Latest news with #HouseBill1662
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Contentious Indiana homelessness bill effectively dead, for now
A bill seeking to address homelessness across Indiana did not advance from the House chamber by the mid-session deadline, but language could come up again before lawmakers conclude business in April. (Monroe Bush for Indiana Capital Chronicle) An Indiana bill that sought to tackle homelessness effectively died in the House after it was not called for a vote on Thursday, a key deadline. But bill language could still reappear elsewhere before the legislative session ends in late April. House Bill 1662, authored by Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, would have created a criminal penalty for 'camp(ing), sleep(ing), or us(ing) for long term shelter land owned by the state or a political subdivision, unless the land has been authorized for that use by law.' Homeless advocates oppose Indiana bill to criminalize sidewalk camping Those who have not moved within 24 hours of the warning could be arrested and charged with a Class C misdemeanor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail or a $500 fine. A carveout in the legislation would allow an unhoused person a defense that there was no legal shelter available within five miles. Republican House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said the caucus had 'lots of discussion' about the bill and even floated the possibility of getting some Democratic support on a future effort. 'I think the language, as it is, it just didn't have the type of support that's needed,' Huston said. 'I'm pretty committed to working with the bill and the bill's authors to find the right language. I think there's language that we can get to that … could have bipartisan support.' But 'we just weren't there yet,' Huston continued. He reiterated, though, 'it's an issue that needs to be addressed.' The House speaker said he didn't 'know for sure' whether the proposal would reemerge this year, but he said lawmakers were 'close' to finding favorable bill language. Davis previously said the proposal was 'brought' to her by the Cicero Institute. The Texas-based think tank has lobbied in roughly a dozen states for homelessness policies that shift money away from housing initiatives and instead direct dollars toward substance abuse and mental health treatment. Nearly all who testified spoke out against the proposal. Advocates argued that it 'wrongly criminalizes homelessness.' They urged lawmakers to instead boost investments in existing services and organizations that have successfully helped Hoosiers find housing 'and remain off the streets.' Davis, however, repeatedly maintained that the intent of her proposal 'is to have a proactive approach for people who are visibly struggling on our sidewalks and public property — rather than one that lets them remain in dangerous circumstances.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana bill banning people who are homeless from street camping dies in House. Here's why
An Indiana bill that would have banned street camping on public property died in the House Thursday, just before state lawmakers reached the halfway point of the legislative session. House Bill 1662 would have prohibited camping or sleeping on state or local government property. If a person was found doing so, the bill would have required law enforcement to give the individual an initial warning and then a Class C misdemeanor for the next violation. Democratic lawmakers in a House committee this month decried the bill as state overreach, as another provision would have prohibited local governments from telling law enforcement or prosecutors to ignore the state ban. State Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, who authored the bill, did not call it for a vote on Thursday before the deadline for bills to pass the House. That means HB 1662 won't move further through the legislative process this year. Subscribe to our politics newsletter House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, on Thursday said the language did not have enough support to pass the chamber. Huston said he thought there was good discussion about the proposal and still believes its an issue that needs to be addressed. 'I'm committed to working with the bill authors to find the right language," he said. "I think there's language that we can get to that I think could have bipartisan support. We just weren't there yet." Similar language to HB 1662 could be amended into other bills in the second half of the session, although Huston said he was unsure if that would happen for this bill. It's unlikely, though, for similar language to pass the House without significant changes if the initial proposal didn't earn enough support from the chamber in the first half of the session. Davis told lawmakers in the House Committee on Government and Regulatory Reform that the bill's language mirrored model legislation from the Cicero Institute, a conservative Texas-based think tank that has pitched similar proposals around the country to fight rising homeless populations. Homelessness bill: Bill to ban homeless people from street camping comes from think-tank hundreds of miles away States like Georgia and Florida have passed legislation based on the Cicero Institute's proposals. The bill passed the House committee along party lines on Monday before dying in the House Thursday. The proposal drew hours of testimony over two different hearings, where advocates condemned the bill as criminalizing homelessness and suggested the state invest resources in other services to help people who are struggling with housing. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana bill to ban homeless from street camping dies in House
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Homeless advocates oppose Indiana bill to criminalize sidewalk camping
