Latest news with #JimPressel
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Indiana crackdown on ‘predatory' towing to take effect in July
Revamped towing regulations tripped Indiana lawmakers up for nearly four months but survived a chaotic legislative session. Indiana is getting tougher on 'predatory' vehicle towing. Revamped regulations tripped Indiana lawmakers up for nearly four months but emerged from a chaotic legislative session within House Enrolled Act 1390, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles' (BMV) annual package. They're set to take effect next month after a zig-zagging path through the Statehouse. 'Indiana is the No. 1 predatory towing state in the nation,' author Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, said in a statement to the Capital Chronicle. '… Our towing practices exploit and harm trucking companies in their time of need.' Surveyed commercial carriers logged the most 'predatory' towing incidents relative to mileage in Indiana between 2021 and 2023, according to a report by the American Transportation Research Institute. The state also had few of the personal vehicle owner towing protections identified in a 2021 report from the Public Interest Research Group's Consumer Watchdog team. 'House Enrolled Act 1390 holds towing providers accountable, requiring transparency, capping fees and ensuring access to personal belongings, while penalizing bad actors who are taking advantage of a bad situation,' Pressel said. That research sparked a Hoosier campaign for reform. 'The great majority of the towers … are responsible businesspeople and are not the problem, but there's a small percentage that have taken advantage of the industry, and those are the ones that we're focused on,' Indiana Motor Truck Association President and CEO Gary Langston said. After learning of the commercial tow findings, Langston began asking around — and was 'bombarded with invoices' from in-state and out-of-state carriers. Indiana law already mandates itemized receipts, but that doesn't mean all charges are legitimate. Langston recalled one invoice for an 18-mile tow that featured a fuel surcharge of more than $7,000. He also described seeing overstated hourly labor costs and various 'hidden' fees in the miscellaneous and administrative columns on the invoices. Commercial vehicle interests additionally sought greater recourse for recovering vehicles and the client loads inside while disputing such charges. In committee hearings, Indiana Towing & Wrecker Association President Karrie Driscol expressed openness to additional regulations but similarly blamed the complaints on a handful of bad actors. Her organization declined comment to the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Several chunks of incoming Indiana code tackle what Langston dubbed 'egregious' overcharging. Towing companies on the Indiana State Police (ISP) rotation will only be able to charge the rates they've already filed when ISP calls them for emergency tows. When their services are requested by local law enforcement agencies, the restrictions shift. If there are set rates, that's what'll get charged. If not, a company could charge its ISP rates. If the company isn't on the ISP rotation, it will charge, at most, what's in the ISP district's agreements. The legislation also requires law enforcement agencies to include a lengthy list of provisions in written policies or contracts entered into, amended or renewed after June 30: contract lengths, service and storage rates, allowable administrative fees, a prohibition on charging unlisted fees, a provision allowing the agencies to suspend or remove violator companies, and more. When private property owners request tows, companies will charge whatever rates are in the agreements they already have with the owners, according to the legislation. If there's no preexisting agreement, a company must charge a rate applicable under the legislation's local law enforcement agency provisions. The state's itemized invoice requirement also got tweaks. Come July 1, invoices must include the number of miles the vehicle was towed, a 'good faith estimate' of where and how long invoiced items were used, and an attestation that all invoiced items were 'used and necessary in the ordinary course of business.' Fees must also be accompanied by 'full' descriptions of the services provided. Towing companies and storage facilities are barred from charging inspection fees but could charge for retrieval. Another piece of the legislation lets commercial carriers file complaints with the Indiana Attorney General's Office if they believe the charges are 'unreasonable.' A towing company or storage facility will have to release the impounded vehicle and its cargo within 24 hours of receiving payment for 75% of the invoice, proof of a bond for the remaining 25%, and a copy of the complaint. Legislators also cracked down on towing company compensation offers for referrals. They're banned unless there is a prior contract in play. Towing changes encountered hefty opposition throughout several rounds of changes. House lawmakers briefly considered giving the Secretary of State's Office oversight and requiring that towing companies obtain licenses from the office, but the language ultimately wasn't added to House Enrolled Act 1382 before it left the chamber. Also in the session's first half, procedural deadlines felled two towing-focused proposals. Pressel's committee didn't put one on its hearing agenda; the other advanced to the House floor but languished on the chamber's agenda for eight straight session meetings and died. One Senate committee resurrected that language during its turn to consider the annual BMV agency bill — the same place it was re-inserted more than two weeks later. In between, another panel removed the provisions, prompting Pressel to cram them into a utility trailers sales bill. At the time, Driscol pressed lawmakers for a 'pause' this session. 