Where was Horning in candidate story?
Libertarian candidate Andy Horning should have been covered in more detail in IBJ article about the governor’s race.
State Government
Articles
Vote only if you’ve studied the issues carefully
If you haven’t learned about the crucial issues that our country and state face, don’t vote.
Key races will decide who controls Indiana House of Representatives
Most of Indiana’s 100 House districts are strongly Democratic or strongly Republican. That means control of the House of
Representatives will come down to a handful of battleground districts–probably fewer than a dozen, political experts say.
Developers fear stricter IDEM cleanup rules
State environmental regulators are catching an earful for what some businesses complain is a rush to aggressive new rules
for remediating land contamination. Developers worry the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s proposals, which
could require comprehensive site cleanup, will discourage brownfield redevelopment, especially the reuse of tainted-but-valuable
land in urban areas.
I-465 widening may require buyout of several buildings
Several landmark commercial properties fronting Interstate 465 on the northeast side could be in the path of bulldozers
when the state begins adding lanes as early as 2012. Memos prepared by a consulting firm to the Indiana
Department of Transportation go as far as estimating acquisition prices for buildings, including that of
country station WFMS-FM 95.5 and other Cumulus Media stations at 6810 N. Shadeland Ave.
Prized state tourism account ‘big deal’ for Williams Randall
Williams Randall Marketing Communications pulled a surprise victory by snatching the $2.5 million Indiana Office of Tourism
Development advertising account away from incumbent Hirons & Co. and eight other bidders, most of which were larger than Williams
Randall. The two-year contract starts July 1.
IEDC to launch Web site to match startups with suppliers, vendors
For Indiana’s life sciences companies to flourish, they need to get better at romance. Helping companies meet, greet, date
and deal is the idea behind a new Web portal being built by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to match startups with
in-state vendors, suppliers, investors or people who can help them.
Colts, God license plates slice into sales of charity tags
Sales of specialty license plates benefiting colleges, not-for-profits and other Indiana organizations fell by nearly a third
last year after the state unveiled “In God We Trust” tags as a free alternative to the lime-green pastoral fields plates reviled
by many motorists.
Property-tax reform may force cutbacks in urban school districts
Many Indiana school districts say they have no choice but to brace for cutbacks in areas like school repairs, computers and
transportation thanks to the property tax reform measure approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov.Mitch Daniels.
Tax reform fallout worries biz interests
Property tax reform is now Indiana law. Hoosier homeowners are thrilled. But many corporate leaders grumble the historic deal was brokered on the backs of business. Topping their concerns is the new 3-percent property tax cap for commercial and industrial properties, which they fear will slow business expansions and discourage companies from moving headquarters to the state.
Bond market turmoil could raise costs for stadium, other projects
The debt strategy Gov. Mitch Daniels’ top financial officials developed to save the state money on major projects like
Lucas Oil Stadium has turned sour.
Lawmaker wants car owners to be aware of data recorders
The “event data recorder,” a so-called black box car makers have installed in their cars over the last decade and a half as
part of air-bag systems, can be a double-edged sword for motorists. Yet they likely don’t even know it’s spying from under
their seat or dashboard.
Lawmakers call for advocate to support airline passenger ‘rights’
Northwest Airlines flight 1829–stranded on a Detroit taxiway for seven hours with lavatories overflowing and the 198 souls
aboard without food or water–has now landed at the Indiana General Assembly. Two Republican lawmakers have proposed creating
an “airline consumer advocate” to resolve disputes on behalf of passengers who’ve endured poor service.
Property-tax plan shifts tab for poor relief from counties to state
Here’s a political hot potato that so far has received little discussion in the rancorous debate over property-tax reform:
Should the enormous costs of helping impoverished Hoosiers continue to be funded county by county, or spread to taxpayers
statewide?
Critics fear tax reform will favor suburbs
As legislators prepare to overhaul the state’s property-tax system, Marion County’s future hangs in the balance. Indianapolis
residents–particularly in the city’s older, urban core–already pay far higher taxes than their suburban counterparts. And
arguably get less bang for their buck. Changes on the table could make Marion County an even tougher sell.
Jones calls quid pro quo insinuation ‘ridiculous’
For a preview of how Indiana’s 2008 gubernatorial election will play out, look no further than the emerging tussle over entrepreneur
Scott Jones’ $4 million in awards from the state’s 21st Century Research & Technology Fund.
Atterholt’s toughness with insurers questioned
Indiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Atterholt says his philosophy toward consumer protection is to be tough on the “bad actors,”
but friendly toward the “good actors”;–in part, so he can call for their help when needed.Not everyone is convinced, however,
because Atterholt has done so much in his 2-1/2 years as commissioner to promote industry causes.
Property-tax reassessment may not be fix-all
The property-tax reassessment process that Gov. Mitch Daniels ordered last month will take five months and cost up to $3 million.
But don’t expect it to significantly alter the property-tax equation, warns Franklin Township Assessor Becky Williams, who
also serves as president of the Indiana Assessors Association.
Property reassessment could be painful process
Indiana’s property tax woes are already a headache for Marion County homeowners. Now the cure is becoming a migraine for area
businesses, local elected officials and regional economic developers, too.
Aging IT system contributes to property-assessment woes
Indiana deliberately chose not to invest the tens of millions necessary for technology that could provide an accurate property-tax
forecast. Instead, the state relied on an aging patchwork of property tax software that allows officials only to guess whether
assessed valuations of homes and businesses are correct.