A bill pending in the Indiana Legislature would create a criminal penalties for unsheltered individuals who sleep or camp on public property. (Stock photo) Statehouse testimony on Monday was almost entirely against an Indiana bill that seeks to crack down on homelessness by making 'street camping' on public property a crime. House Bill 1662, authored by Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, would specifically create Class C misdemeanor for 'camp(ing), sleep(ing), or us(ing) for long term shelter land owned by the state or a political subdivision, unless the land has been authorized for that use by law.' The current version of the bill additionally seeks to ban communities from using state funds for permanent housing of homeless people. But an amendment proposed by Davis in the House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee would remove that language, and also delete a provision establishing incentives for local units that successfully reduce their unhoused populations in jails and hospitals. Committee chairman Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, didn't take a vote on Monday but does plan to schedule another committee. He did not make clear if House Bill 1662 would be added to the agenda. Bills face a Feb. 17 deadline to advance from committees. Any legislation left behind is dead — but even dead bill language can remerge before the session concludes in late April. Davis said the bill was 'brought' to her by the Cicero Institute. The Texas-based think tank has lobbied in roughly a dozen states for homelessness policies that shift money away from housing initiatives and instead direct dollars toward substance abuse and mental health treatment. Of the 14 people who were allowed to testify on Monday, all but one spoke out against the proposal. 'Every single day, I see too many people who are sleeping on our sidewalks. I know what works, and I know what doesn't. What works is affordable housing. Until we have sufficient housing and shelter, we will continue to see public camping on our sidewalks,' said Jennifer Layton, president of LTHC Housing Services in Lafayette. 'What no one needs is to be arrested and charged with a crime due to their housing status. It will waste officers' time, it will waste community resources, and ultimately will do nothing but add another barrier which will only further inhibit their ability to secure housing. We need significant investment into affordable housing for unhoused Hoosiers, not handcuffs.' According to the bill, law enforcement would have to provide 'street campers' a one-time warning and offer to take them to an authorized shelter location. Those who have not moved within 24 hours of the warning can be arrested and charged with a Class C misdemeanor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail or a $500 fine. A carveout in the legislation would allow an unhoused person a defense that there was no legal shelter available within five miles. Although not spelled out in the bill, Davis said it 'would be up to law enforcement to determine' when the 24 hours have passed — and how to handle situations in which a person simply moves down the block or to a nearby sidewalk. The measure further prevents Hoosier communities from enacting local policies that 'discourage' law enforcement from carrying out enforcement, or that create exceptions to the provisions laid out in the bill. The Indiana attorney general would be permitted to bring a civil action against again city, town or other political subdivision found to be in violation. What no one needs is to be arrested and charged with a crime due to their housing status. – Jennifer Layton, president of LTHC Housing Services in Lafayette When questioned by Democrats, Davis said her homelessness response 'could be a local issue,' but maintained a statewide policy was more favorable. The Republican lawmaker maintained, too, that her bill 'do(es) not' overstep existing local discretion over whether a homeless person should be arrested or not. Rep. John Bartlett, D-Indianapolis, disagreed. 'If a policeman makes an arrest, and they've got to stop and write a report, and it takes officers away from doing their daily job, I really think this is a local issue,' he said. 'I don't think this is a place for it.' Devon Kurtz, public safety policy director at the Cicero Institute, cited unspecific data suggesting that in the last decade, Hoosiers experiencing homelessness 'have become twice as likely to be on the street if they suffer from mental illness.' The number of homeless individuals who abuse drugs has also increased significantly, he said. He was the only supporter who spoke. 'Many of these people are too unwell to act in their own best interests without pressure and support of law enforcement and outreach,' Kurtz continued. 'Indiana and the country as a whole is not experiencing a homelessness crisis as much as experiencing an unsheltered humanitarian disaster. More must be done to help people leave the streets. Living on the street has three times the mortality rate as living in a shelter. Living on the street is simply unacceptable.' A 2022 Indiana report noted that nearly half of homeless individuals in the state have a mental illness, particularly among those who are chronically homeless. Lori Phillips-Steel, director of the Corporation for Supportive Housing's Indiana program, emphasized that Indiana is slowing the growth of homelessness. Between 2023 and 2024, homelessness rose by 4.2% in Indiana compared to 18% nationally, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Between 2022 and 2023, homelessness in Indiana grew by 10.4%. The latest federal survey for 2024 indicated 6,285 homeless Hoosiers statewide. Of those, 1,477 were considered 'unsheltered,' which federal officials define as having a 'primary nighttime location' in a public or private place 'not designated for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for people,' such as a car, public park, abandoned building, or tent. 'Squatter' bill, harm reduction policies bring advocates to Indiana Statehouse '(These improvements) are due to evidence-based, cost efficient programs that help individuals find and retain stable housing,' Phillips-Steel said. 'What Indiana needs is a stronger investment in services that help people get into housing and live stable lives.' That includes programs for addressing substance use and mental health challenges, as well as supportive services through Indiana's Workforce Bridge Account Program, which Phillips-Steel said 'are proven to stabilize individuals and reduce costly emergency interventions.' 'House Bill 1662 will burden individuals with fines and arrest records and significantly burden taxpayers. It relies on expensive crisis response systems like policing, court systems, emergency medical services and jails,' she continued. 