Rep. Justin Moed (D-Indianapolis) (WIBC.com photo: Eric Berman)

A freshman state representative is proposing a landlord registry, as a step toward cleaning up blighted neighborhoods.

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Indianapolis Democrat Justin Moed wants a listing of where rental-property owners can be reached 24/7. He says ensuring city officials know whom to contact about problems with a property would avert time-consuming confrontations with code enforcement officers.

If the law is passed, Moed envisions making registration free if you take care of it in the first three months -- he figures the responsible landlords will sign up promptly, while the real targets of the registry end up paying a fee. Moed's also proposing low-interest loans to renovate abandoned homes.

Indianapolis City-County Councillors Vop Osili (D) and Jeff Miller (R) appeared with Moed to endorse the proposal. Moed says he's hoping for similar bipartisan support in the Republican-dominated House.

Moed's also introducing bills to create a tax credit for hiring veterans or the unemployed, curb copper thefts by limiting who can legally sell copper for scrap, expand low-interest loans for small business, and create incentives to top high school students to become teachers in Indiana's worst schools.