Cities crowdfund smaller projects; state agency matches proceeds
Indiana cities are trying to harness the power of the online masses to support local quality-of-life projects.
Hayleigh Colombo
Articles
House advances bill for offering 401(k)-style retirement plan to new teachers
The plan would be offered to teachers as an alternative to the current pension-style plan. Some fear the state eventually could try to phase out the latter.
Hogsett’s criminal justice center could cost $575 million
A task force working on the project is slated to announce the financing, procurement and construction processes of the project on March 31.
Senate nearly unanimously passes vaping reform bill
The bill pares controversial regulations put in place during the previous two sessions of the Indiana General Assembly, which many believe went too far.
House passes $31.4B budget with cigarette tax hike
House Ways and Means Chairman Tim Brown called the $31.4 billion budget an “honest appraisal of the money we have and the spending priorities we have going forward.”
Report: White House nixed CMS hire over IBJ column critical of Trump
Politico has reported that the Trump White House was not impressed with a 2016 column in which local Republican strategist Marcus Barlow said Trump was “offensive and ignorant” but not a racist.
Funding for state archives building may have to wait until 2019
Advocates of constructing a new archives building say the current location, on East 30th Street, is falling into disrepair and that the situation is getting dire.
CEO says Bottoms Up poised for growth despite tax abatement setback
After hitting some hurdles and then switching its client focus, the maker of the novel beer-dispensing system says sales are beginning to rise.
Senate panel fails to advance Terre Haute casino bill
State Sen. Jon Ford’s bill would have moved gambling slots from the Rising Star casino near Cincinnati to Terre Haute, his district, and allowed for the construction of a new gaming facility.
UPDATE: House GOP budget raises cigarette tax while funding some of Holcomb’s wish list
Raising the cigarette tax by $1 per pack would help pay for Medicaid spending and tobacco-cessation programs—and would help patch the $300 million annual hole in the budget created by the House’s road-funding plan.
‘Bottoms Up’ beer-dispenser maker faces tax-break termination
The Metropolitan Development Commission is slated to vote Wednesday to terminate a tax-abatement agreement with Indianapolis-based GrinOn Industries LLC, makers of the “Bottoms Up” beer-dispensing system, which fills cups from the bottom.
Lawmakers advance plan for ‘competency-based’ CPA license renewal
Currently, the 10,000 CPAs in Indiana do 120 hours of continuing professional education every three years to renew their CPA licenses. The proposal could reduce learning time and boost comprehension.
Widely supported work-sharing bill dumped—again
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce, organized labor groups and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have for years pushed the Legislature to implement a work-sharing program.
Holcomb cancels Pence’s $260M cell tower contract
The Pence administration in September said it had agreed to lease the state’s existing cell towers to help the state fund its bicentennial projects and expand broadband capacity.
House passes pre-K bill that expands access to vouchers
Supporters of expanding state-funded preschool said they are frustrated the bill includes what they view as an expansion of the private school voucher program.
Bill that would restrict bans on short-term rentals stalls in House
The result is a victory for local governments that want to thwart homeowners from offering their houses on Airbnb—but not for homeowners in those communities who wish to use such services to make extra money.
House Dems offer road funding plan as alternative to GOP’s
They’re calling the plan “No New Taxes” and arguing Indiana can pay for major road-funding improvements without raising the gas tax.
Bill would slap tax on online retailers
Lawmakers are advancing a bill that would compel large, online retailers to collect and send sales taxes to the state—injecting Indiana into a national tussle over the issue.
House approves merit-selection system for Marion County judges
Judges would be selected by a nominating commission and the governor—rather than through elections—under the proposal that is supported by Republicans and opposed by some Democrats.
House panel exempts Tesla from state ban on direct auto sales
The author of the bill, Rep. Ed Soliday, said he believed the amended measure would make people on both sides of the bill “equally happy and equally unhappy.”