections and Apportionment committee meeting. The bill was held during the March 26 committee meeting and was not heard in committee after that. Dernulc said the bill died after officials determined it created 'duplicative work.' 'I was disappointed it didn't get a vote,' Dernulc said. 'All I wanted to do was to make it transparent. I wasn't able to convince (Wesco), so I'll do more work next year.' In drafting the bill, Dernulc previously said he worked with Secretary of State Diego Morales and Brad King, co-director of the Indiana Election Division. Dernulc previously testified that he authored the bill after residents came to him to talk about more transparency in the election process. 'They would like to see a little more transparency, that's all,' Dernulc previously said. 'There's nothing that anybody's doing that's adversarial or bad, just a little more transparency into it.' Indiana Election Division Democratic co-general counsel Matthew Kochevar testified in committee that he opposed the bill because people can file a FOIA request to see provisional ballot signatures at their local election office, which is easier than traveling to Indianapolis to see the signatures. When the bill was heard in the House committee, Brad King, Republican co-director of the Indiana Election Division, said the bill was drafted because of a records request filed in the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration office. The Lake County election office 'experienced, from the perspective of the Republican assistant director at that time, difficulty in responding to public records requests for oaths of the provisional ballot counters,' King said. 'The bill before you comes from the actual experience that the individual had in providing those records upon request,' King said. 'It's not unprecedented. It mirrors a provision in current law.' Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman sent a letter April 1 to legislators to inform them that she opposed the bill and that Lake County never received the FOIA in question. Fajman wrote that she spoke with LeAnn Angerman, the former assistant director, who told her that she did not recall receiving a FOIA request for provisional ballots. Further, Fajman said in the letter that her office staff checked FOIA records between November 2024 to February 2025, since the bill referenced the 2024 general election, and no provisional ballot FOIA requests were filed. 'A bill should never be introduced based on one complaint and never by one that has not been substantiated,' Fajman wrote. If the argument for the bill was that a county had difficulty responding to a FOIA request, having staff copying the ballots and filing them with the state Election Division wouldn't make the process easier, Fajman wrote. As a test run, Fajman wrote that she asked her staff to copy all the provisional ballots from the 2024 general election. It took her staff an hour and a half to do so, Fajman wrote. Fajman said her office retains all election documents for 22 months, and it wouldn't be difficult to respond to a FOIA request to see the provisional ballots. The ballots are kept under lock and key in a room with video surveillance, Fajman wrote, and all provisional ballots are signed by full-time staff. 'Lake County does an excellent job in conducting elections. I am offended that Lake County's name is being tarnished by this bill,' Fajman wrote. Fajman told the Post-Tribune Thursday she was glad the bill didn't make it out of the House committee. 'There is no broken part to this. It didn't need fixing,' Fajman said. 'It's a redundant process, and it's not needed.'
Chicago Tribune
01-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Bill establishing Indiana residency for tax assessment boards passes House
The bill requiring property tax assessment board of appeals members to live in Indiana passed unanimously out of the House Monday. Senate Bill 187, authored by State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, states the term of anyone serving on county PTABOA who isn't an Indiana resident will expire July 1. The fiscal body, which is the council in Lake County, would then be required to appoint a new member to finish out the member's term. The bill maintains Indiana's current PTABOA law that states a member has to be at least 18 years old and be 'knowledgeable in the valuation of property.' The bill also maintains that a majority of the members must have the certification of a level two or level three assessor-appraiser. The bill was amended in the Senate Local Government Committee to include language State Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, proposed to ensure that the PTABOA member lives in Indiana throughout his or her four-year term. Dernulc said he drafted the bill after learning Cook County Board of Review commissioner and Lake County PTABOA member Samantha Steele was arrested for driving under the influence in Chicago late last year. Steele wasn't reappointed to her seat and left the PTABOA board in early January, said Lake County Assessor and PTABOA secretary LaTonya Spearman. The Board of Commissioners appointed Warren Reeder, a local realtor, she said. Steele had served on the Lake County PTABOA since 2020, Spearman said. Steele declined to comment on her leaving the PTABOA board. In her Cook County Board of Review biography, Steele states she is a level three assessor and appraiser with more than 15 years of experience in property valuations. Dernulc said Monday that 'the person that this started with' had the qualifications to serve on the PTABOA, but he felt the board members should live in Indiana. 'I just want Hoosiers to be in these positions,' Dernulc said. Senate Bill 187 passed 90-0 out of the House Monday. Lake County Councilman Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, previously said conceptually the PTABOA bill makes sense, and he supports it. The members of the board should live in the community they are serving, he said. But Bilski said he hopes the bill doesn't make it more difficult to find PTABOA members because it's not always easy to find level two or level three assessor-appraisers. '(The bill) makes sense. I have no issues with it. I hope it doesn't impede our ability to fill the board,' Bilski said. Lake County Council President Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, previously said she told Dernulc she supports the bill. Cid said the county uses a state website to find level two and level three assessors, so it would be easy to find qualified people who live in the county or state that could serve on the PTABOA. 'I believe there are plenty of qualified people here, not just in Lake County but in Indiana, that could serve,' Cid said.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indiana PTABOA residency bill advances; Lake County member who inspired bill hasn't served since January
