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there is one more week remaining at the state house is the General Assemby works to make this short session shorter by seven days and with eight weeks in Indiana, senators gave final approval Thursday for a literacy overhaul bill that will require reading deficient third graders to be held back a year in school Thursday also saw the Senate Appropriations Committee remove a House bill providing 13th checks for pension fund bonuses and replace with a Senate bill introducing a future hybrid approach.

House Republicans on Tuesday amended their Senate counterparts latest attempt to limit the governor's emergency powers by making statewide disaster emergency declarations lasting 30 days with one 30 day renewal.

As this legislation advances, one Northeast Indiana legislator said he wants to be sure that the state is prepared for future disasters and that lawmaker is also House assistant majority floor leader and he is with us in studio today and he joins our second guest who is involved in her first General Assembly session and her first visit here with us on prime time.

Good evening.

I'm Bruce Haines and so let's name names with us.

31ST District Republican state represent Lorie Goss Reeves and 41st District Republican state representative and Assistant Majority Floor Leader Denny S. And all of us here invite you to join us in the conversation .

You can call with your questions and comments by using the number you see on the screen as we widen here we are we have Representative Goss Reeves' Representative Lori Denny.

>> Thank you both for being here.

Thank you for having us.

Appreciate it.

Very pleasure.

I enjoy it very, very much.

>> And for for Lori and particularly your first time with us people are perhaps thanking District 31.

I should know where that is.

So fill in those those entries for us here.

>> Tell us a little about Lori and about the folks you represent.

OK, I serve all of Grant County with the exception of a chunk that has Swazi Indiana in it and I serve a portion of Madison County.

So Indiana Wesleyan University and Taylor University are both in my district and Indiana Wesleyan is a familiar place.

>> That's a place of employment I believe when you're not representing folks down at the state House.

>> That is correct.

I'm a college professor social professor and I also taught at Taylor University in the past.

So I really am thankful to represent both of those universities and all of the people of District Thirty one and joining the legislature of it following the fall of last year I believe and you're sitting next to a gentleman who has been moving through about his 12th or so year in the legislature.

And Dr. Sencer, your district that you're representing, you're very compatible in terms of distance only.

>> We're going north from Fort Wayne on Sixty-nine for a while.

>> Yeah, that's true.

It's all of Legrange County and most Stebenne County and what's unique up there is we're kind of the outliner that district is Michigan or Ohio or both and there's plenty of lakes up there and that's what drew us back after time in the military and we live on like James and it's a it's a wonderful area and I've been fortunate people have kind of supported me for 12 years.

But as everybody knows, it's probably time to move on to another phase of my life and I'm looking forward to that.

>> In fact, let's linger there for a moment.

I was hoping we would get to it eventually but now is perfectly fine.

But in looking at those past twelve years with at least one legislative session per calendar, you've seen them all .

How does the one we're currently in compare to the ones that you've also noted your log but this is not a fiscal year so it's supposedly shorter.

We're supposed to be done in the odd numbered years by midnight on April twenty ninth and by midnight March the 14th basically the fifteenth on a short short term spot.

We don't deal with fiscal matters and quite truthfully some of the other short sessions seemed to last as long as the long ones.

But this one it may just be that I can see the finish line and it just didn't, you know, beat me down as much.

>> I suppose it is very grueling and people think that you just go down there for whatever reason if you're involved and you want to represent your district it is 24 hours a day and when you're not down there it's still very grueling and I'm going to take the opportunity to say that you wonder what will happen if you leave.

You know, everybody thinks are irreplaceale.

Someone sitting right here is going to be a terrific legislator.

She is this is actually her first year and I can tell you that you sit back, you learn more by listening than you do talking and then when they get in your lane your area of expertize and lower you do have an area of expertize you can just see that start to grow.

So we're fortunate there are people that are going to be there representing us and northern half of the state that really are going to do a good job.

>> We should be grateful.

Yeah and I'm wondering with the kind of encouragement from the gentleman to your right in addition to that, what have you been coached about regarding going into your first session?

>> How do you prepare for something like this?

I just believe life's about relationships and so my goal was to go down there and build relationships and listen and learn and doctors it has been a wonderful mentor to me.

Several people truthfully have been very encouraging taking me under their wing.

