The House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code heard SB 336 sponsored by Representative J. Young addressing misdemeanor penalties. The bill makes numerous misdemeanors civil infractions for the first offense and increases the penalty for obstructing a medical person from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor. The bill repeals the crimes of vending machine vandalism and refusing to yield a party line and makes other conforming provisions and repeals obsolete provisions.
An amendment was taken by consent to make technical corrections. Testifying in support of the bill was the Indiana Public Defender Council. Testifying in opposition was the Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. The amended bill passed 11-1.
Read the bill at: http://www.iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/senate/336.