Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Governor highlights session wins: no tax on tips, school cell-phone ban and new parental controls for social media
Summary
The governor summarized legislative achievements, saying Senate Bill 243 will eliminate state taxes on tips for qualifying Hoosiers and that Senate Act 78 enacts a bell-to-bell school cell-phone ban; he also described new parental-consent requirements for children under 16 on social platforms.
The governor opened a post-session briefing by touting a string of legislative victories, saying 19 of 23 agenda bills and 32 of 35 agency bills passed this year.
He pointed to tax and education changes as among the biggest wins. "Through Senate Bill 243, qualifying Hoosiers will now pay no tax on tips or taxes on overtime," the governor said, framing the change as part of a broader affordability agenda.
On schools, the governor highlighted Senate Act 78, which he said creates a bell-to-bell ban on cell phones during the school day. "Parents overwhelmingly for it," he said, arguing the measure will reduce classroom interruptions and improve social behavior during lunch and study periods.
The governor also described new social media safeguards included in an enrolled House bill referenced in the session documents. He said platforms must obtain parental consent for children under 16 and that parents would receive accounts to monitor a child's usage. "If parents approve, the child receives a special account with safeguards from strangers and addictive features," he said, adding that the package gives parents more tools to limit harms associated with Big Tech.
Asked whether the social media bill addresses every concern, the governor acknowledged it "does not" solve everything but called it a catalyst and urged parents and stakeholders to keep pressing legislators and companies. A questioner prompted the exchange, asking "does the social media bill accurately address all of the concerns we have?" The governor replied it was the best that could get done in a short period and invited further stakeholder input.
The governor said a local incident in Fishers motivated parts of the social media response, and that the state expects other jurisdictions may follow Indiana's approach.
The administration credited staffers, including legislative liaison Jason Johnson, for coordinating priorities with the General Assembly and avoiding potential vetoes that had been on the table earlier in the session.
The briefing closed with the governor asking the public to review the materials the administration distributed about the session results and to engage with the next steps in implementation.