'Individuals are often discharged right back into homelessness, perpetuating a cycle of homelessness and incarceration without actually reducing homelessness. In contrast, she said, investments in support services and 'pathways to housing' save cities and counties nearly $7,000 per person 'by avoiding costly emergency responses.' Phillips-Steel said Davis' bill 'undermines Indiana's progress by imposing a one-size-fits-all approach and diverting resources from effective programs.' Other activists similarly argued that Davis's bill would 'criminalize homelessness.' Hale Crumley, representing Prosperity Indiana, said homelessness 'is a little bit different in every corner of Indiana,' and that local units should not be preempted from addressing the issue 'in the way that they believe is best, because they know their issues best.' 'We can fund the programs that data is showing is being successful. We know that we have those. We can incentivize private donations to those programs through our tax code. We can mandate data sharing and breaking down silos between all of the state agencies that interact with homeless individuals,' she said. 'We're not doing any of that right now. And we could do all of that before we arrest people.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to ban homeless people from street camping comes from think-tank hundreds of miles away
Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill that advocates say would criminalize homelessness across the state. The bill's language mirrors model legislation from the Cicero Institute, a conservative Texas-based think tank that has pitched similar legislation around the country to combat rising homelessness numbers. In Indianapolis, the city's homeless population rose 5% from 2023 to 2024, according to an annual count held last year. It's also just the latest bill that taps into the state vs. local government control fight that happens every legislative session. House Bill 1662 would prohibit camping or sleeping on state or local government-owned property. A person found sleeping or camping on streets or public property would receive an initial warning and then a Class C misdemeanor for their next violation. The bill also says local governments cannot direct law enforcement or prosecuting attorneys to ignore enforcing the street camping ban and would allow Hoosiers or the attorney general to bring civil lawsuits against municipalities they believe are not following the law. Subscribe to our politics newsletter The House Committee on Government and Regulatory Reform only heard testimony on the bill on Monday. Whether the committee will vote on the bill is unclear at this point, as lawmakers face a looming deadline to get bills out of committees by next Monday. State Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, who chairs the committee, said lawmakers would continue to have discussions this week before making a decision on whether to vote on the bill. But advocates for expanding homeless services and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday questioned the purpose of the bill and whether the state or local governments should control a municipality's homelessness policies. 'This is for a local government to decide how to handle,' said Thomas Lopez, the Center Township Trustee from Hancock County. 'Not a bill that is not addressing the real issues with homelessness, but rather give an okay to clean up the streets.' State Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, who authored the bill confirmed Monday that the language came from The Cicero Institute. The organization, founded by tech entrepreneur and investor Joe Lonsdale, points to states like Georgia and Florida that have passed legislation based on Cicero policies that ban homeless encampments. The Cicero Institute's position has been affirmed in the last year from a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled cities can ban people from sleeping and camping in public spaces and past comments from President Donald Trump about supporting the removal of homeless people from public streets. Lonsdale, who founded software company Palantir, wrote in 2023 for an urban policy magazine that homelessness policies are often 'controlled by a national activist movement' that has not made progress on solving problems across the country. 'Made up of thousands of service providers, this movement has become unaccountable and has failed to make meaningful improvements in conditions for the homeless, all while docking taxpayers more and more money,' Lonsdale wrote. More: Indy's homeless count rose in 2024, reversing downward trend in wake of pandemic Devon Kurtz, the Cicero Institute's policy director, emphasized at the House committee on Monday that the country's current approach to address homelessness is not working. "Indiana and the country as a whole, is not experiencing a homelessness crisis as much as experiencing an unsheltered humanitarian disaster,' Kurtz said. 'More must be done helping people leave the streets.' But some lawmakers and people who testified Monday questioned whether language from a Texas-based organization would improve homelessness in Indiana, hundreds of miles away. Homelessness is a 'local, sometimes hyperlocal issue that needs resources,' said Rabbi Aaron Spiegel, with the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance. 'Texas-based interest groups telling us what to do doesn't help,' Spiegel said. Davis told committee members that she had not communicated with local governments about how the bill would conflict with local ordinances. She said she did not view the bill as state overreach when a Democratic committee member asked if lawmakers were overstepping with Davis' proposal. Representatives of various advocacy and religious organizations from Indiana United Ways to the Marion County Reentry Coalition said what Indiana's homeless population needs is more investment in services rather than adding criminal misdemeanors to someone who is already struggling. 'House Bill 1662 will burden individuals with fines and arrest records and significantly burden taxpayers,' said Lori Phillips-Steele, the Indiana director of the Corporation for Supportive Housing. 'It relies on expensive crisis response systems like policing, court systems, emergency medical services and jails, and individuals are often discharged right back into homelessness, perpetuating the cycle of homelessness and incarceration without actually reducing homelessness.' Doris Jones, who co-founded Hope Packages in Indianapolis, asked lawmakers to focus on ways to help homeless populations around the state. 'Come up with a solution of more shelters on the streets instead of harassing people who only need housing,' Jones said. 'That's the issue, more affordable housing, more shelters.' Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X@CarloniBrittany. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana lawmakers consider bill to ban homeless people from street camping