Mike Kirchoff who represents the other portion of District Thirty one reached out to me as soon as I was elected and he was someone I could contact all also really from all summer long as I was trying to develop five bills and listen to my constituents as to what those needs in our district are and being able to then bring those as as authored legislation into the session was really what I got busy on right away.

But there's been a few opportunities where I've been asked to speak and I I've appreciate those times but I also believe it's really important to be careful and to to listen more and to try to earn the respect of the people that that are serving with me.

But what I have really done this time is developed a lot of respect for them.

There are some incredible people at that state house and it's just been so nice to get to know them.

>> What were some of the aspirations you carried legislatively with you into the early weeks of this one?

>> So or five bills but they all came from my constituents, right?

So five is our maximum so one of them hospital eleven thirty eight I actually was able to sign that yesterday it passed the House unanimously then went over to the Senate and passed unanimously.

I came back with an amendment and so that was concurred and so it is now going to go to the governor's desk so I'm very happy about that.

The second one that may make it across the finish line we shall see this House bill fourteen eighteen that came from a detective in my district who wants to see babies be born healthy.pSo in twenty twelve I d to serve on the Maternal Substance Abuse Task Force at what was then called Marion General Hospital and there I learned about neonatal abstinence syndrome and what happens to our babies when they're born addicted.

>> And so House Bill fourteen eighteen is an attempt to get moms who are using substances that have been charged with a drug crime into a diversion program or a drug court at initial hearing in hopes that those babies can be born healthy.

I care a lot about education.

I care a lot about our kids not going to school with additional challenges and I think this will help with that.

So it's I I concurred on it today so we will see if it can come back and pass through the House.

>> Another one was on age verification and that bill actually was authored by a senator and so it was also approved by the House voted passed the House I guess is the right way to say it and so I was able to be a part of that bill.

Fourth one was about continuances on child welfare.

My bill did not get a hearing but Representative in the House had one that was really better than mine and so it it passed the House.

It's now in the Senate.

So I was able to coauthor that one that didn't get a hearing which is totally fine was about human trafficking and trying to get those individuals counseling through the system without them having to testify against their offender.

And then the fifth one I'm going to have to think a minute on the fifth one but it uh I'll think and come back to me on that.

OK, got it.

Got adopted to another bill but I can't not not my language it didn't get a hearing but but it did get through a different way.

>> Yeah.

So in talking to your colleague then with some of your legislative options for your final session, what what made that list I'm generally concentrated on veterans issues because I've been there done that and on health care issues and specifically as a retired dentist and ended Nonis I've got some background in that area so one of them was a pcompact bill that means that it makes it simpler for of dentists and health care providers and high Jenice from other states to get license in our state.

I mean you pretty much have to pass the same national exams and the accredited dental school.

So Indiana ranks forty six out of fifty states with the number of dentists per hundred thousand that hurts the delivery system and part of the reason is is up here we're growing when their surroundings states are more attracting people here but we also have to stay up with our professionals and that was one of the bills we had in the compact of we can get that through.

It basically allows us to be one of the initial seven states that pretty much set up the parameters for years to come know it's always nice to be the head of the table.

So that's one of the things that we're working on.

But it has a small fiscal illness isn't the fiscal year so we'll see how that goes.

Another one I was very interested in because my father suffered a stroke was a stroke bill.

We're going to do a study and find out the best way to handle in a lot of rural areas.

M.S.

goes out and I encounter somebody with a stroke.

There may be two hospitals both equally distant away but one of is better situated or better equipped to handle strokes than the other.

You don't want to be twice as far away when you figure that out.

Not a study needs to go into that and a lot of the year is might you know, upgrade one that's made known.

That's something that had a large fiscal so it'll be a study committee and it'll probably come back in full force next year.

I think it'll get a lot of support.

Another another bill was what covid taught us a lot of lessons and in hindsight we need to utilize all the professions in health care.

You know, one covid first hit they shut down a dental offices for two months.

I mean to tell you because I experienced one we had another epidemic called AIDS.

They didn't know how it was transmitted anything except it was totally fatal if you contracted it.

Dentistry did a lot with personal protection equipment.

We were on the forefront.

Yes.

Were covered originates oral pharyngeal area.

>> Everybody felt oh, everybody in the emergency room was going to be contaminated.

You know, dental office was right up front but we knew how to handle that so they finally kind of figured that one out and open dental offices up.

