Proposed legislation that would allow Indiana voters to cast absentee ballots by mail without having an excuse such as being
out of town on Election Day cleared the Democrat-controlled House elections committee, but it could face hurdles in the Republican-led
Senate.
Indianapolis receives a dozen responses to its proposal to privatize management of Lucas Oil Stadium,
the Indiana Convention Center and, perhaps, Conseco Fieldhouse.
A final vote on the legislation is expected Monday. If the House and Senate pass the same resolution this session, voters
would decide in November whether to put the tax limits into the constitution.
Experts say a unique four-way partnership that includes the Pacers and Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association may be the favorite to run the city’s sports and
convention venues.
The organization responsible for attracting new businesses to Marion County and helping companies already
located here with expansion secured 11,135 job commitments and $157 million in private investment from
45 companies in 2009.
Greg Shaheen, NCAA senior vice president of basketball and business strategies, said the deal needs tweaking
because Lucas Oil Stadium was in the conceptual stages when Indianapolis won the bid to host the 2010
Final Four.
There is certainly plenty of anecdotal evidence that what folks believe about a community matters for its economic fortunes.
Mayor Greg Ballard this month rolled out the first of what he hopes will be 10 to 15 city sponsorship and advertising deals
this year, with the aim of saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
What changed over the last year to make House Democrats so eager to allow Hoosier voters to amend the property-tax caps
into the Indiana Constitution? The calendar.
Doctors are pushing again to strengthen their hands in contract negotiations with health insurers, especially market leader
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
The House could also advance a bill Thursday that would tighten lobbying and ethics rules in the General Assembly.
Indiana University must cut $58.9 million from its budget over the remainder of the state’s two-year budget cycle.
The only merged city-county government in the state is in Indianapolis, which underwent its consolidation in the early 1970s.
Attorney General Greg Zoeller says he’ll look at the constitutionality of parts of the federal health care bill, including
the so-called Nebraska compromise.
A state senator said his committee will consider legislation that would allow riverboat casinos on Lake Michigan and the Ohio
River to move inland in hopes of staving off new competition from neighboring states.
Embattled workers might lose motivation to go back to school, thus putting them in an even worse position in the long run.
Indiana Democratic House Speaker Patrick Bauer isn’t predicting the fate of legislation that could lead to caps on property
tax bills being amended into the constitution.
Indiana General Assembly begins 2010 session with the usual pledges, but election-year politics and redistricting are likely
to complicate matters.
KFC agreed to pay city for smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in exchange for using Indianapolis Fire Department to help
it launch new fiery grilled wings. Mayor Greg Ballard hopes the deal is the first of many such corporate sponsorships.
Assessing the odds for government reform in the General Assembly.
