Gov. Holcomb calls for special session to address school safety bill

11:50 AM UPDATE: Gov. Eric Holcomb said Monday he will call the General Assembly into a special session in May. He wants lawmakers to address a school safety bill that died without a vote when the legislature concluded last week.

Holcomb also told reporters that he supports a one-time, $12 million loan for Muncie Community Schools, which misspent a $10 million bond that must be repaid.

New story: Gov. Holcomb calls special legislative session after chaotic end to session

Earlier: Gov. Eric Holcomb faces a big decision after the General Assembly unintentionally allowed several bills — including two of the governor's top priorities — to die on the chaotic final day of the 2018 legislative session.

Should he call lawmakers back to the Statehouse for a special session to provide more money for school safety and promote the development of high-tech driver-less vehicles in Indiana?

He seemed to suggest that possibility Thursday in an early morning statement just hours after the General Assembly failed to wrap up its work in time.F

“After meeting with Speaker (Brian) Bosma and Senator (David) Long, I’ll look at all that can be done to complete unfinished business — whether that’s by administrative or legislative authority, if needed," he said.

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Since then, Holcomb has been tight-lipped about his plans. But at a chamber of commerce event in Evansville, his lieutenant governor, Suzanne Crouch, said she "wouldn't be surprised" if a special session is called.

More details could emerge Monday, when Holcomb is scheduled to hold an 11 a.m. news conference at the governor's residence.

A number of factors will likely play into the decision.

First, Holcomb will have to decide how much he cares about the five measures that didn't get a vote because the clock ran out. Two of those were priorities for Holcomb: A funding boost for school security and a plan to encourage and regulate driver-less vehicles.

The school safety bill would have added $5 million in grants for school security and $1 million for the Indiana Department of Education to audit school safety plans. It also would have allowed schools to borrow additional money from the state for security upgrades.

Holcomb requested the additional money in a letter to legislative leaders after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead. The resulting legislation failed on the same day that thousands of Indiana high school students walked out of their schools as part of a national movement to bring attention to the need to keep students safe.

The driver-less vehicle bill was also important to Holcomb, part of his effort to boost Indiana's reputation as a state friendly to technology companies. But that measure got caught up in a dispute over the appropriate level of safety regulations, with Rep. Ed Soliday butting heads with Sen. Mike Crider and auto manufacturers.

That dispute was one of several that led to a mad dash Wednesday to rush through half a dozen bills in the final minutes of the session, prompting Holcomb to sign an unprecedented directive extending the legislature's midnight deadline to 1 a.m.

Ultimately, lawmakers decided to disregard the directive amid legal questions about the move, bringing the session to a close with five bills still pending on the House floor. Casualties included two tax-related measures and a takeover plan for school districts in Muncie and Gary, in addition to the school safety and driver-less vehicle bills.

Now, Holcomb will have to weigh the importance of those issues against the cost of a special session.

Final count: What passed, what failed at the Indiana legislature.

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Lawmakers would receive $173 per day, including weekends, while in session. That means a special session would cost taxpayers nearly $30,000 for each day of a special session — and that doesn't include mileage lawmakers would receive for driving to and from Indianapolis once a week.

Such spending could be unpopular among Republicans who control the General Assembly, especially in what could be a tough election year. More Democratic challengers have filed to run against Republicans this year, and special elections in other states have resulted in gains for Democrats, even in districts that went heavily for President Donald Trump in 2016.

Legislative leaders, who spent the hours immediately after Wednesday's meltdown pointing fingers at one another, said Friday they were willing to support a special session.

"Much will depend upon what the governor feels he can do regarding certain key issues without legislative action, such as money for school safety programs," Long said. "There are also key economic development issues and tax relief measures that should be addressed."

He said it's not clear what the precise cost would be, "but if it occurs, our focus will be to keep it as short and inexpensive as possible."

His counterpart in the House, Bosma, initially seemed less interested, suggesting Thursday that leftover issues from the session could be dealt with administratively.

"I don't see anything on this list that's going to require (a special session)," he said.

But his tune changed on Friday after consulting with Holcomb's office.

"We have had discussions with the governor’s team and have made it clear we will cooperate in every way if we determine any remaining items require legislative action," he said. "If a special session does occur, it will be limited to very a small number of critical issues, which remained on the table at the close of the regular session."

Holcomb and lawmakers are already facing pressure from several directions to finish the work they left on the table.

One of the tax measures, for example, contained the state's response to federal tax reform changes. Without it, Indiana businesses will have to calculate their federal adjusted gross income tax twice in order to comply with state and federal laws, according to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

"This measure alone may trigger a special legislative session," the Chamber told members in an email Thursday.

The Indiana Department of Education also seems eager for lawmakers to return to work.

In a op-ed published online Friday, State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick urged the public to contact lawmakers and “encourage their support in making certain every student has a safe learning environment.”

While the letter did not specifically go so far as to call for a special session, McCormick said that more needs to be done.

“For this reason, I have strongly encouraged the General Assembly, our congressional delegation and those who hold executive authority to undertake efforts to address school safety,” she wrote. “These actions must include passing policies that decrease risks, provide support for social and emotional programs to address mental and behavioral health, and approve budgets that increase resources.”

Adam Baker, an education department spokesperson, said the department would love to see action on several education issues left on the table in Wednesday night’s chaotic close, including the school safety bill and legislation addressing financially troubled school districts. That bill would have given Ball State University control over Muncie Community Schools and placed greater restrictions on the Gary Community Schools board.

“If there’s an opportunity to not have to wait until next year, absolutely we’d be open to that," Baker said.

Even if Holcomb does call a special session, the timing could be complicated by an ongoing review of the Department of Child Services.

He hired an outside child welfare consultant to conduct the review after then-DCS Director Mary Beth Bonaventura resigned in protest over his administration's policies, which she said in a stinging resignation letter would "all but ensure children will die."

Democrats called for action this session, but Republicans put them off, insisting on waiting for results of the review, which are due June 21. If urgent legislative action is needed, they said, they would consider a special session.

But those promises now put them and Holcomb in an uncomfortable position. Do they wait more than three months to take care of issues like school safety? Or do they schedule a special session soon and risk the need for another one later this summer?

Those are difficult questions, especially in an election year with primaries just around the corner in May.

If a special session is called, it would be the first in a non-budget-writing year since 2002. The last special session came during a budget showdown between the Democrat-controlled House and then-Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2009.

One thing is certain: If the governor calls a special session this year for any reason except to address problems at DCS, Democrats will pounce.

With control of the governor's office and super majorities in both chambers, Republicans have no excuse for calling a special session, said House Minority Leader Terry Goodin, D-Austin.

"They didn’t get the job done," he said. "Now they want to come back and make more money for a job they should have gotten done earlier. This is poor government at its best."

Evansville Courier & Press reporter John T. Martin contributed to this story.

Call IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at (317) 444-6081. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at (317) 432-9270. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.

Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at (317) 444-6077. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.