Photo of Scott Baldwin
R Indiana Senate · District 20

Sen. Scott Baldwin

Compare
Total votes
1,603
all sessions
Attendance
98%
26 missed
Near the chamber average
With party
98%
of cast votes
Near the chamber average
Bipartisan score
2%
crosses aisle rarely
Lower than 77% of chamber peers
Sponsored
413
bills & resolutions
Higher than 84% of chamber peers
Committees
3
assignments
413 bills and resolutions

Sponsored bills

Total
413
Primary
185
Co-sponsor
228
This page
413
matching current filters
Co-sponsor SCR 38
Passed · Indiana Senate · Co-sponsor
Honoring Jadin O'Brien.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION honoring Jadin O'Brien for winning her third consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) pentathlon championship.

Passed Apr 15, 2025 1 co-sponsor
Primary SB 1
Signed into law · Indiana Senate · Lead sponsor
Local government finance.

Places restrictions on the issuance of certain general obligation bonds. Amends a capitalization rate percentage under the statewide agricultural land base rate determination. Provides that the percentage cap used to determine the maximum levy growth quotient is 4% in 2026. Provides that, notwithstanding any growth in a political subdivision's assessed value (AV) in the previous year, a political subdivision's ad valorem property tax levy shall not exceed the ad valorem property tax levy for its last preceding annual budget, unless the fiscal body of the political subdivision adopts an affirmative tax rate and tax levy increase by ordinance following a separate public hearing. Requires a resulting decrease in tax rates for each political subdivision in which there was an increase in the political subdivision's AV in the previous year, subject to any affirmative tax rate and tax levy increase adopted by the fiscal body of the political subdivision. Phases out the authority for the department of local government finance (department) to permit an excess tax levy that is based on AV growth, school transportation costs, and other circumstances. Retains the provisions that permit an excess tax levy if the civil taxing unit cannot carry out its governmental functions in the case of annexation, a natural disaster, an accident, or an emergency. Phases in an increase in the acquisition cost threshold for the business personal property tax exemption from $80,000 to $2,000,000. Provides that the 30% minimum valuation limitation does not apply to business personal property placed in service after January 1, 2025. Phases down the homestead standard deduction over five years to zero beginning for taxes due and payable in 2031. Phases in an increase in the supplemental homestead deduction to 2/3 of the AV of the homestead. Phases in an AV deduction for all property that is subject to the 2% circuit breaker credit for excessive property taxes for assessment dates beginning in 2025 up to a 1/3 AV deduction for taxes due and payable in 2031, and each taxable year thereafter. Expires certain property tax deductions allowed in current law, and instead allows a credit against local property taxes in certain instances. Makes certain changes to the qualification requirements and credit amount for the over 65 circuit breaker credit. Provides a supplemental homestead tax credit for property taxes for a person's homestead if the person qualifies for a standard homestead deduction for the same homestead property. Provides that specified referendums may be placed on the ballot only at a general election. Amends the ballot language for controlled project, school operating, and school public safety referendums. Provides that a school corporation may not adopt a resolution to place a controlled project referendum on the ballot during the second calendar year after the final calendar year in which a previously approved controlled project referendum levy is imposed. Modifies the threshold amounts used for determining whether a political subdivision's project is a controlled project and whether the petition and remonstrance process or the referendum process applies based on the political subdivision's total debt service tax rate. Adds provisions to authorize a county fiscal body to adopt an ordinance to establish a property tax payment deferral program (program). Provides that a qualified individual participating in the program may defer the payment of part of the property taxes that would otherwise be due on a homestead. Provides that property taxes deferred under the program are due after the occurrence of a deferral termination event. Provides that the maximum amount of taxes that may be deferred cumulatively year over year may not exceed $10,000. Increases, beginning in 2028, the maximum local income tax (LIT) expenditure rate for all counties to 2.9%. Authorizes a city or town to impose a municipal LIT rate beginning in 2028 not to exceed 1.2%. Provides that within a county's total expenditure rate, the county may adopt: (1) up to a 1.2% rate for county general purpose revenue; (2) up to a 0.4% rate for fire protection and emergency medical services; (3) up to a 0.2% rate for nonmunicipal civil taxing unit general purpose revenue; and (4) up to 1.2% for certain cities and towns that are not eligible to adopt a municipal LIT rate. Eliminates