While NAHS students were on summer break, lawmakers across the nation were hard at work passing multiple bills that affect teenagers more than ever.
“There have been a lot of laws regarding immigration and anti-immigration, and there’s been a lot of people who are being deported,” senior Lydia Cosper said. “I do not think that such deportation is necessary, and I think it’s going to have some negative effects on our economy.”
House Bill 1, also known as “The Big Beautiful Bill”, is a lengthy law that covers many different topics, some of which are targeted at teenagers and younger.
“I think no tax on tips and no tax on overtime, like, that’s good,” Cosper said, “but I also think that tipping culture, maybe, employee managers should just pay their employees.”
This bill has also been said to help the wealthy more than those not so well off, like the bill claims, according to KCEN News.
“It’s taking all our Medicaid and a lot of welfare programs out to put into other financial programs,” senior Pixel Phieler said, “which really aren’t that useful for the people.”
Another fresh law that will affect teenagers is Senate Bill 289, nicknamed the “Unlawful Discrimination” bill, which bans all rules or positions associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
“I understand how people think that it’s silly,” Cosper said, “[but] I feel like DEI was implemented for people to be able to find security in places.”
There is also a house bill specific to Indiana called House Bill 1001, which mostly discusses budgets for the state. However, the main effect this is having is cutting budgets for higher education, forcing schools to let go of smaller programs.
“There are better places to put that money,” Phieler said, “especially with other [schools] because we are relatively better off than, like, rural Indiana.”
Another Indiana bill that targets the school system is Senate Bill 482. This bill makes the strict attendance policies for students in K-12 a little less harsh, changing the requirement to meet with parents to within ten days of the student’s fifth absence instead of the original five.
“As much as I want to say, like, attendance is dumb and I don’t care, it is important,” Cosper said. “If you’re in school participating, if you’re in school at all, then you’re going to pick up something.”
