Indiana revenue shows slight gains in November
Indiana’s finances showed signs of life in November as growth in sales and individual income tax collections helped bring in $49 million more than projected in the most recent revenue forecast.
Government & Economic Development
Articles
Foreclosed-property care sparks fight over who’s responsible
Lawmakers might address in the upcoming legislative session the controversy over who is responsible for upkeep on foreclosed properties.
Fountain Square turning to first-of-kind tax to fund improvements
A Fountain Square group led by neighborhood business owners hopes to create an “economic improvement district” for the up-and-coming neighborhood, where additional tax revenue could be used for everything from litter cleanup and marketing to capital improvements.
Touted Build America Bonds may not be available for utility deal
Citizens Energy previously said not using the bonds would add about $100 million to the cost of the deal over 30 years.
Growing state welfare rolls require more workers
Secretary Michael Gargano of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration asked the State Budget Committee this week to raise the funding for local welfare offices by 58 percent for the fiscal year that begins next July 1—and more for the following year.
Rising Medicaid costs for Indiana mean service cuts likely
Indiana lawmakers likely will cut some Medicaid-provided services in the upcoming legislative session after learning Wednesday that the state’s share of government health insurance program costs will balloon by $1.1 billion over the next two years unless checked.
North of South financing clears first hurdle
The Metropolitan Development Commission has approved an $86 million city loan to help fund the $155 million mixed-used development near the downtown campus of Eli Lilly and Co. The project still needs approval from the City-County Council.
HOLT: Regional airports can fuel economic development
Some smaller airports have excess cargo capacity.
Exports fueling Indiana business growth
Firms are taking matters into their own hands to open trade relationships overseas, developing export policies they hope will benefit themselves and their communities.
Long-term jobless benefits set to expire this week
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says as many as 4,000 Hoosiers per week will run out of unemployment benefits beginning Sunday.
State lawmakers face tough choices over prison costs
Indiana lawmakers will swim rough political waters next year when deciding whether to spend millions more on overcrowded prisons or reducing prison sentences and being seen as soft on crime.
$26.8M military deal revs local Rolls-Royce operation
Rolls-Royce Corp.’s Indianapolis operations continue to cash in on military contracts, scoring a $26.8 million deal to provide 12 spare engines for the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.
Judge denies motion to dismiss school funding suit
Hamilton Southeastern Schools, Franklin Township Schools and Middlebury Community Schools say the school formula violates the state constitution's requirement for "general and uniform" public education funding because districts get different per-pupil amounts.
Indiana voter turnout up nearly 4 percent from 2006
Figures released Monday by the Indiana secretary of state’s office show that about 1.79 million Hoosiers cast ballots for the Nov. 2 election.
State still issuing water permits under controversial, old rules
More than three years after sparking an uproar by issuing BP a permit allowing it to discharge more pollution from its Whiting refinery, Indiana is still issuing permits under the same problematic set of rules that played a role in that 2007 controversy.
State will preserve payments for foster, adopted kids
A lawsuit settlement will bar the Department of Child Services from making a proposed 10 percent reduction in daily payments to caregivers.
MCGOWAN: Reform’s grandfathering option requires close look
Widely hailed provision of health care reform now raises host of questions.
AHLRICHS: Turn health reform into pragmatic answers
Health reform entrepreneurship could brand Indiana as productive, healthy place for employers to operate.
State’s unemployment rate drops below 10 percent
Indiana’s unemployment rate in October dipped to 9.9 percent, marking the first time the rate has been below double digits since March.
Nearly 2 million new court cases filed in state last year
The 2009 Indiana Judicial Service Report says the number of cases filed in state courts has increased by 16.5 percent since 2000.