Chamber to spend millions in quest to attract residents
The Indy Chamber is in the early stages of a $6.1 million, five-year, online effort whose goal is easy to understand but tricky to achieve: Persuade people to move here.
Government & Economic Development
Articles
‘Trickle-down’ tax cuts make rich richer but don’t boost economy, study finds
The authors say their findings offer one clear pathway for policymakers looking to dig their way out of the financial hole created by the coronavirus crisis: Make the rich pay for it.
Planned Noblesville bypass can’t seem to avoid controversy
Officials are leaning toward choosing a path that cuts through the property of a major employer, in order to avoid the route that would pass through a historic district. The employer is threatening to leave the city.
Lawmakers seek to shield businesses from COVID lawsuits
Several state lawmakers have been drafting coronavirus immunity legislation over the past several months as efforts in Congress to pass federal legislation have stalled.
City turns to hotels to help house homeless through pandemic winter
The usual plan, which involves packing people closely on as many cots and mats as Wheeler Mission’s shelters can hold, isn’t an option under social distancing guidelines.
Cummins to pay $4.5M for Greenwood site in revision to firm’s deal with city
Cummins announced last year that it planned to build a $35 million office building at the corner of Interstate 65 and County Line Road, but the pandemic has the engine maker rethinking how to best use that site.
State tax revenue outlook better than lawmakers expected, but cuts still possible
According to a revenue forecast presented to the State Budget Committee on Wednesday morning, tax receipts for the state’s general fund—essentially its main checking account—will total $34.95 billion for the next two-year budget, which will start in July.
Indy Chamber to push for higher state cigarette tax, expanded pre-K
The business-advocacy organization also said it re-elected board Chairman Dennis Murphy of IU Health and the rest of the board’s executive committee.
COVID puts Legislature in fiscal vise in upcoming budget session
Leaders promise K-12 education will be the top priority, but they also acknowledge that every line item in the spending plan is at risk of cuts.
Community development in Old Southside is on the move
City program Lift Indy will direct $4 million in investment throughout the neighborhood. Many of those projects are already underway or will be launched in 2021.
Dinner at Governor’s Residence, $25M land purchase helped snag Elanco HQ
The state’s pitch to keep Elanco Animal Health Inc. in Indiana for the long term began with a dinner at the Governor’s Residence two years ago.
City-County Council plan would fight food access, insecurity issues
Proposal 337 could move the needle forward on food insecurity and access problems by creating a structure that brings together and guides stakeholders already working on solutions.
Indiana governor ends quarantine after COVID-19 exposure
Meanwhile, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and his wife are scheduled to remain in quarantine until Friday after having close contact with an infected person.
Barr: No evidence of fraud that would change election outcome
U.S. Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that attorneys and FBI agents have been working to follow up specific complaints and information they’ve received, but they’ve uncovered no evidence that would change the election.
Consumer spending up only slightly as virus maintains grip
U.S. consumers increased their spending by a sluggish 0.5% last month, the weakest rise since April, when the pandemic first erupted.
Indiana turnout for General Election highest since 1992
The pandemic played a major role in how people voted in the election, with 62% of the vote statewide coming through absentee ballots.
Restaurants: Tighter rules would cause devastation
A surge in coronavirus cases has local restaurateurs fretting that public officials are on the cusp of imposing severe restrictions that they say will force hundreds of local eateries to close.
Holcomb names Notre Dame director as state’s first chief equity officer
Karrah Herring has worked at the University of Notre Dame since 2011 and has been the director of public affairs since 2018. She also served on the university’s human resource’s senior leadership team as director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX coordinator.
Top GOP lawmakers signal support for coronavirus legal protections for businesses
During the chamber’s annual legislative preview event—which was held virtually this year as a safety precaution—the organization announced its top five priorities for the session that starts in January.
State legislators poised to rap IndyGo for fundraising flop
The transit system has raised just 1% or so of the private funding called for by a state law that helped fund a major expansion of the system.