'May 1, are you available?' she quipped, in a March 31 committee hearing. '… I think that even if this does go, and passes, Chairman Pressel and I will be talking over the summer, because there are still tons of issues that need to be resolved.' She's not alone. Rep. Bob Morris, R-Fort Wayne, was a vocal opponent. He told the Capital Chronicle that he's looking forward to continued work with Pressel and others on the topic. He wants to make sure good towing companies don't get caught up in the new regulatory structure. 'I think it's workable, but it actually kind of contradicts itself as well,' Rep. Bob Morris, R-Fort Wayne, said of the final version. 'There were so many different versions done on the language, trying to get it right.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Indiana lawmakers and Gov. Braun just increased the speed limit on I-465
Eager central Indiana commuters will now be able to drive 65 miles per hour ― legally ― on Interstate 465. The ten mile-per-hour increase was part of a large road funding bill that Gov. Mike Braun signed into law the evening of May 1. The increase did not appear in the original legislation and did not prompt much discussion during the legislative session. House Bill 1461, now House Enrolled Act 1461, dealt more prominently with other road subjects, like tolling and the Community Crossings grant program. The Senate added language about I-465 while the bill was working its way through that chamber, and the bill author, Republican Rep. Jim Pressel of Rolling Prairie, agreed with the changes. Many Hoosiers have long felt the 55 miles-per-hour speed limit was too low. A few years ago, the Indiana Department of Transportation measured drivers' speeds at a northwest section of the interstate for 13 days and found that 96% were going over the speed limit. From 2021: Why the speed limit on I-465 is only 55 mph despite most people driving faster When Pressel presented the final version of the bill on the House floor on April 17, he acknowledged that reality and elicited some chuckles from his colleagues. "This is really not anything to do with road funding, but I like it," he said. "For those of us who struggle driving 55 miles an hour on 465, it increases the speed limit to 65. There you go." Drivers should remain vigilant about lower speed limits in work zones, such as in the I-465/I-69 construction zone on the northeast side. More: That lead foot could land a fine in your mailbox as INDOT launches speed control program Beginning May 5, there will be penalties for exceeding 11 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in those work zones. That came from another Indiana bill, passed in 2023, that enabled INDOT to pilot speed camera programs in work zones. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@ or follow her on X@kayla_dwyer17. Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter,Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar political and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: The speed limit on I-465 is now higher thanks to this Indiana law
Indianapolis Star
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana lawmakers and Gov. Braun just increased the speed limit on I-465
Eager central Indiana commuters will now be able to drive 65 miles per hour ― legally ― on Interstate 465. The ten mile-per-hour increase was part of a large road funding bill that Gov. Mike Braun signed into law the evening of May 1. The increase did not appear in the original legislation and did not prompt much discussion during the legislative session. House Bill 1461, now House Enrolled Act 1461, dealt more prominently with other road subjects, like tolling and the Community Crossings grant program. The Senate added language about I-465 while the bill was working its way through that chamber, and the bill author, Republican Rep. Jim Pressel of Rolling Prairie, agreed with the changes. Many Hoosiers have long felt the 55 miles-per-hour speed limit was too low. A few years ago, the Indiana Department of Transportation measured drivers' speeds at a northwest section of the interstate for 13 days and found that 96% were going over the speed limit. When Pressel presented the final version of the bill on the House floor on April 17, he acknowledged that reality and elicited some chuckles from his colleagues. "This is really not anything to do with road funding, but I like it," he said. "For those of us who struggle driving 55 miles an hour on 465, it increases the speed limit to 65. There you go." Drivers should remain vigilant about lower speed limits in work zones, such as in the I-465/I-69 construction zone on the northeast side. Beginning May 5, there will be penalties for exceeding 11 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in those work zones. That came from another Indiana bill, passed in 2023, that enabled INDOT to pilot speed camera programs in work zones.
