AP Political Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Fans of pull tabs and other low-stakes gambling could soon take their chances at their favorite watering hole under one of dozens of state laws that take effect Tuesday.

Those arrested for domestic abuse will find themselves behind bars for at least eight hours under another new law, and many new mothers will be afforded the time and privacy to use a breast pump at work.

Meanwhile, provisions of another new law that would allow police investigators at any time to search the computers of sex offenders long after their sentences had been served won’t take effect as scheduled Tuesday. A federal judge struck it down last week, saying it violated constitutional privacy rights.

Although the last legislative session was dominated by debate and passage of a major property tax relief and restructuring package, legislators managed to enact more than 140 additional laws during a session that lasted from early January to mid-March.

Many provisions in the property tax bill will take effect after July 1, but people have been paying for one of its provisions since April 1. That’s when the sales tax was increased from 6 percent to 7 percent, with the extra revenue to be used to pay for property tax relief.

One part of the package that does take effect on Tuesday will likely subject many proposed school and local government construction projects to referendums in the future.

Owners of bars and taverns hope a new law that allows them to offer pull tabs and other low-stakes gambling games such as punchboards and tip boards will bring in more customers and, in some cases, keep them in business.

Fraternal organizations and clubs have long offered pull tabs under a bingo license, and the General Assembly created a specific license for them last year. Pull tabs are paper games that pay off when symbols underneath pull up tab windows on the back sides of cards match winning combinations shown on the front sides.

Many bar and tavern owners say they have been losing business to the fraternal clubs because they can offer low-stakes gambling games, and because of other factors such as tougher drunken driving laws, smoking bans and a crackdown on illegal video gambling machines.

“We don’t perceive this to be anything like a core business,” said Don Marquardt, owner of Timber’s Casual Dining and Lounge in Angola and president of the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association, which represents many of the state’s bars and taverns. “We envision this to be something that helps pay the bills at the end of the month.”

Initial state licenses to sell the games cost $250, and the state gets a 10 percent excise tax on the prices the bars pay for the games. As of mid-June, 204 retailers had obtained licenses, with more applications pending.

Although the pull-tab legislation had bipartisan support, opponents said it was simply another expansion of gambling in Indiana.

“I’m convinced next year we’re going to be selling pull tabs to kindergarten classes,” Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Lakeville, said when the bill gained final approval in the House.

Democratic Sen. Jim Arnold of LaPorte remembered his days as LaPorte County sheriff when authoring legislation that will now require anyone arrested for domestic abuse to be locked up for at least eight hours.

“There are people that post bond and they are right back on the streets,” he said. “They are still in a violent mode and they want to get right back to the person who put them in there (jail).”

He said an eight-hour “cooling off” period would give domestic abusers time to calm down, and give victims time to gather some belongings, seek residence elsewhere and, if they want, try to obtain a protective order from a court.

Sen. Vi Simpson and Rep. Peggy Welch, both Democrats from Bloomington, had new mothers in mind when sponsoring a law that requires state agencies and local governments to provide “reasonable” paid breaks and make efforts to provide someplace other than a bathroom stall so women can use breast pumps in privacy.

They must also make efforts to provide a refrigerator or other cold storage for the breast milk to be kept. Similar requirements will apply to businesses that employ more than 25 people.

“With the ever-growing strain on the economy, many new mothers must immediately return to their jobs,” Welch said when the bill passed the House. “This legislation is part of the extended effort to help new mothers reintegrate into the work force.”

Posted 6/30/2008