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The Indiana House overwhelmingly agreed Tuesday that employers should not be permitted to force Hoosier workers to be microchipped as a condition of employment.

House Bill 1143, sponsored by state Rep. Alan Morrison, R-Brazil, was approved 97 to 0 and now goes to the Senate.

Morrison acknowledged that no companies in Indiana, or anywhere, currently are forcing their workers to have an identification or tracking chip implanted in their bodies to maintain their jobs.

But Morrison noted some businesses are using the technology on a voluntary basis, including a Wisconsin company, and he wants to be sure employers never "overstep their bounds" by imposing mandatory employee microchipping.

"Privacy is an important thing. I think we all realize that," Morrison said.

State Rep. Karlee Macer, D-Indianapolis, voted for Morrison's legislation.

However, she bemoaned the myriad of Democratic-sponsored proposals that aren't moving in the Republican-controlled chamber while lawmakers spend time on nonexistent problems like this.