You can only go so long without being seen and now we're trying to utilize the health care knowledge of the dental team, the dentist, the dentist if we get an emergency in the future.

Also vaccine I don't know of anybody that ever gave more injections than I did.

>> I don't care who they are because every procedure typically required debt.

So I think what's happened and we've had a very good experience and now we have a couple of physicians in in the House and we have one in the Senate that has dramatically improved in my twelve years down there.

The knowledge base that we have is just inspiring and I think we need to have more folks that give up to go down there because what their knowledge is you know, I said stay in your lane earlier terminology probably your bandwidth, you know, but we do have a lot of well-informed educated people in a state house.

We bicker a little bit but typically we come up with the right answer and if not the next year will go back and get it right.

>> Well, I'm thinking as you're sharing about the makeup of a lot of the legislative committees on House and Senate side and serendipity being what it is both of you serve on public health in the House among your other committee work and that had to be helpful to see representatives in the same space.

But talk about the dynamic of public health because this is one of those committees that receives not only bills with which may be related to your authorship but it may well be to that others are passing through.

So you're seeing a pretty broad swath of proposals.

What was the public health committee experience like so far?

>> Yeah, I'm really thankful to be able to serve on that committee.

I'm a licensed clinical social worker, served for over thirty years as a mental health counselor as well as that licensed clinical social worker and so the mental health bills come through that committee and so that has been really nice for me to be able to be on on that committee.

I also serve on insurance and there is there's some overlap and understanding how those two things work together and in my other committee as the Child and Family Services Committee but starting with Doctors Zent on public health , you know, it's really I think we really got to know each other because I looked to him and ask a question and he was so kind with his response and so I have so much respect for doctors and what an honor to be here with him tonight.

>> I can I can reciprocate because all I can tell you which when I first got on public health the bandwidth wasn't quite what I would hope that would be and we have now have so many talented people in there and health care is not just hospital driven.

You have dentistry, you have optometry, you have mental health and they're all huge and I think the funding formats and everything else has taken that into consideration because if we don't have that available for our citizens, we've got other issues and I think most of the research, the statistics and everything that come out of verified that so bandwidth of what we're handling in the health committee has expanded nine times there and that's here we're fortunate have some people that can fill in because I will tell you that the experts and the people I give you opinions from the hallway and a lot of times I was Air Force Two is like thirty thousand foot level.

I get people that are right there doing that treatment that's like right on the ground and that's and we rely on those people because they're in a committee.

We can talk to them all the time.

And as I said, it's I think a bandwidth of everybody in the legislature has just grown with the talented people that I have seen come in in the last ten years.

>> Well, certainly this session included significant legislation.

They're all certainly relevant in their scope.

But this week we had moving through Senator Brown's bill to reform health care that's heading to the governor's desk.

>> This is the one about increasing access care for Hoosiers Everywhere 2.0.

And Danny, you were a sponsor of the Senate bill on the on the House side talk about if you will, how we move from 1.0 to 2.0.

Some of the things that you found worthy of support in the bill?

>> Well, the bill had a number of issues in it and one of them was to streamline facilitate nurses getting licensure.

And we have found and I know personally even before this bill came up at the Philippines is a very good system and Philippine nurse it's coming over here and from other countries if they're qualified we lost of a lot of not just nurses I know in dentistry but lost a lot of high dentists that were senior and one scare came about covid nobody knew.

The answer is they said I don't need to deal with this and they were tired and good for them.

But it's difficult when you don't project those retirements there is as I said, there was other aspects to that bill that as far as streamlining reimbursement rates for different provider organizations which is always good but I hung my head on one big issue and I had to do with dentistry and I don't believe we can solve all of the costs and all of this discussion we've have heard about how we're providing care but we can't contain the cost unless we have a robust discussion between not just the providers and the insurance companies but also the patients.

And everybody's got to be considered because it's almost like we've got they always used to use Silow but it's monolithic here.

>> Maybe the big hospital networks providers and on this side the insurance company and you as a patient that little speck on the ground, you don't think you have any input.

And what I tried to do on a dental aspect of that bill was the insurer is obligated to send the payment to where their client the patient says to send that it had been used by one insurance company to kind of get in between the doctor and the patient and that's a no no in my world.

>> So now you get right to the bones of it and I brought that up said about one thirty to pass the House ninety four 0% at forty five two zero and I'm happy it's on its way.