The member of the Lake County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals who inspired a PTABOA member Indiana residency bill left the board earlier this year, officials said. Samantha Steele, who is also a Cook County Board of Review commissioner, wasn't reappointed to her seat and left the board in early January, said Lake County Assessor and PTABOA secretary LaTonya Spearman. The Board of Commissioners appointed Warren Reeder, a local real estate agent, she said. Steele had served on the Lake County PTABOA since 2020, Spearman said. Steele declined to comment on her leaving the PTABOA board. In her Cook County Board of Review biography, Steele states she is a level three assessor and appraiser with more than 15 years of experience in property valuations. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 187, which changes PTABOA members' residency, passed out of the House Local Government Committee Tuesday in a 8-0 vote without committee discussion or public testimony. Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, the House sponsor of the bill, said in committee that Lake County would be impacted by the bill because a member, Steele, lived in Illinois and served as an elected official there while serving on the Lake County PTABOA. Senate Bill 187, authored by State Sen. Dan Dernulc, states the term of anyone serving on a county PTABOA who isn't an Indiana resident will expire July 1. The fiscal body, which is the council in Lake County, would then be required to appoint a new member to finish out the member's term. The bill maintains Indiana's current PTABOA law that states a member has to be at least 18 years old and be 'knowledgeable in the valuation of property.' The bill also maintains that a majority of the members must have the certification of a level two or level three assessor-appraiser. 'This is an important piece of legislation that directly affects my district,' Dernulc said in a statement when the bill passed out of the Senate Feb. 4. Dernulc, R-Highland, said he drafted the bill after learning Steele was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in Chicago late last year. 'Members of an Indiana PTABOA should be Indiana residents to ensure we have equal and fair property tax assessments for those who have chosen to call themselves Hoosiers. I look forward to seeing how this will change how people look at these boards and who serves on them,' Dernulc said. The bill was amended in the Senate Local Government Committee to include language proposed by State Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, to ensure that the PTABOA member lives in Indiana throughout their four-year term. Lake County Councilman Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, previously said conceptually the PTABOA bill makes sense, and he supports it. The members of the board should live in the community they are serving, he said. But Bilski said he hopes the bill doesn't make it more difficult to find PTABOA members because it's not always easy to find level two or level three assessor-appraisers. '(The bill) makes sense. I have no issues with it. I hope it doesn't impede our ability to fill the board,' Bilski said. Lake County Council President Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, previously said she told Dernulc she supports the bill. Cid said the county uses a state website to find level two and level three assessors, so it would be easy to find qualified people who live in the county or state that could serve on the PTABOA. 'I believe there are plenty of qualified people here, not just in Lake County but in Indiana, that could serve,' Cid said. akukulka@
Chicago Tribune
25-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana PTABOA residency bill advances; Lake County member who inspired bill hasn't served since January
The member of the Lake County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals who inspired a PTABOA member Indiana residency bill left the board earlier this year, officials said. Samantha Steele, who is also a Cook County Board of Review commissioner, wasn't reappointed to her seat and left the board in early January, said Lake County Assessor and PTABOA secretary LaTonya Spearman. The Board of Commissioners appointed Warren Reeder, a local real estate agent, she said. Steele had served on the Lake County PTABOA since 2020, Spearman said. Steele declined to comment on her leaving the PTABOA board. In her Cook County Board of Review biography, Steele states she is a level three assessor and appraiser with more than 15 years of experience in property valuations. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 187, which changes PTABOA members' residency, passed out of the House Local Government Committee Tuesday in a 8-0 vote without committee discussion or public testimony. Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, the House sponsor of the bill, said in committee that Lake County would be impacted by the bill because a member, Steele, lived in Illinois and served as an elected official there while serving on the Lake County PTABOA. Senate Bill 187, authored by State Sen. Dan Dernulc, states the term of anyone serving on a county PTABOA who isn't an Indiana resident will expire July 1. The fiscal body, which is the council in Lake County, would then be required to appoint a new member to finish out the member's term. The bill maintains Indiana's current PTABOA law that states a member has to be at least 18 years old and be 'knowledgeable in the valuation of property.' The bill also maintains that a majority of the members must have the certification of a level two or level three assessor-appraiser. 'This is an important piece of legislation that directly affects my district,' Dernulc said in a statement when the bill passed out of the Senate Feb. 4. Dernulc, R-Highland, said he drafted the bill after learning Steele was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in Chicago late last year. 'Members of an Indiana PTABOA should be Indiana residents to ensure we have equal and fair property tax assessments for those who have chosen to call themselves Hoosiers. I look forward to seeing how this will change how people look at these boards and who serves on them,' Dernulc said. The bill was amended in the Senate Local Government Committee to include language proposed by State Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, to ensure that the PTABOA member lives in Indiana throughout their four-year term. Lake County Councilman Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, previously said conceptually the PTABOA bill makes sense, and he supports it. The members of the board should live in the community they are serving, he said. But Bilski said he hopes the bill doesn't make it more difficult to find PTABOA members because it's not always easy to find level two or level three assessor-appraisers. '(The bill) makes sense. I have no issues with it. I hope it doesn't impede our ability to fill the board,' Bilski said. Lake County Council President Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, previously said she told Dernulc she supports the bill. Cid said the county uses a state website to find level two and level three assessors, so it would be easy to find qualified people who live in the county or state that could serve on the PTABOA. 'I believe there are plenty of qualified people here, not just in Lake County but in Indiana, that could serve,' Cid said.
