Welfare drug screening bill divides lawmakers
Welfare abuse is driving an Indiana effort to require recipients to be screened for the likelihood of addiction and limit food stamps to the purchase of only “nutritional foods.”
Government & Economic Development
Articles
With supplies low, it’s overtime in road salt mines
The national supply of road salt is running low. New York has declared a state of emergency, while Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and other states have disclosed their difficulties in covering streets and sidewalks amid a long-running cold snap.
Bitter winter hitting Indiana’s revenue stream
Nearly every state revenue category failed to hit its January target, including sales taxes and personal income taxes — Indiana's two largest revenue sources.
Pence continues push for state-funded preschool
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence made another pitch for a pilot program to help families earning less than 185 percent of the federal poverty level send their children to public or private preschool.
Companies rethink hiring policies for former criminals
State and local lawmakers around the country, including some in Indianapolis, are supporting efforts to increase the hiring of ex-offenders.
Pence pitches pothole plan to combat winter’s fury
Citing a need to keep Indiana’s infrastructure and economy intact, Pence unveiled his proposal Thursday to combat the crumbling roads.
Pence: Session ‘productive’ so far, agenda largely intact
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Thursday he’s pleased with the way his agenda is faring at the halfway point of the 2014 session of the General Assembly.
Experts see limits to state’s low-tax strategy
Thanks to a concerted effort to lower taxes and government spending, Indiana ousted Texas this year in the Tax Foundation’s annual ranking of business tax climates. Indiana now holds the No. 10 spot and could rise higher by eliminating the business personal property tax, an equipment tax that experts say deters investment.
Much of ambitious legislative agenda remains alive
Despite concerns that debating a constitutional amendment defining marriage would rip our state apart, that didn’t happen and the General Assembly has proven quite productive—as well as judicious in deciding what issues not to become entangled in during the “short” session.
Indiana gets low-interest loans for tornado relief
Businesses, residents and some not-for-profits in 19 Indiana counties recovering from the November tornado outbreak can receive low-interest federal disaster loans.
Legislators advancing tighter Indiana scooter rules
Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne, said he expects to take up the bill the House approved this week that would require scooters to have license plates and their drivers pass a road-sign test.
State offers to help Indiana propane users find fuel
The state and federal government have taken steps to help propane users deal with an ongoing shortage of the fuel, which an estimated 500,000 Hoosiers rely on to heat their homes.
Finding uninsured means targeting key locations
The uninsured aren’t scattered evenly across the country: half of them live in just 116 of the nation’s 3,143 counties. Federal officials are focusing on 25 key metro areas, including Indianapolis.
Industry providing cash advances for lawsuit payoffs fights bill
The director of a group of financing companies warned Wednesday that lawmakers “would eliminate this industry from Indiana” should they approve a measure targeting companies that provide cash advances to people awaiting payoffs in personal injury lawsuits.
Senator steers clear of beer wholesaler legal battle
Sen. Ron Alting stripped language from a bill that could have derailed a federal court case brought by Indianapolis-based Monarch Beverage Co.
Auto supplier plans 220-worker plant in Indiana
Switzerland-based Autoneum Holding AG said it will lease 300,000 square feet on a 23-acre site at the River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville.
Statehouse update: Fenced hunting, phone privacy, barn preservation, more
Lawmakers in the Indiana General Assembly voted on several pieces of legislation Tuesday at the Statehouse, including bills involving teacher preparation, gun penalties and veteran brain injuries. Here’s a rundown.
Indiana Senate sends bill to kill Common Core to House
The state would move away from controversial Common Core education standards and replace them with curriculum guides written by Indiana officials under a bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday.
Analysts say health care law means fewer on job
Several million American workers will cut back their hours on the job or leave the nation's workforce entirely because of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, congressional analysts said Tuesday.
Pension board, lawmakers hash out annuity worries
The Indiana state pension system is pressing ahead with a proposal to privatize state employees' annuity savings accounts, even as legislators consider placing a hold on the move for five years amid widespread concerns that state workers would lose valuable benefits.