“This is a huge loophole we’re walking through,” said Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne. She argued that gambling integrity is heavily enforced at casinos but not charitable organizations, calling that sector the “Wild, Wild West.”

Brown alleged that “figurehead” charities are running multiple gambling organizations to operate more days of the week than is allowed, and recalled a charity casino in her district that regulators have accused of racketeering, according to WANE.

Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, complained that organizations are sending small fractions of the money raised to charitable purposes. He added, “We should all be concerned about that.”

The legislation also had staunch defense.

Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, said other counties shouldn’t be penalized because of bad actors in one county. 

“When’s the last time one of you walked into an American Legion … and you thought you were in Las Vegas? Give me a break,” he said. Veterans’ groups are “barely hanging on,” he continued, and need the help electronic pull tabs could bring.

A proposal blocking student identification cards use in voting also passed muster, in a 39-11 vote.

Under current law these ID’s, with expiration dates, are valid to confirm a person’s identity. The voter already has to meet registration requirements separately.

Senate Bill 10 also has provisions removing a longstanding requirement that Bureau of Motor Vehicle employees ask customers about registering to vote, increasing county voter list maintenance to twice a year and asking other states to join Indiana’s election data-sharing party of one.

“This bill is about controlling who gets to vote, not protecting elections,” argued Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis. He noted the state already conducts voter roll cleanup and the “duplicative” requirements for counties could confuse voters receiving multiple mailed notices.

Ford and other Democrats said the legislation would drive down student turnout.

“Let me make it perfectly clear: I do not want to reduce voter turnout,” author Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton, said. He asserted the legislation would further secure elections, and said some counties “haven’t done a good job” maintaining their rolls.

Senate GOP priority legislation adding regulatory oversight to big water transfers and long-haul water pipelines additionally earned approval. Senate Bill 4 — a reaction to controversial water plans for the Limitless Exploration/Advanced Pace Innovation District — moved on a unanimous, 48-0 vote.

So did a priority bill for Gov. Mike Braun: Senate Bill 146, raising minimum public teacher pay from $40,000 to $45,000 and bumping the minimum percentage of tuition support that schools must spend on teacher pay. It passed unanimously, in a 50-0 vote.

All will head to the House for consideration.

Senators also combined two contentious bills cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion in schools and state government. Senate Bill 289 now contains amended language from Senate Bill 235, and will be eligible for a vote beginning Wednesday.

House fights over immigration notice measure, pulls no-fault divorce bill

In the Indiana House on Tuesday, lawmakers gave their stamp of approval to a bill that could require Indiana law enforcement to give federal authorities notice when they arrest people suspected of being in the country illegally.

Immigration notice proposal raises racial profiling fears amid border security push

The chamber voted 67-26 – mostly along party lines — to send House Bill 1393 to the Senate. 

Bill author Rep. Garrett Bascom, R-Lawrenceburg, maintained his legislation “does not authorize an officer to go up and start questioning anybody off the street,” and only intends to “standardize” collaboration between local, state and federal law enforcement.

“It is flexible, but the system, the actual process of who is going to be notified and who’s going to be notifying ICE, that’s the standardized process,” Bascom said.

A slew of Democrats who spoke out against the bill disagreed.

“This bill ultimately falls short in protecting our communities. Instead, it fosters profiling, by prompting law enforcement to seek out individuals they suspect may be in the country illegally — often based on appearance or language, driven by fear and bias,” said Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend. “The fundamental issue with this bill is the lack of trust that this bill would enable between law enforcement and the migrant community or refugee communities in our districts.”

According to the bill, if a law enforcement officer arrests someone on misdemeanor or felony charges, and has probable cause to believe the arrestee doesn’t have legal permission to be in the country, the officer or their agency would have to notify the county sheriff during intake. The sheriff would then report the information to federal authorities, like the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, emphasized that there are already “processes and guidelines” in place for law enforcement to share information.