Dant Chesser's Digest

Monthly Update for May

May 08, 2025

Welcome to Dant Chesser’s Digest, my monthly newsletter, where I will provide legislative and community updates for you as your state representative for House District 71. Please reach out to my office at h71@iga.in.gov if you have any questions or concerns.

Senior Town Hall on May 21

I’m hosting another listening session for the seniors in our community. I hope our seniors will join me to discuss their needs and concerns on Wednesday, May 21.

I’ll share information about the bills that passed this session, important events happening in our community and what to expect from lawmakers this summer. As your state representative, I’m here to listen to you. The listening session for seniors will take place at this time and location:

1. Wednesday, May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

2. Ken Ellis Senior Center (1425 Bates-Bowyer Ave, Jeffersonville, IN 47130)

Seniors, please feel free to spread the word and share the graphic below with your peers. I hope to see our local seniors at the town hall!

Voting No On More Tolls

One of the pieces of legislation that passed through the General Assembly was House Enrolled Act 1461. HEA 1461 will update Indiana’s outdated road funding formula.

However, HEA 1461 allows the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to add tolls to roads and bridges without protections for communities near existing tolls. This means additional tolls could be put in Clark and Floyd Counties even though we have our toll bridges.

I voted no on HEA 1461 because we can’t have more tolling in Southern Indiana. No one likes potholes, but potentially increasing tolls is a massive deterrent. My goal as a legislator is to reflect the thoughts of my community, and I have heard your opinions on tolling loud and clear.

Congrats to Donna LeLonde on Her Retirement After 40+ Years of Service

Congratulations to Donna LeLonde on her deserved retirement! Donna has served the public at the local, state and federal level for 50 years. She retired on May 2 from the National Processing Center (NPC) Census Bureau. I was proud to present her with an Indiana flag that flew over the Statehouse. Thank you, Donna, for your commitment to service, and I hope you enjoy retirement!

Rep. Dant Chesser and Donna LeLonde at Her Retirement Party

Session’s Over: Here’s Some Good and Not-So-Good Pieces of Legislation

This year’s session lasted from the beginning of January to the end of April. Every two years, during the long session, we build the state budget and tackle large legislation. The General Assembly passes hundreds of bills each year. Here’s a breakdown of some good and not-so-good pieces of legislation.

Good for Our Community

SEA 74: Extension of Lifeline Law Immunity

SEA 74 extends Indiana’s Lifeline Law, providing immunity for underage individuals involved in an alcohol-related medical crisis. Current law protects the caller asking for help due to underage drinking, but not the individual in need of medical attention. Now, the person who needs medical attention is protected as well. This ensures that college students who need help are not afraid to call the proper authorities.

SEA 146: Teacher Compensation

SEA 146 requires school corporations to increase the mandatory minimum salary for Indiana teachers from $40,000 to $45,000 per year. My caucus would have liked to see the minimum salary increase to $60,000, but any increase in teacher pay is a positive step forward.

HEA 1253: Child Care

HEA 1253 streamlines licensing for child care providers with multiple locations by allowing the owner to operate all their facilities under one license. It also allows in-home child care centers to continue operation as class 2 structures as long as they’re licensed in that category before July 2025. Schools with child care facilities can now enroll children whose parents are not students or employed by the school. By streamlining licensing, I hope the availability of child care increases in Southern Indiana.

SEA 151: Statute of limitations

SEA 151 extends Indiana’s statute of limitations for rape if new evidence is presented. The statute of limitations extends to 10 years if a recording or a confession is discovered. In current law, the statute of limitations is five years. This legal change will help survivors of violence get the justice they deserve.

The Not-So-Good for Our Community

SEA 287: School Board Matters

SEA 287 requires school board election candidates to file as a member of a political party. School board candidates will be listed as Republican, Democrat, Independent or with a blank space next to their name. This idea was pushed as an effort to provide transparency to voters. In reality, this bill will invite more politics and division into our schools. Voters could make their decision based on party affiliation instead of researching the candidate’s background and suitability. It also eliminates healthy competition. More urban areas, like Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, will have school boards dominated by Democrats, while rural school boards will be Republican. Our school board’s priority should be our children, not a political party.

HEA 1008 Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission

HEA 1008 creates the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission to recommend the adjustment of the boundary between the two states. The commission will study the absorption of 33 counties that voted to secede from Illinois. In reality, the passage of this bill is simply a political stunt. Indiana can’t make this decision on its own and needs the approval of the Illinois legislature and Congress. This is impossible, and the majority knows it. It was a waste of time that failed to focus on the needs of Hoosiers.

If you have any questions about legislation, you can visit iga.in.gov. Please reach out to my office at h71@iga.in.gov with any comments, thoughts, or concerns.

Preserving Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

When Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was cut from our state budget, I was devastated. This program has been amazing for over 6,000 children in our community, providing free, age-appropriate books to children from infancy to five. While Indiana’s economic outlook was still good, I fought for the Imagination Library to be added back to the budget. We had the money, and I believe Dolly’s library is a good way to spend it. I offered an amendment to the budget that would have funded the program.

Then Indiana’s economy took a sharp downturn, and we were hit with a $2 billion budget deficit. Our state budget had to be cut by 4%. We put all the funding we did have towards public K-12 education and our Medicaid program, so Dolly’s Library did not make it. I’m still devastated that we didn’t have the money for this early literacy program.

However, the Indiana State Library started a fundraising campaign to preserve The Imagination Library. I’m thankful we’re looking for additional avenues to support a program that encourages our toddlers to read. The Imagination Libraries in Clark and Floyd Counties are relieved that fundraising can support the program. I’m hoping we will be able to fund the Imagination Library in our next state budget.

If you would like to learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, click here