A state Senate committee got a jump-start Tuesday on discussing bills on unemployment taxes and property tax caps and plans
to vote on them next week, about a month before the full Legislature convenes.
National Wine & Spirits Inc. suffered a staggering reversal of fortune when the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission
ruled Nov. 5 that Southern Wine
& Spirits of America Inc. could distribute here.
A new task force is charged with making recommendations for development of the city’s downtown certified technology
park.
By issuing “voluntary environmental improvement bonds,”, local and state governments could
create special taxing districts that finance homeowner purchases of everything from solar panels to rain
gardens.
The number of people claiming jobless aid has tripled since the recession began. The demand has drained the funds that many
states use to pay jobless claims. Nearly half the states, including Indiana, are borrowing from the federal government.
The state has approved more than $1 billion in university projects in the last 18 months.
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded the Indiana Department of Workforce Development a $4 million grant on Wednesday to help
autoworkers transition into alternate careers.
The state has altered some education rules to get in line with the federal Department of Education’s $4 billion “Race to the
Top” grant program.
Lawmakers meet Tuesday for Organizational Day and will begin debating measures Jan. 5 when the Legislature officially convenes
for a short session.
Increases in property and payroll taxes are among the key issues again confronting the business community when the General
Assembly convenes in January.
Indiana is dipping into a wide range of state funds, including several devoted to improving or protecting the environment
and natural resources, to offset a steep drop in state revenues.
The Department of Administration said 33 government workers will be out of a job because of the state’s financial situation.
Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita is pleased that state Senate Republicans have proposed changes to the way legislative
districts are drawn, but he says they don’t go far enough.
The decision to sidetrack a 110-mph Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati train hasn’t received any attention
locally. High-speed rail could someday become an economic development engine here, but it has
not gained as much attention here as improved highways or a commuter rail line from downtown to Noblesville.
Secretary of State Todd Rokita has relied on fines and fees to greatly increase his office’s firepower without a tax hike.
The Indiana State Teachers’ Retirement Fund is negotiating to buy a 12-story office building across from the
Statehouse in what could be the year’s largest downtown office transaction.
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration announced Tuesday that $34 million in new budget cuts includes a 5-percent
cut in Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals.
Indiana is offering state government employees voluntary unpaid leave, but it’s unclear how many workers might give up part
of their paycheck.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels on Friday announced a series of spending cuts and other steps designed to offset a continuing multimillion-dollar
decline in state revenues. If the trend continues without spending cuts, he said, Indiana’s reserves would be wiped out by
next August.
Indiana’s school chief warned school superintendents Thursday that declining state revenues could force cuts in public education
spending, education officials said.
