Indiana News Update

Hershman chairs commission on state tax & financing policy
Indiana Senate President Pro-Tem David Long recently appointed Sen. Brandt Hershman to serve on six key interim study committees and commissions.  Long tapped Hershman to chair the Commission on State Tax and Financing Policy and to serve as a member on the Budget Committee, Illiana Expressway Proposal Review Committee, Rail Corridor Safety Committee, School Property Tax Control Board and Unemployment Insurance Oversight Committee.   During summer and fall months when the legislature is not in session fulltime, lawmakers utilize bipartisan interim study committees and commissions to conduct in-depth research into complicated, complex issues facing Hoosiers. Often their work results in solutions and legislation that might otherwise go unaccomplished during the fast pace of the winter and springtime legislative session.

Lawson to chair two commissions
Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) Monday appointed State Sen. Connie Lawson (R-Danville) as chair of both the Commission on Developmental Disabilities and the Commission on Mental Health.  Long also tapped Lawson to serve as a member of the Census Data Advisory Committee, Committee on Child Care, the Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Interagency Coordinating Council and the Medicaid Work Incentives Council. During summer and fall months when the legislature is not in session full-time, lawmakers utilize bipartisan interim study committees and commissions to conduct in-depth research into complicated, complex issues facing Hoosiers. Often their work results in solutions and legislation that might otherwise go unaccomplished during the fast pace of the winter- and springtime legislative session, Long said.

Fort Wayne mayor still seeking casino referendum
Fort Wayne’s mayor said he still thinks residents should be able to vote on whether they want the city to have a casino despite the opposition of other local leaders.  Mayor Tom Henry said the public should be allowed to speak on the issue. He plans to appear before a state legislative panel studying gambling issues in September or October.  Opponents of a Fort Wayne casino on Monday gave that committee a letter against the proposal that was signed by all three Allen County commissioners and several business leaders.  The state Legislature would need to approve holding a casino referendum.  Henry has proposed only a Fort Wayne referendum, which would leave out as many as 100,000 Allen County residents. An aide says the county commissioners could seek a countywide referendum.

Seized fighting dogs face hard rehabilitation
More than 100 dogs that Indiana officials seized after they were allegedly bred for fighting face an uphill road to rehabilitation before any can be released to new owners.  The 109 dogs, mostly pit bulls, have been taken to kennels and foster homes since they were seized in Orange County Aug. 11 during raids by the Indiana Gaming Commission and other agencies.  Chris Schindler, manager of animal fighting law enforcement for the Humane Society of the United States, said the animals are now being evaluated to determine if any can be placed in new homes after their owners didn’t post bond money for their care. The Humane Society is helping state officials pay for the dogs’ care and rehabilitation.

Sam Turpin – Indiana Lobbyist

Indiana News Update

Despite financial constraints, students are flocking to schools in Indiana
Despite tuition increases and a tighter cap on state-sponsored financial aid, Indiana college students are arriving on campus in droves, possibly even in record numbers.  In Indianapolis over the weekend, they lugged their books and laptops, PlayStations and tiny refrigerators into dorm rooms on the campuses of IUPUI and Butler University, where classes start Wednesday. Similar moves took place in West Lafayette, where Purdue University students start classes today. Indiana University’s 7,000 freshmen will get their first taste of dorm life in Bloomington on Wednesday, with classes starting Aug. 31.

Some Indiana school districts cut back on buses
Parents in some Indiana school districts say they are frustrated with changes in school bus routes that districts say are designed to save money.  School officials say the changes, which include fewer bus routes and require more children to walk to school, are needed because many districts are facing steep budget cuts as a result of changes in the state’s property tax system.  “It’s an awful thing to do, and the only reason we’re doing it is the state has taken action to reduce our revenue to support our programming,” said Doug Hasler, director of support services for Elkhart Community Schools. “We really have no other choice.” Elementary students in Elkhart who live within a mile of their school have to walk or be dropped off under the new policy. Intermediate and high school students within two miles of school can no longer ride the bus.

IN Senate gaming committee to meet Mon
Changes at Indiana horse tracks with casinos will be among the topics discussed by the state Senate Committee on Gaming when it meets Monday at the Statehouse. Republican Sen. Luke Kenley of Noblesville says the group will discuss horse-racing issues in the morning and tend to more general gaming topics in the afternoon. Kenley is co-chairman of the panel.

Sam Turpin – Indiana Lobbyist

Indiana News Update

Indiana to Extended $24 Million Youth Work Program
A multi-million-dollar program in Indiana is so successful the state is extending it.  The Young Hoosier Conservation Corps employed almost 1,900 low-income young adults this summer, and, now, this fall, too.  Gov. Daniels talked with corps members at Harmonie State Park in New Harmony Tuesday afternoon.  And, he announced the state would continue to fund the program, which was supposed to end next month, through the middle of October.  A clearing near the river, where picnic tables and other amenities will soon go – Jon Craig and Drew Seitz played a big part in making it happen.  “The first two days, I would say were pretty rough,” said Craig. “We had to get all the brush and weeds down – all that stuff. Once we got in there, we were able to see which trees needed to come down. And, we’re still working o it right now. But, we’ve cleared a lot of it out.”

Chamber seeks top businesses
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the top small business in the state. The competition is open to all Hoosier companies with 250 employees or less. Out-of-state parent companies are eligible to participate if at least 25 full-time employees are in Indiana. Businesses can nominate themselves or be nominated by a third party. The deadline is Sept. 30. Nomination forms are available online at www.indianachamber.com/ awardsprograms.

