Bedford's Steele Looks Ahead To Final Legislative Session

INDIANAPOLIS -- GOP lawmaker Brent Steele is one of four state senators who’s announced he won’t seek reelection next year, and by far the most veteran legislator to do so. 

In the last three years, Sen. Brent Steele has authored an average of 31 bills per session.  He says, for his last session, he’s going to significantly pare that number down, focusing on a few key issues he’s particularly passionate about.  One of those is reforming the state’s medical malpractice cap.

The per-person cap, $1.5 million, hasn’t been raised in more than 15 years, which some worry could jeopardize its constitutionality.

“I would hope that all the parties – and I believe they’re very close – will come to me with a unified bill and we change the law, which will benefit our doctors, our hospitals, the insurance industry and the patients who’ve been injured, as well,” Steele said.

Steele will also push to open records from Indiana’s closed adoptions era, an issue he’s been passionate about for a few years.  Still, he says that’s one bill whose future may not rely solely on his advocacy.

“I know a couple legislators that feel as passionate about this as I do, and I have a feeling that this issue will not go away,” he said.

Steele is the Judiciary Committee Chair and has served in the Senate since 2004.  He served in the House for seven years before that.