Indiana lawmakers tonight gave Governor Mitch Daniels a major victory by passing his health care plan, which included an increase in the tax on cigarettes. The 44-cent increase would go to help provide insurance for thousands of Hoosiers who are without coverage. The measure passed both the House and Senate by wide margins, although conservatives […]

Following the lead of the Indiana House of Represenatives, the state Senate passed a new budget, property tax relief, expanded gaming and new taxing power for local governments. The Senate passed concurrent measures that passed in the house, however critics called the measures short term, involved too much government spending and were only band-aid solutions […]

The Indiana House of Representatives passed an expansion of slots at the race tracks by a vote of 54-44. The expansion would pay for the property tax relief in the state budget.

I’ve written ad nauseum this weekend about Indy Works III and Marion County Consolidation. I’m going to give this a rest for a while, but as the Mayor gets ready to craft Indy Works IV in the wake of this most recent defeat, I have one piece of advice for him. Instead of taking aspirin […]

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.