USA Today
11-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Bill to ban homeless people from street camping comes from think-tank hundreds of miles away
Bill to ban homeless people from street camping comes from think-tank hundreds of miles away Show Caption Hide Caption Founder of Safe Park Indy stresses importance of helping the community Safe Park Indy partnered with a church in Indianapolis to give homeless people a safe place to park and sleep at night. Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill that advocates say would criminalize homelessness across the state. The bill's language mirrors model legislation from the Cicero Institute, a conservative Texas-based think tank that has pitched similar legislation around the country to combat rising homelessness numbers. In Indianapolis, the city's homeless population rose 5% from 2023 to 2024, according to an annual count held last year. It's also just the latest bill that taps into the state vs. local government control fight that happens every legislative session. House Bill 1662 would prohibit camping or sleeping on state or local government-owned property. A person found sleeping or camping on streets or public property would receive an initial warning and then a Class C misdemeanor for their next violation. The bill also says local governments cannot direct law enforcement or prosecuting attorneys to ignore enforcing the street camping ban and would allow Hoosiers or the attorney general to bring civil lawsuits against municipalities they believe are not following the law. Subscribe to our politics newsletter The House Committee on Government and Regulatory Reform only heard testimony on the bill on Monday. Whether the committee will vote on the bill is unclear at this point, as lawmakers face a looming deadline to get bills out of committees by next Monday. State Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, who chairs the committee, said lawmakers would continue to have discussions this week before making a decision on whether to vote on the bill. But advocates for expanding homeless services and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday questioned the purpose of the bill and whether the state or local governments should control a municipality's homelessness policies. 'This is for a local government to decide how to handle,' said Thomas Lopez, the Center Township Trustee from Hancock County. 'Not a bill that is not addressing the real issues with homelessness, but rather give an okay to clean up the streets.' Cicero Institute policies spreading State Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, who authored the bill confirmed Monday that the language came from The Cicero Institute. The organization, founded by tech entrepreneur and investor Joe Lonsdale, points to states like Georgia and Florida that have passed legislation based on Cicero policies that ban homeless encampments. The Cicero Institute's position has been affirmed in the last year from a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled cities can ban people from sleeping and camping in public spaces and past comments from President Donald Trump about supporting the removal of homeless people from public streets. Lonsdale, who founded software company Palantir, wrote in 2023 for an urban policy magazine that homelessness policies are often 'controlled by a national activist movement' that has not made progress on solving problems across the country. 'Made up of thousands of service providers, this movement has become unaccountable and has failed to make meaningful improvements in conditions for the homeless, all while docking taxpayers more and more money,' Lonsdale wrote. More: Indy's homeless count rose in 2024, reversing downward trend in wake of pandemic Devon Kurtz, the Cicero Institute's policy director, emphasized at the House committee on Monday that the country's current approach to address homelessness is not working. "Indiana and the country as a whole, is not experiencing a homelessness crisis as much as experiencing an unsheltered humanitarian disaster,' Kurtz said. 'More must be done helping people leave the streets.' But some lawmakers and people who testified Monday questioned whether language from a Texas-based organization would improve homelessness in Indiana, hundreds of miles away. Homelessness is a 'local, sometimes hyperlocal issue that needs resources,' said Rabbi Aaron Spiegel, with the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance. 'Texas-based interest groups telling us what to do doesn't help,' Spiegel said. Davis told committee members that she had not communicated with local governments about how the bill would conflict with local ordinances. She said she did not view the bill as state overreach when a Democratic committee member asked if lawmakers were overstepping with Davis' proposal. Advocates say more services needed Representatives of various advocacy and religious organizations from Indiana United Ways to the Marion County Reentry Coalition said what Indiana's homeless population needs is more investment in services rather than adding criminal misdemeanors to someone who is already struggling. 'House Bill 1662 will burden individuals with fines and arrest records and significantly burden taxpayers,' said Lori Phillips-Steele, the Indiana director of the Corporation for Supportive Housing. 'It relies on expensive crisis response systems like policing, court systems, emergency medical services and jails, and individuals are often discharged right back into homelessness, perpetuating the cycle of homelessness and incarceration without actually reducing homelessness.' Doris Jones, who co-founded Hope Packages in Indianapolis, asked lawmakers to focus on ways to help homeless populations around the state. 'Come up with a solution of more shelters on the streets instead of harassing people who only need housing,' Jones said. 'That's the issue, more affordable housing, more shelters.' Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X@CarloniBrittany.
