Indiana’s promised scholarships caught in budget bind
The growing popularity of the 21st Century Scholars program and the state’s recession-driven budget bind has state officials looking to tighten up both the academic and financial requirements.
State Budget
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Indiana took in more revenue than expected in January
So far this fiscal year, collections are ahead of the state's forecast by $78 million, or 1.1 percent.
Indiana colleges want $700 million for new buildings
Commission for Higher Education officials say Indiana’s universities should get no money for capital projects during the next two-year state budget.
House passes measure fixing unemployment fund
The Indiana House approved a bill Monday to help fix the state's bankrupt unemployment insurance fund by reducing jobless benefits for some people and softening tax increases on businesses.
Committee explores ways to reduce government
Charging not-for-profits for government services, eliminating certain paper records and trimming how much counties pay to mental-health institutions are among the ways local officials say the cost of government could be reduced.
State lawmakers to take on unemployment insurance
Businesses with a history of laying off employees would pay more in unemployment insurance costs, and workers in industries where layoffs occur regularly would receive lower benefits under a bill Indiana lawmakers are preparing to take up.
Some big bills on back burner in Indiana Legislature
Three weeks into Indiana's legislative session, Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma is touting the hard work being done on major issues. Democratic House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer contends the session is off to a slow start.
Daniels’ budget proposal wouldn’t cut hearing aids
State budget director Adam Horst said he misspoke when he told the State Budget Committee last week that Daniels&’ proposal would eliminate Medicaid coverage for hearing aids.
Daniels’ budget cuts higher ed, Medicaid services
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is proposing a new state budget that would cut higher education spending by 3 percent and eliminate optional Medicaid services for adults such as hearing aids, dental and chiropractic coverage and podiatry services.
Neighboring states gleeful over Illinois tax increase
Neighboring states are plotting to take advantage of what they consider a major economic blunder and lure business away from Illinois.
Indiana House panel begins budget process
Indiana's budget director is meeting with lawmakers Thursday during the first House Ways and Means Committee meeting of this year's legislative session.
Lawmakers have full agenda for 2011 session
Indiana lawmakers are returning to the Statehouse Wednesday to begin the 2011 legislative session, which will be dominated by budget, education, redistricting and other issues.
Indiana took in more revenue than expected last month
The state reports it took in $137 million more last month than during December 2009, marking a 13 percent increase in revenue collections over last year.
Daniels wins award for fiscal responsibility
The first ever "Fiscy Awards" will be presented this week to Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
Indiana lawmakers to face more tough budget decisions
When lawmakers open their new session Wednesday, they won't have some of the advantages they had during the last budget-writing debate in 2009. This time around, there will be no $1 billion in federal stimulus money to keep the budget afloat.
Indiana Medicaid cuts likely to be followed by more
The Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning has approved a series of emergency rules that it expects to save a total of $4.1 million over the next six months, but that will make up for only a small portion of the $31.4 million shortfall the agency anticipates for the fiscal year.
EDITORIAL: Consider tapping bank fund to ease budget woes
As reported in a front-page story in last week’s IBJ, the $250 million public deposit insurance fund has not been tapped in nearly 20 years.
Lawmakers seek to fix state’s unemployment fund
Indiana businesses and the unemployed are both worried about changes that legislators could make to the state's insolvent unemployment insurance program during the upcoming General Assembly.
Daniels, bankers may spar over deposit insurance fund
Elected officials—including Gov. Mitch Daniels—have started eyeing the little-known, $250 million public deposit insurance fund, or PDIF, as a potential way to plug budget gaps next year.
Indiana may cut Medicaid services to check costs
The state Medicaid actuary projected Indiana’s share of the program’s costs will rise by about $1.46 billion this fiscal year, by about $1.84 billion in the 2012 fiscal year and by about $2 billion in the 2013 fiscal year unless some services are cut.