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Luke's Record in the General Assembly
Taxes & Spending | Family | Small Business | Education | Welfare Reform | Law & Order & Domestic Violence | Local Government | Economic Development | Consumer Protection | Campaign Finance Reform | Historic Preservation | License Branch Reform | ISTA Involuntary Dues |
It was the next logical step for Luke Kenley. After serving his hometown of Noblesville as a judge, after contributing to the success of the GOP in Hamilton County, after building the family business into a $16 million-a-year operation, it was time to look to the next challenge. How could Luke make a difference in the lives of Hoosiers beyond Hamilton County, beyond central Indiana?
When a highly respected, longtime legislator from Noblesville chose to retire, the people who knew Luke Kenley best convinced him to run for the State Senate in 1992. Winning against a well-financed, well-known incumbent, Luke immediately made his mark and was recognized by his peers as the Freshman Legislator of the Year.
Luke's impact has been felt in virtually every major issue facing the Indiana General Assembly since that time. Either as a lead negotiator, author/coauthor or member who conceived the legislation, Luke has met the challenge as a citizen legislator time and time again.
With a court-ordered property tax reassessment looming over Indiana's horizon, decisive, fair-minded leadership is demanded. While Governors Evan Bayh and Frank O'Bannon paid lip service to this issue and generally tried to avoid it, Luke has offered the only real plan to reduce these taxes. His plan passed the Indiana Senate by a vote of 42-8 with bipartisan support. House democrat leaders were forced to quickly adjourn the session in order to avoid a vote on the popular reform.
On this and many other critical issues facing our state, Luke Kenley is a man who can be counted on to do the right thing. Here's how Luke has made a difference to date:
- SB176 allows local units of government to create a rainy day fund similar to the state rainy day fund. Passed
- HB1499 allows citizens the ability to appeal adverse property tax assessments through a more fair appeals procedure. Passed
- Bill to remove school general fund from the property tax levy would have reduced property taxes 30%.
- SB21 would have capped state spending at the rate of inflation plus 1%. Required super majority to spend more.
- SB433 developed a community transition program, which allows judges to return eligible non-violent felons to local reentry programs on a gradual basis in order to save the state the cost of building new prisons. Ninety of these prisoners in the first year of the program have been successful in returning to society. Passed
- SB465 increased elderly deduction for senior citizens over 65 on their property taxes from $1000 to $2000. Qualifying individuals' home-assessed values cannot exceed $23,000 and individual incomes cannot exceed $25,000. Passed
- Conceived 50% reduction in auto excise tax using gambling profits to replace those local government funds. Passed
- SB221 contained Luke's language to provide for petition and remonstrance process for local bond issues. Passed
- Negotiated increase in homeowner's property tax credit to 10%. Passed
- SB409 provides tax credit for deposits into Indiana College Savings Trust Fund. Passed
- SB38 requires parental consent for body piercing of children under 18 years old. Passed
- Authored bill allowing Individual Saving accounts to encourage low-income people to save money to buy a home, continue their education, or start a business. Provides tax exemption of interest and state match of funds. Passed
- SB425 coauthored bill to permit purchase of long-term nursing home insurance which allows estates to be preserved for heirs if $140,000 of insurance is purchased. Passed
- SB6 increased the penalty of possession of tobacco by a minor. Passed
- SB576 makes Medical Savings Accounts available to the general public. Passed
- Primary negotiator in 1997 special session with the Governor to secure 100,000 inheritance tax exemptions for Class A beneficiaries. Passed
- HB1367 changed mechanics lien law to protect small contractors by outlawing no-lien contracts. Passed
- SB450 coauthored bill to prevent a party from being held liable for environmental damage if the damage was caused prior to party purchasing property. Passed
- SB78 created a defense for employers in OSHA proceedings where employee was at fault for hazard or injury and the employer had no fault. Passed
- 1995 Tort Reform - authored six amendments creating caps on punitive damages, offer of settlement provision and application of comparative fault to product liability damages. Passed
- Served for three years on the Advisory Board to the Dean of Agriculture at Purdue University.
- SB199 assists schools with cleanup of unfunded teacher retirement benefits. Prohibits future negotiation of benefits that are not funded in current year budget. Passed
- Offered a bill to allow limited parental choice program for low- income Indianapolis Public School families.
- Coauthored bill to reimburse schools $800.00 for every child that graduates with academic honors diploma. Passed
- Coauthored buddy system project, which provides state funds to install computers in schools for use by children. Indiana is now one of the top-ranked computer hardware technology-aided schools in the country.Passed
- SB151 Public school scholarship program. Allowed 50% scholarship for families of students ranked in lower 50% of grade to attend another public school system. Passed
- In 1999 initiated the annual Luke Kenley Leadership Conference, a two-day conference held each year for all senior class presidents in Luke's legislative district.
- SB400 developed a procedure for submission of child welfare budgets to county governments to obtain more accountability from Judges on mandated expenses. Passed
- SB478 author of 1995 landmark Welfare Reform Bill that provided for spending caps on state welfare expenditures. Two year limit on AFDC payments for those able to work, denial of benefits for children born 10 months after mother applied for welfare, 10 year denial of benefits for convicted welfare cheats, required pledge of employment for all recipients. Has reduced welfare rolls statewide by 50%. Passed
- SB449 author of bill to provide food stamps by EBT card (credit card with photo). Expected to save state $4 million per year in administrative costs alone and will save millions through elimination of black market use of paper food stamps. Passed
- SB509 created Welfare Recipient Self Sufficiency Fund to assist individuals to transition from welfare to work. Provided six specific incentives to move welfare recipients into the workforce. Passed
LAW AND ORDER AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- SB448 allows for victims of domestic violence to receive a confidential address through the Attorney General's Office. Passed
- SB272 provides for risk of danger to individuals or the community to be considered when setting bail. Passed
- SB92 allows for consideration of victim impact in death penalty hearings. Passed
- SB2 allows county legislative body to establish a three member special prosecutor review board to determine need for special prosecutor when conflict of interest arises due to investigation of law enforcement officer. Passed
- SB4 makes several changes and adds a new classification to Indiana rape crime to strengthen the law. Adds provisions for individuals incapable of providing consent. Passed
- SB524 provides assistance to local units of government to cover unfunded police and fire pensions. Passed
- Negotiated $250 million of surplus to be deposited in Teacher, Firemen and Police unfunded pensions. Passed
- SB204 eliminated the mandatory requirement of borrowing for poor relief.
- Authored 1995 Judges' pay raise bill. Passed
- SB102 encourages banks to keep their headquarters in Indiana by reducing the financial institutions tax. Passed
- SB12 provides that a person or entity cannot send or deliver deceptive solicitations knowingly or intentionally Passed
- SB384 prohibits a member of the General Assembly or legislative candidate from accepting or soliciting contributions during the legislative session. Passed
- SB323 allows for a historic rehabilitation tax credit for commercial properties in downtown districts. Passed
- Provides the ability for new car dealers, financial institutions and selected individuals to provide partial license branch services. Passed
- SB5 prohibits forced extraction of union dues by teachers. Passed