Daniels plans job announcements
Gov. Mitch Daniels has a pair of jobs announcements planned for today. He will join executives from an undisclosed company in Rushville at 10:30 a.m. And he will join Fleetwood RV executives at 2:30 p.m. for an economic development event at the company’s Decatur headquarters.

Sam Turpin – Indiana Lobbyist

Indiana News Update

State letter reaffirms support of teachers who discipline students
Indiana teachers are receiving letters this month informing them that when they discipline students, they’ll have the state on their side.  Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller is mailing the letters out as part of a new state law aimed at protecting teachers who follow school policies in efforts to keep order in their classrooms.  If teachers have been reluctant to discipline out of fear of litigation, they can rest assured that the attorney general’s office will aggressively defend them in court,” Zoeller said. Evansville school officials and teacher representatives said Monday that though they appreciate the support, they are still somewhat unclear as to how the law will help.

Activists again seek moratorium on death penalty in Indiana
Indiana hasn’t executed a prisoner for more than two years, and a slowdown in new death sentences has resulted in a dwindling Death Row.  But the issue is hardly dormant.  Activists are renewing a call for a moratorium on executions until the system’s fairness and massive costs can be examined.  Leading the charge: a 24-year-old recent University of Notre Dame graduate who has recruited former state government officials, activists, professors and lawyers to his nascent effort, called the Indiana Coalition Acting to Suspend Executions, or InCASE.

Panel thirsts for facts in Sunday alcohol sales debate

Need to stock your cooler for the Colts’ season opener? Better have the beer on ice the night before. That’s because Indiana prohibits the sale of carry-out liquor on Sundays.  This and other liquor laws — including that cold beer can be sold only in liquor stores — will be discussed when the Indiana Legislature Interim Study Committee on Alcoholic Beverages meets later this summer.

I-69 project: Can state finish what it started?
Construction on the I-69 extension from Indianapolis to Evansville has entered its second year, but state reports show early stages of the project could run at least $120 million over budget.  Building the new highway from the state’s capital to its southwestern corner has been controversial because of the farmland, forests and homes it will swallow. But as the first of the 141 miles of new highway is paved near Evansville, state officials are facing fresh scrutiny that the $700 million they have to build the first three sections of the highway may not be enough to finish those sections. That amount was set aside for the project when Gov. Mitch Daniels and lawmakers approved a lease of the Indiana Toll Road in 2006.

Lawmakers getting late start on study issues
Indiana lawmakers are getting a late start on some weighty, interim homework assignments, including a thorough review of legalized gambling, a study on alcohol sales and a look at whether school start dates should be moved back.  Legislative leaders assigned more than 60 topics to be studied in the coming weeks, even though the special session in June delayed the assignments and some committee appointments have yet to be announced. Some panels are supposed to report their findings by Nov. 1, but some have until Dec. 1 and others are two-year studies.  Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, said the ramp-up to the special session, and the overtime period in June itself, means there has to be a sense of urgency for some of the interim panels.

Sam Turpin – Indiana Lobbyist

Indiana News Update

Daniels plans charity motorcycle ride
Gov. Mitch Daniels and members of the group American Bikers Aimed Toward Education are gearing up for a charity motorcycle ride through southern Indiana.  Daniels will ride his Fat Boy Harley Davidson motorcycle in Friday’s ride from the Statehouse, through the scenic roads of southern Indiana and ending in French Lick.

Hotel tax in Indy will be 1 of nation’s highest
A measure to help the struggling Capital Improvement Board by increasing the county hotel tax squeaked by the City-County Council on Monday. But approval came with a consensus that the $21 million boost is not a complete solution.   Council members spent about a half-hour complaining about what all agreed was a partial fix but ultimately voted 15-14 to pass the measure. Marion County’s hotel tax will jump to 10 percent from 9 percent, making it among the nation’s highest.

Sam Turpin – Indiana Lobbyist

Indiana News Update

Indiana Falling Short on Policies to Prevent and Fight Cancer
According to a new report, Indiana is falling short for its legislative efforts to combat cancer. How Do You Measure up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality evaluates each state’s legislative activity on six issues key to winning the fight against cancer. Developed by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, the report finds that Indiana measured up to benchmarks in one of the six issues. “Our state legislators can play an important role in the war against cancer by passing legislation that can help reduce the toll this disease  takes on our state and save lives,” said Judy Stewart, American Cancer  Society Director of State Government Relations for the Great Lakes  Division. “We all have a responsibility to fight back against a disease  that kills 12,820 people in Indiana each year by enacting laws and policies that eliminate barriers for the proper diagnosis, treatment and care of cancer patients.”

Privatized welfare’s poor results
Amid rising costs and frequent complaints about Indiana’s efforts to privatize its welfare system, the General Assembly must thoroughly review not only the financial aspects of the state’s contracts with IBM Corp. but also how the new operation has been administered.  The Associated Press, in a story published in The Star on Monday, revealed that the state will pay IBM $180 million more than originally planned — only two years into the original 10-year, $1.16 billion contract. The additional funding represents a 15-percent increase in the cost of the contract, signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2006.

State to get $400M for green autos
Long touted as a potential hotbed for hybrid-electric cars, Indiana finally started to warm up Wednesday, but it’s going to be a long, hard haul to gin up a high-tech U.S. car industry.  President Barack Obama showered more than $400 million in high-tech grants on Indiana enterprises to develop cars and trucks with powerful batteries and big electric motors by 2016. Although the cash is regarded as enough to bring the electric-car business to life — and create or save as many as 5,000 jobs in the state — analysts say it will take far more money to create a green-car industry in Indiana and the nation.

Sam Turpin – Indiana Lobbyist