provisions that provide for a distribution of LIT expenditure rate revenue to schools and civil taxing units in counties that imposed a rate under the prior county adjusted gross income tax. Authorizes a county fiscal body to impose a local income tax expenditure rate to provide property tax relief for property tax liability attributable to homesteads in the county before January 1, 2028. Expires the authority to impose a property tax relief rate under the LIT and repeals the levy freeze rate. Provides that, in order to continue to impose an expenditure tax rate after 2027, each county must adopt a new ordinance on or before October 1, 2027, to impose the rate. Provides that, for counties that fail to adopt an ordinance to renew an existing expenditure tax rate in 2027, the expenditure tax rate for the county in 2028 shall be the minimum tax rate necessary for existing debt service. Specifies that this does not prevent the county from renewing, imposing, or modifying an expenditure tax rate in subsequent years. Eliminates local income tax councils beginning July 1, 2027, and instead provides that the county fiscal body is the adopting body in all counties for purposes of the county LIT, and the city or town fiscal body is the adopting body in the case of a municipal LIT. Establishes the state and local income tax holding account within the state general fund for purposes of LIT distributions. Requires the budget agency to maintain an accounting for each county imposing a county LIT based on annual returns filed by or for county taxpayers (same as current law). Requires undistributed amounts so accounted to be held for purposes of the state and local income tax holding account beginning after December 31, 2026. (Under current law, undistributed amounts are required to be held in reserve separate from the state general fund.) Requires the budget agency to present each December to the budget committee a report of the following: (1) An estimate of the monthly certified distribution amounts for the immediately succeeding calendar year. (2) A description of the method used to determine the monthly estimates. Beginning in 2028, requires the budget agency to make monthly transfers to the state and local income tax holding account of the amount determined for the month in the budget agency's report to the budget committee. Repeals a provision that requires the budget agency to adjust the certified distribution of a county for the succeeding year following a tax rate change. Requires the department to develop and maintain a property tax transparency portal through which taxpayers may: (1) compare the property tax liability in their current tax statement compared to their potential property tax liability based on changes under a proposed tax rate; and (2) provide taxpayer feedback to the department. Prohibits the northern Indiana commuter transportation district from issuing new bonds after May 9, 2025, that are payable in whole or in part from amounts distributed from the commuter rail service fund or the electric rail service fund. Requires all school corporations that adopt a resolution for an operating referendum tax levy that is imposed for the first time with property taxes first due and payable beginning after 2027 to share revenue with certain charter schools. Requires, beginning with distributions in 2028, that all school corporations begin sharing revenue from the school corporation's operations fund levy with certain charter schools. Provides for the phasing in of the sharing of revenue with certain charter schools from the school corporation's operations fund levy. Provides for the appointment of additional board members to the governing board of a charter school that receives property tax revenue. Sets forth additional procedures related to the closure of a charter school. Dissolves the Union School Corporation. Provides that for a fire protection territory established after January 1, 2025, each unit in a territory may not impose a tax rate that exceeds $0.40 per $100 of assessed valuation. Makes conforming changes. Makes technical corrections. Makes an appropriation.

Signed into law Apr 15, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1118
Signed into law · Indiana House · Lead sponsor
Critical incident stress management debriefings.

Provides that a first responder recipient of critical incident stress management (CISM) services may not be compelled to testify or otherwise disclose a communication made to a CISM services provider or peer support team member relating to the first responder recipient's CISM services in a civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding. Provides that a first responder recipient or the first responder recipient's employer may not be held liable for damages for any act, error, or omission committed by the first responder recipient based on a communication provided between a first responder recipient and CISM team, CISM services provider, or peer support team as part of the CISM services unless the act, error, or omission constitutes wanton, willful, or intentional misconduct.

Signed into law Apr 10, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1670
Passed · Indiana House · Lead sponsor
Assistance in obtaining veteran benefits.

