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Indiana senators approve state fair, education money

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State senators allocated more state money for victims of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse and full-day kindergarten as part of a broad spending plan approved Wednesday.

The Senate voted 44-6 to approve the measure, which also reworks the state's automatic taxpayer refund to require the state save more money before refunds begin going to taxpayers. The bill now heads to a conference committee to work out differences with House lawmakers.

The measure gives an additional $6 million to victims of the stage collapse last summer. Seven people died and 58 were injured when a stage at the state fair collapsed. The state has already paid out $5 million from an existing fund to cover lawsuits, but state lawmakers agreed that the victims — who were still left paying many medical expenses out of pocket — needed more money.

The spending package approved Wednesday also allots $80 million for school systems to implement full-day kindergarten. As it stands the state sends grants to schools covering roughly half of the cost to begin full-day kindergarten.

Lawmakers began working on the spending package after the state found $320 million it mistakenly left in an untapped state account last December. Daniels spokeswoman Jane Jankowski would only say the governor is tracking the bill's progress.

The plan would increase the threshold before state reserves are sent to taxpayers. As it stands, when the state socks away an amount in savings equal to 10 percent of the state's general spending it automatically returns half of everything above that amount to taxpayers and sends the other half to a teacher pension fund to pay down the state's massive pension liabilities for teachers hired before 1996.

The Senate plan would increase the trigger from 10 percent to 14 percent of general spending. It would also mandate that the state teacher pension liability be paid down first, up to a certain amount, before taxpayers begin receiving refunds.

The plan would also change how the money is sent back to taxpayers. Daniels' plan returns the money proportional to how much state tax was paid, but the Senate measure makes it an equal amount for each taxpayer.

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  1. The Fringe! Plus, the simple fact that there are so many local faves in such close proximity to each other.

  2. I remenber, watching the toll road, being built, through South Bend, when I was 10 years old. I believe, back then that it was estimated, that the toll road, would be paid for in 20 years and then it would be free. I am now 71, what happened? Since the power is in the people, by that, I mean that, we the people are in total control of everything. I, suggest that no one ever use the toll road again, let it go broke. We the people can control the price of everything, from groceries to gas, if we would just do it. If we don't pay the asking price, the sellers will lower the price and if we wait awhile, they will lower the price to what we accept as reasonable. I would like to know why a highway like interstate 94, is so well maintained, a much better highway, than the toll road, but has no tolls. I would also like to know why, a sitting governor, with a term limit, maximum of eight years, can lease, public property, for 75 years. Even though I have transponders in both of my trucks and will not be affected by the increase, I have been and will contine to avoid using the toll road. I make many trips from northern Indiana to Chicago, every year, and I prefer the better highway, I94!

  3. Coming from her background,she should be used to those kinds of advances! Menard probably figured it was ok to tuck a buck!

  4. I'm still waiting for the list of available, high quality apartments in the Village.

  5. This criminal masquerading as a lawyer obviously has serious issues. He’s been proven by his own testimony to be a pathological liar and probably has a personality disorder as he seems to be constructing a reality around himself. He places no value on truth, honesty or loyalty as evidenced by what he has done to his clients and his own family. And by the demands and lies he has made in court, it is evident he feels entitled to do and say whatever suits his purpose and everyone else is expected to nod obediently and believe him because he is, after all, Bill Super Lawyer; or BS lawyer for short. This millionaire wanna-be no longer owns anything of value; he squandered it and put everything he had into foreclosure. He has no money, house, car, boat or vacation home left to show for what he earned or what he stole. He’s just another loser without morals who will be doing time. I’m certain all of his courtroom shenanigans are antagonizing his poor victims. As Lamar said, his behavior and claims in court have been outrageous. The judge needs to be more than concerned; he needs to be judicial and end this nonsense.

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