An Indiana House committee endorsed legislation Wednesday that would delay for one year increases in taxes that employers
pay into the state’s bankrupt unemployment insurance fund.
Indy Connect will hold its first public forum Tuesday evening to begin the process of gathering public input on a regional
transportation plan that proposes raising taxes to build a light-rail line, improve bus service and expand roadways.
Whether to delay increases in taxes that employers pay to Indiana’s unemployment insurance fund is becoming a
contentious issue in the General Assembly.
The president’s budget offers tax cuts for businesses, including a $5,000 tax credit for hiring new workers this year, help
for the unemployed and $25 billion more for cash-strapped state governments. Job creation will take precedence over stemming
a surging deficit.
The proceeds will help more than 120 local government units pay their bills while they wait for their
property tax receipts.
The president’s proposals include bigger tax credits for child care and retirement savings; caps for student loan payments;
and boosting aid for families caring for elderly relatives.
The fate of a bill that would delay unemployment tax increases on businesses remains unclear in the Democrat-controlled Indiana
House.
Governor acknowledges the economy has been taking a toll on state government and the lives of many Indiana residents.
The Indiana Senate has given final approval to a proposal that would allow voters to decide whether property tax limits belong
in the state constitution.
Jealousy toward Indianapolis in the Statehouse shows no sign of letting up, one legislator says.
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said the city expects to recover $5.5 million from companies that failed to meet job requirements. The
city will use the money to fund economic development, convention, tourism and education efforts.
The Senate has approved a bill delaying unemployment-tax increases on businesses for a year, but the legislation may face
hurdles in the Democrat-led House.
A report from the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute says metropolitan counties pay more in state taxes than they receive
in benefits. The results, though not surprising, document the disparity for the first time in Indiana.
The Indiana House approved legislation aimed at putting caps on property tax bills into the state constitution and also a bill that would tighten lobbying and ethics rules.
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.
The House could also advance a bill Thursday that would tighten lobbying and ethics rules in the General Assembly.
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.
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.
Property-tax caps, unemployment insurance, ethics top list of issues awaiting General Assembly.