Among the bills that are finding their way is is one that comes to conference committee.

Both of you are coauthors on the House side of it and that's about the pension plan, the funding and just wanted to touch on this one because you both share this dynamic but we have a House version where Senate Bill 275 came over to the House and was stayed in committee when House Bill 204 on the thirteenth check went over to the Senate, the Senate language went back into the House bill and it looks like it's on its way to move forward as viewers watch tonight and have questions and they are public employees and they're wondering about all of this, what's your sense of of comfort or counsel for four persons wondering will my check come in or is there something better worth worth waiting for perhaps is the way to frame Lori doctors that ordered audit has been annual or at least during budget years.

>> It does come up nice and non budget year but actuarially you look at something like that and a thirteenth check is something you get right now if they actually try to increase reimbursed it and do away with thirteen check and maybe accelerate their actuarial numbers ultimately I think a lot of people would be better off if they do the Senate plan.

But a lot of times people count on that check now so that's very different difficult in the transition and I was kind of hoping that maybe we'd have the options.

You know, you can opt to take this or that but ultimately you know, you've got to stay with one or the other.

So it's all of the house typically goes with the thirteenth check that the Senate even know that House is supposed to take care of finances, figure out how that works.

They come up with their plan and it's one of the things that goes down to the wire almost every year.

It seems that so we're going through so it always then leads to the question guidance from some of House and Senate leadership suggesting that the session could end on March eight .

>> You're able to be in session through March 14.

>> So why a shorter short session necessary from your point saves the taxpayers money because we're not down there in or whether it's per dam or mileage or anything else saves typically we work till Thursday evening and take Friday off and could come back Monday and I have to be done by Thursday.

But if we can compress that a little bit and stay Friday and maybe Saturday and wrap it up, it's better for everybody involved and also understand that these legislators have a different job for the most part because it's listed as well.

My world it was the most intense part time job I've ever had in my life .

I have envisioned part time job was like when I work with J.C. Penney when I was in high school in sixty seventy the nineteen sixties and I can tell you that this job is intense and I think that if we can wrap it up early it's better for everybody because at this point you're going to haggle over the same things if you put a deadline and shot clock in there somebody they're going to have to come to the table and we're going to get stuff done otherwise they'd extend it for more days.

>> Well, in the in the discussion of time we are already under a two minute warning.

But I do want to ask you with Lauri present and as guidance from someone who has indeed twelve years of legislative experience and far more in public service and including your profession as well, what are some of the takeaways for you and that these might be wishes for all who step forward and seek to serve?

I can't I can tell you that you learn more by listening and a lot of people say why don't you say anything?

And I'm sitting there and I'm thinking I know what I'm going to say when you get to an area and I'm an expert but you can pick up things as Gloria's mentioned, there's people that in certain areas they are experts go to them, find out you don't have to sit out on the floor.

There are no and there are some lobbyists that are very, very astute get good questions and have them answer just your point of view and find out because otherwise they might give you a run around about answer.

It's been very informative and she she's got the background well she'll be able to pick it up very quickly.

I hear of folks suggesting that the short session is a build up for activity to come in the longer session a year a year out.

What is your your sense of your take away from your first session so has really just been eye opening to see how much people truly care.

We're almost out of time but but we have had a lot of people come to the state house.

Right.

Individuals who have children with severe disabilities.

I have a son who has Down syndrome and autism.

So being able to engage with those people, being able to take their phone calls, being able to listen to them, to hear their stories and then to try to help them be their child's voice in a way that can can be fiscally responsible and also meet the needs of our Hoosiers.

That that's been my takeaway and it is really it's just been something that I think God has prepared me for and I'm just so thankful and I want to say I did end up talk about aisle five as I did the math here as I was listening to doctors I did talk about off five bill.

So thank you for letting have the opportunity to do that.

>> Well, we look forward to having the opportunity of welcoming you back in the short session goes long in the year and representative answer thank you for your continued service.

Best wishes as this one wraps up in the next chapters start to be written and thank you for your continued interest in the program.

>> That's terrific.

Our pleasure.

Thank you for watching as well.

For all of us with prime time, I'm Bruce Haines.

>> Take care.

We'll see you again next week.

Good night The Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana.

Advocates for a world class infrastructure, a competitive business climate, 21st century talent and rural investment.

One region, one voice.

NEINAdvocates.com.