Provides veteran empowerment protections. Provides that a person may not represent a veteran regarding a veterans' benefits matter unless the person meets certain requirements. Provides that a person that advises, assists, or consults with an individual regarding veterans' benefits matters for a fee: (1) may not use international call centers or data centers for processing veterans' personal information; (2) may not use a veteran's personal log-in, username, or password information to access the veteran's medical, financial, or government benefits information; (3) must ensure that before any individual may have access to veterans' medical or financial information the individual must undergo a national criminal history background check; and (4) shall comply with certain federal regulations. Provides that a violation of the act constitutes a prohibited consumer sale.

Passed Apr 10, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1523
Passed · Indiana House · Lead sponsor
Public depositories.

Amends as follows the Indiana Code section authorizing a political subdivision to invest public funds in certificates of deposit of depositories that have not been designated as a depository by the local board of finance but have been designated by the state board of finance as a depository for state deposits: (1) Provides that an investment that is made under the section after June 30, 2018, in a certificate of deposit of a depository that is located outside the territorial limits of the investing political subdivision is considered lawfully invested and insured by the public deposits insurance fund notwithstanding the current statutory requirement that all public funds of all political subdivisions must be deposited in designated depositories located in the territorial limits of the political subdivision. (2) Eliminates, for purposes of investments in certificates of deposit made under the section, the applicability of the current statutory requirement that all public funds of all political subdivisions must be deposited in designated depositories located in the territorial limits of the political subdivision. Amends the Indiana Code section requiring that all public funds of all political subdivisions be deposited in public depositories within the territorial limits of the political subdivision to provide that a board of finance of a political subdivision that is: (1) a school corporation; or (2) a library district; may invest the public funds of the political subdivision in a designated depository located anywhere in the county in which the political subdivision is located. Authorizes a county to invest the public funds of the county in a depository that is located in another county contiguous to that county.

Passed Apr 10, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor SB 178
Signed into law · Indiana Senate · Co-sponsor
Natural gas and propane as a clean energy resources.

Provides that it is the continuing policy of the state to recognize natural gas and propane as "clean energy" or "green energy" for purposes of any state or federal program that provides funding or other incentives for: (1) clean energy initiatives or projects; (2) green energy initiatives or projects; or (3) any similarly designated initiatives or projects; in Indiana. Defines "clean energy" or "green energy" for these purposes. Specifies that the term: (1) includes natural gas and propane, wind energy, solar energy, photovoltaic cells and panels, hydropower, fuel cells, hydrogen, geothermal energy, and nuclear energy; and (2) does not affect certain existing definitions set forth in the Indiana Code.

Signed into law Apr 10, 2025 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 431
Signed into law · Indiana Senate · Co-sponsor
Construction of data center by foreign adversary.

Provides that after June 30, 2025, a foreign company may not construct or cause to be constructed a data center in Indiana unless the Indiana utility regulatory commission and the Indiana economic development corporation conduct a joint study of the anticipated electricity use of the prospective data center and certify to the governor and the general assembly that the electricity estimated to be used by the data center will be self-generated and will not affect the load supply of the regional transmission organizations whose service territory includes Indiana.

Signed into law Apr 10, 2025 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SCR 36
Passed · Indiana Senate · Co-sponsor
Honoring the Indiana Mental Health Roundtable.

Maddy summarySCR 36 is a ceremonial concurrent resolution honoring the Indiana Mental Health Roundtable. It does not create new laws or policies, nor does it directly affect any individuals or organizations. The resolution serves as a formal expression of recognition for the Roundtable's work in mental health advocacy. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect or concrete policy changes.

Passed Apr 9, 2025 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SR 56
Passed · Indiana Senate · Co-sponsor
Honoring Judge Terry Crone.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SR 56) is a symbolic Senate Resolution honoring Judge Terry A. Crone upon his retirement from the Indiana Court of Appeals. It does not create new laws or affect any policies; it is a ceremonial expression of recognition from the Indiana Senate. The resolution was introduced by Senator Koch and adopted unanimously by voice vote on April 8, 2025, with broad bipartisan support from 40 senators. It directly affects no individuals or groups through policy changes, serving only as a formal tribute to Judge Crone's service.

Passed Apr 8, 2025 1 co-sponsor
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