Lawmakers kill employee training tax credit proposal
The bill is part of a larger discussion lawmakers are having about the $1 billion in state and federal funding that nine Indiana agencies spend on some 30 workforce development programs.
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State lawmakers send abortion bill goes back to committee
Indiana House Republicans are taking the unusual step of reassigning an abortion bill to the same panel that narrowly approved it last week.
Indiana House OKs road-funding plan with tax increases
The Indiana House has approved a road-funding plan that would raise the gasoline tax by 10 cents and increase vehicle registration fees to fund improvements to the state's infrastructure.
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.
Indiana Senate votes to override two Pence vetoes
The Indiana Senate has followed the House’s lead and voted to override two bills that former Gov. Mike Pence vetoed last year. The Senate’s votes Tuesday mean the bills become law.
Lawmakers vote to restrict local Airbnb bans
The bill comes on the heels of Carmel’s recent decision to send letters to 28 residents who rent out their homes on Airbnb, stating that they are in violation of city zoning laws.
Gun licensing legislation sent to summer study committee
An Indiana House committee voted Tuesday to create a special summer committee to study the possibility of repealing an Indiana law requiring people to get a license before carrying a handgun.
Lawmakers weigh requiring helmets for minors on ATVs
An 11-year-old Indiana girl died in an all-terrain vehicle crash in 2015, and her mother has been pushing to change laws on helmets and safety education.
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.
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.
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.
State health advocates hope proposed cigarette tax reduces smoking
Public health officials say the increase is a proactive approach toward reducing the smoking rate and would serve as a deterrent for young people to even begin.
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.
State GOP leaders ready to make another run at Sunday sales
Grocery chains, convenience stores and pharmacies have pushed for years to have Indiana's eight decades-old ban lifted and be able to sell alcohol on Sundays, but a compromise has been elusive.
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.”
Terre Haute casino could keep Hoosiers gambling in Indiana, supporters say
Senate Bill 354 would let Rising Star Casino Resort in Southern Indiana’s Ohio County move 740 gaming positions to Terre Haute.
State committee passes bill to raise cigarette tax, hike smoking age
The measure also removes employment protections for smokers, raises the age for purchasing cigarettes to 21 and directs more money to tobacco-cessation programs.