INDIANAPOLIS — A bill has been introduced in the Indiana Senate that would remove some of incoming Lt. Governor-Elect Micah Beckwith’s responsibilities overseeing the state’s agriculture industry.
Senate Bill 202, which was authored by Sen. James Buck (R-District 21) and Sen. Susan Glick (R-District 13), seeks to stipulate that the Indiana Department of Agriculture functions as an executive agency while removing the requirement that the lieutenant governor is responsible for the “implementation of the department.”
The legislation also specifies that the lieutenant governor “is not the secretary of agriculture and rural development.”
Lt. Governor-Elect Beckwith has been involved in some controversial moments since the general election in November. This includes concerns from several parents and residents who protested Beckwith’s planned appearance at Westfield High School for a presentation about the school’s agriculture science program.
He was previously scheduled to deliver a talk at the high school in November but that was canceled after school officials were flooded with complaints from parents.