The Indiana House is now taking up a bill to expand gaming in the state. The measure is necessary to pay for more than $500 million in property tax relief. The bill would expand slots at the state’s racetracks. The House also voted tonight would also crackdown on illegal gaming by adding more enforcement staff […]

The Indiana State budget cleared its first major hurdle tonight. The House of Representatives passed the $26 billion biennial budget by a vote of 51-49. Democrats said the budget was structurally balanced and provided Hoosiers with $700 million in property tax relief over the next two years. However, Republicans say the budget contained a 24 […]

This time it really is dead for another year. Efforts to consolidate the Marion County Township Fire Departments are dead, according to Senate bill sponsor James Merritt. Merritt was putting together a plan that would allow the City-County Council to vote on consolidating the fire departments, but it would also have to vote on consolidating […]

It’s 9:10 p.m. while the House floor debate continues the shenanigans have begun. Democrat Ryan Dvorak is ticked off and stormed out of the chamber. His fellow Democrats are trying to calm him down. And there may be something with State Rep. Craig Fry, who has doubted whether he will vote for the budget.

By a vote of 74-25, the Indiana House of Representatives gave local governments more power to raise taxes in exchange for property tax relief. Under the measure locals could levy a .25 public safety tax to pay for police and pensions, in addition, local governments could levy an income tax, but must reduce property taxes […]

It’s 8:35 p.m. Lawmakers are about to start debating the budget and property taxes soon. This should be interesting. I’m in the House Chamber and watching the Senate over my wireless Internet.

Indiana lawmakers are caucusing right with less than five hours to go before the midnight adjournment deadline. The state budget is out. The $26 billion spending plan includes money for schools and full-day kindergarten. It also has more than $4 billion in property tax replacement credits. There are also some smaller items like a pre-kindergarten […]

Indiana lawmakers have less than 7 hours to go before adjournment and it looks like Indy Works (in some form) may be back on the table. The curent “compromise” would have the City-County Council approve the merger of all Township fire departments, but not until 2008, after this year’s election. This would put the measure […]

With a little more than 8 hours to go before the end of session deadline, Indiana House Republicans are crying foul over the current tentative budget agreement and say they won’t support the measure unless there is more tax relief for Hoosiers. Minority Leader Brian Bosma called the plan for a tax rebate check a […]

With less than 11 hours to go, Indiana lawmakers are still haggling out the big issue of tax relief. House Republican Leader Brian Bosma says his caucus will not sign on to a bill that includes a 24-percent tax increase average statewide. Despite plans for a possible rebate by mail in November, Bosma says that’s […]