At a previous meeting, the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 240 on public safety authored by Sen. Freeman. The bill does the following:
- Defines “spinning” as the repeated or continuous operation of a motor vehicle with the intent of causing the vehicle to perform a rotational skid, and provides that a person who recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally engages in spinning commits reckless spinning, a Class B misdemeanor.
- Enhances the penalty for reckless spinning to a Class A misdemeanor if the offense endangers a person.
- Makes obstruction of traffic committed in connection with reckless spinning a Class A misdemeanor and authorizes the civil forfeiture of a motor vehicle used to commit: (1) reckless spinning; or (2) obstruction of traffic in connection with reckless spinning.
- Increases the penalty for false informing to a Level 6 felony if it is committed with the intent of causing a law enforcement officer to be dispatched.
The Indiana Sheriffs’ Association testified in support of the bill and the Indiana Public Defender Council testified in opposition to the bill.
On January 30, 2024, the bill was heard for amend and vote. The committee amended the bill by consent to do the following:
- Remove provisions from the bill related to “swatting”.
- Delete the crime of reckless spinning and make it a part of reckless driving.
- Specify that a vehicle used to commit reckless driving involving a rotational skid or obstruction of traffic involving a rotational skid is subject to seizure for purposes of civil forfeiture if the person has a prior unrelated conviction for the offense.
The committee also amended the bill on a 5-1 roll call vote to increase the penalty for resisting law enforcement to a Level 5 felony if a person operates a vehicle in a manner that creates a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person. The amended bill passed 5-1.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/240