5/16/05-Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a bill into law May 13 that places all of the state’ 92 counties on daylight-saving time.
Currently, 77 Indiana counties are in the Eastern time zone and don’t observe daylight-saving time, while five Central time zone counties in the northwest and southwest corners of the state do.
The statewide change will take effect in April 2006; however, the new law – previously SB127 – requires the governor to ask U.S. DOT to re-evaluate where the state fits in to the national time zone map.

4/29/05-After a near-defeat, the daylight-saving bill has now passed and is making its way to Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is expected to sign it.
In an 11th-hour surprise, the House approved the hotly debated SB127, which requires the entire state to adjust their watches for daylight-saving time. The bill had already failed to pass earlier in the day Thursday, April 28, but a last-minute vote change sent the bill through later that night.
The earlier 49-48 vote sought to end discussion on the bill; however, because the state requires 51 votes to kill a measure, it was brought back to the House floor for a second vote. The final vote was 51-46.
For bill status, call (317) 232-9856.

4/28/05-House lawmakers voted 49-48 April 28 to reject a bill that would have put the entire state on daylight-saving time. The bill passed the Senate a day earlier.
However, a 51-vote majority is required to kill a bill, so SB127 could still come up for another vote if supporters can recall it by the midnight deadline on Friday, April 29, when the legislature adjourns.
Indiana – which has both the Eastern and Central time zones within its borders – has 77 counties on the eastern side that do not recognize the biannual time change.
For bill status, call (317) 232-9856.

4/27/05-The Senate Rules Committee voted 6-5 April 25 to approve a bill that would place the entire state on daylight-saving time.
SB127 now moves to the Senate for consideration. If approved, it would head to Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is expected to sign it. The bill previously passed the House.
The original version of the bill dealt only with speed limits. That wording was dropped and added to SB217.
For bill status, call (317) 232-9856.

3/1/05-The Senate voted 38-10 on Feb. 28 to approve a bill that would increase the speed limit on certain non-interstate highways. The bill would maintain the state’s 5-mph speed differential for cars and large trucks.
It now heads to the House for further consideration.
Sponsored by Sen. Marvin Riegsecker, R-Goshen, the measure targets those stretches of highway with design features similar to those of an interstate, such as grade-separated interchanges and wide lanes designed for higher speeds.
Under SB127, four stretches of existing road totaling about 50 miles would see speed limits for cars increase from 55 mph to 65 mph. The speed for trucks would be raised to 60 mph.
The affected stretches would be U.S. 20 from the intersection of U.S. 20 and County Road 17 in Elkhart County to the intersection of U.S. 20 and U.S. 31 in St. Joseph County; and U.S. 31 from the intersection of U.S. 31 and U.S. 20 in St. Joseph County to the boundary line between Indiana and Michigan.
For bill status, call (317) 232-9856.

2/17/05-The Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee voted 6-3 on Feb. 10 to pass a bill that would increase the speed limit on the U.S. 20 and U.S. 31 bypasses from 55 mph to 65 mph. The bill doesn’t designate separate speeds for cars and trucks.
SB127, sponsored by Sen. Marvin Riegsecker, R-Goshen, has been forwarded to the full Senate for further consideration.
The bill would increase vehicle speeds on U.S. 20 from the intersection of U.S. 20 and County Road 17 in Elkhart County to the intersection of U.S. 20 and U.S. 31 in St. Joseph County; and U.S. 31 from the intersection of U.S. 31 and U.S. 20 in St. Joseph County to the boundary line between Indiana and Michigan.
For bill status, call (317) 232-9856.