Craig Fry wants to make sure neighbors -- like those living near VIM Recycling in Baugo Township -- can get money from the state to sue polluters.

Jackie Walorski believes renewable energy tax credits are a key to helping Elkhart County's struggling economy.

Joe Zakas says local fire departments should be reimbursed by the toll road's private contractors when they respond to calls on the highway.

And Wes Culver wants schools to have a more flexible calendar that is measured in minutes rather than days.

Those are just a few of the bills local legislators are working as the Indiana General Assembly gets under way today in Indianapolis. Here's what they have planned:

FRY

State Rep. Craig Fry, D-Mishawaka, has filed a bill called the Environmental Litigation Expenses Compensation bill that would capture 10 percent of penalties IDEM charges companies and puts them into a fund that can be tapped by people to pay for legal fees to sue polluters. Fry noted that he spent about eight months trying to help a group of people in Baugo Township find someone to take up their case against VIM Recycling.

Another interesting Fry bill, actually an attempt to get all judges in St. Joseph County elected, could have the opposite effect statewide if it is passed as written. Fry would require that all judges be appointed by the governor and then have to be reappointed by the governor every six years, rather than undergo a public retention vote. If the bill is passed, currently elected judges in Elkhart County would then be appointed by the governor.

ZAKAS

State Sen. Joe Zakas, R-Granger, and State Sen. Marlin Stutzman, R-Howe, are sponsoring the bill that would require ITR Concession Co., the private operator of the Indiana Toll Road, to reimburse local emergency departments for responses on the state highway.

Fire departments are excited at the prospect, Zakas indicated. "Their enthusiasm is infectious," he said.

Zakas also will attempt for a toll road tax credit and to tweak the Next Generation Trust Fund for Major Moves money to make sure the interest stays in the account to build more of a next egg. The original intent of his legislation, which passed in the last session, was to keep the interest and build the fund to about $1 billion in 30 years, he said. What happened was that the interest will be taken out for projects about every four to five years, decreasing the value by about a half, Zakas said. "I felt like the spirit of what we were trying to do should be restored there," he said.

He's not optimistic about the chances of passing that bill.

Meanwhile, Zakas also will attempt to fix what some legislators have cited as a major problem with capping property taxes: If the assessed valuation isn't capped, it doesn't do much good to cap property taxes. Senate Bill 40 says that an AV couldn't be increased by any more than 5 percent in a given year. The fiscal impact statement on the bill notes that rarely happens anyway.

"It's an additional control that provides somewhat of an insurance policy, especially if another inflationary period comes along," Zakas said.

WALORSKI

State Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Elkhart, plans to focus her efforts on alternative energy and renewable energy tax credits during this session of the General Assembly.

"There is so much going on in Elkhart County," she said. "We need to be on the front edge of it."

With President-elect Barack Obama having a similar interest, Walorski wants to make sure Indiana, and Elkhart County specifically, are ready to jump in.

Her legislation would give tax credits to homeowners and businesses which use alternative energy sources; encourage offshore oil drilling; and build more coal gasification plants in the state.

Walorski said that after her initial press conference in November announcing her plan, she had 20 responses from Elkhart County companies that were already shifting their focus into renewable energy, including one which is producing LED lights.

She indicated she'd rather work on this than see state mandates that would make it even more difficult to locate companies here.

Walorski is concerned about the state budget hampering her efforts, especially on the tax credit. "Again, it comes down to there's going to be money in that budget going somewhere," she said.

CULVER

State Rep. Wes Culver, R-Goshen, also is focusing on energy during his first session in the Legislature.

He has filed a bill that would allow a private person to sell up to 40 kilowatt hours of energy back to the power grid. The limit is 10 now: "Anything we can do to encourage people to produce their own energy," he said.

Culver also is sponsoring the bill that would change the way school time is measured. Students are now required to be in for 180 days. The Goshen Republican would change the measurement to minutes and to give schools creativity in their calendars to meet those requirements.

He also has worked with Goshen Mayor Allan Kauffman on a bill that would make it easier for municipalities and counties to merge services by allowing levies to be transferred from one entity to the other.

NEESE

State Rep. Tim Neese, R-Elkhart, is reviving an RV sales tax bill that passed both houses of the Legislature last session, but died in conference committee. The bill would keep out-of-state buyers from having to pay sales taxes twice -- once in Indiana and once in their home state. It would keep their sales tax here in Indiana. The bill originated with the late-State Sen. Marvin Riegsecker of Goshen.

Since 85 percent of all RVs made in the United States come from Elkhart County, this bill is a "major plus" for Elkhart County and only benefits Indiana tax-wise.

Meanwhile, Neese also plans immigration legislation that gives housing providers, police and employers "more input as it relates to people being in Indiana illegally," he said.

During his re-election campaign, Neese said the legislation would require housing providers determine a person's status before renting.

He also plans to refile legislation which did not advance in the last session that required random drug testing of welfare recipients.

YODER

State Sen. Carlin Yoder, R-Middlebury, wants to allow manufacturers/those who modify handicapped vehicles to be able to sell them as well. Right now, those vehicles have to be transferred to new car dealers. Yoder said many new car dealers don't want to deal with them because they are expensive. It would be easier for those who modify the vehicles to be able to show purchasers how to use them. Yoder said he doesn't see much opposition to the bill because new car dealers are in favor of it.

Yoder also is co-authoring legislation that would toughen driver's license restrictions for teens, including moving back the age by which they could receive their license by about six months, as well as prohibiting the use of cell phones and other electronic devices until they are 18. "Most people understand that this is common-sense legislation that will protect our younger people," Yoder said, noting it would not limit their driving.

"The statistics don't lie on this," he said.