Indianapolis Star
21-04-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Lawmakers try to stop Fishers, Carmel rental caps ahead of city council votes, in 11th-hour move
Show Caption Carmel and Fishers' controversial plans to regulate the number of rental properties in their communities could be squashed by the Indiana legislature. In an 11th hour move, language to prevent local governments from putting caps on rentals was added on Monday morning to House Bill 1389, a bill limiting local governments ability to restrict vehicle and outdoor equipment sales. The language that would impact the Hamilton County cities wasn't discussed in committee prior to Monday's conference committee on HB 1389, during what's supposed to be the final week of the legislative session. The Fishers ordinance could be voted on at a city council meeting Monday night. 'It really fits in 1389 because we're talking about local regulations,' said Rep. Jim Pressel, who authored the legislation. '(It's) what units of government should be able to regulate and what they shouldn't frankly." Fishers officials have said its first-of-its-kind proposal is an effort to curb large corporate investors from buying swaths of single-family homes and converting them to rentals. Some homeowners and renters in Fishers have been joined by real estate interests in pushing back against the ordinance, which would place a 10% cap on the number of rentals allowed in a subdivision. In Carmel, the discussion is just getting under way. Carmel's ordinance would limit rental units to 10% of all homes within any subdivision or the City of Carmel as whole. That ordinance will be introduced at Carmel's city council meeting Monday night. Both city's ordinances would establish rental property registries. Brian Burdick, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg, spoke on Fishers' behalf during Monday's conference committee. '(Fishers) has had an incredible problem over the last five or six years where a number of significant hedge funds have moved in and have purchased up nearly half of the homes in neighborhoods to turn into rental properties,' Burdick said. Fishers' ordinance is about preventing a barrier to first-time home buyers, who are getting outbid for homes by hedge funds, he added. 'There's a lot of constitutionality issues around the issue,' Burdick said. 'Our firm has drafted the ordinance with constitutional lawyers to get around this very issue and to balance property rights.' Amy Krieg, the government affairs director with Accelerate Indiana Municipalities, also spoke against the legislative add on. 'We aren't supportive of this language at this time, and it is important communities retain the tools to create cohesive and livable neighborhoods,' said Krieg, whose organization advocates for hundreds of Indiana municipalities. On the other hand, representatives of several interest groups spoke in favor of the legislative provisions that would stop Fishers' and Carmel's ordinance before they even took effect. 'As an organization, we have a longstanding position of supporting private property rights and we also are an inherently free market organization,' said Maggie McShane, representing the Indiana Association of Realtors. Families with young children and young people trying to save to buy a home would be impacted by the rental restriction ordinances, McShane said. Representatives from the Indiana Apartment Association and the Indiana Builders Association both spoke in support of adding language to House Bill 1389 that would squash Fishers' and Carmel's ordinances. "We from our standpoint believe this is bad housing policy,' said Brian Spaulding, president of the Indiana Apartment Association, of the Fishers ordinance. 'It's going to result in increases in the cost of rent overall when you're capping that supply.' A Fishers spokesperson said Mayor Scott Fadness was unavailable for immediate comment but was talking with legislators to sort out the implications of the General Assembly's action. Lawmakers from both chambers still need to sign off on the proposed final language in HB 1389, so the bill could still change before it crosses the finish line.
Axios
14-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Indiana lawmakers revisit tolling for road funding fix
An Indianapolis lawmaker is worried the road funding bill set to pass the state Senate this week could pave the way for tolling on Interstate 465 and other existing interstates. Why it matters: Much of the attention paid to House Bill 1461 has been to other aspects of what author Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie) has called "pages of options" to address the state's $4 billion road funding shortfall. However, largely overlooked provisions could make it easier for Indiana to begin tolling on any of the state's existing interstates, which a previous study estimated would bring in nearly $40 billion in revenue over two decades. Roughly 100,000 people drive on the I-465 loop daily, many living and working in central Indiana. Driving the news: Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis) told Axios he plans to introduce an amendment today to HB 1461 that would strike provisions making it easier for the state to start tolling road users. "If we did this bill the way it is, I think it is a lot easier to get to a place where you could toll 465, or 70 or 65 or any other roadways," Freeman said. He tried to remove the tolling provisions from HB 1461 in committee, but his amendment was defeated. The other side: "The current way we fund roads just does not work anymore," said Sen. Mike Crider (R-Greenfield), the bill's sponsor. "The gas tax is not a viable method anymore. We have to leave all options on the table, which includes giving the government the option of tolling if that's what we decide." Between the lines: Indianapolis leaders have supported HB 1461 mainly because of a separate provision that would provide the city with an extra $50 million for its crumbling roads. Flashback: In 2017, lawmakers directed the Indiana Department of Transportation to study tolling and create an implementation plan and gave the governor new authority to implement interstate tolls without General Assembly input. When INDOT was preparing the study, the department said it wanted to take a closer look at I-465, not ruling out tolls for commuters in the Indianapolis area, but then-Gov. Eric Holcomb directed INDOT to leave I-465 out of the conversation. The department finished the implementation plan in 2018, and Holcomb promptly said thanks, but no thanks and shelved it. The intrigue: Gov. Mike Braun hasn't taken the same public stance against tolling.
