State budget contains offer to settle Gary schools lawsuit

INDIANAPOLIS | The state budget approved April 27 by the Indiana General Assembly contains, as expected, appropriations for every state agency to carry out its work over the next two years.

General Assembly wraps session distinguished by cooperative tone

INDIANAPOLIS | Hands were shaken, hugs were shared and state lawmakers, who spent the past four months passionately opposing each other in great and small policy debates, were all smiles Saturday morning after House Speaker Brian Bosma gaveled out the 2013 Indiana General Assembly.

Indiana budget plan cuts taxes by $1.1 billion

INDIANAPOLIS | Despite polls showing Hoosiers want Indiana to invest more in education, roads and other state services, the Republican-controlled General Assembly is poised to enact the largest package of tax cuts in state history.

Pence sure income tax cut will create jobs

INDIANAPOLIS | Gov. Mike Pence is certain reducing Indiana's personal income tax rate will create jobs, despite the doubts of legislative leaders and the increase in unemployment that followed distribution of the state's automatic taxpayer refund.

Eight NWI lawmakers to decide on thaw of Lake levy freeze

INDIANAPOLIS | Eight state lawmakers from Lake and Porter counties, along with two senators from outside the region, have been tapped to decide whether the General Assembly lifts the Lake County property tax levy freeze.

Pence may accept delayed implementation of income tax cut

INDIANAPOLIS | Moments after delivering a "no compromises" defense of his proposed income tax cut, Republican Gov. Mike Pence hinted Wednesday he's willing to implement the reduction over several years instead of the two years he promised on the campaign trail.

Pence backing off fight for tax cut

INDIANAPOLIS | Gov. Mike Pence received the optimistic state revenue forecast he's been counting on since January to show Indiana can afford his $500 million income tax cut, but instead of celebrating, Pence seemed more interested in compromising.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Downstate Republicans want Lake to implement tax

Bravo to Rich James for his April 10 column. James exposed the two Republican members of the Lake County Council (Eldon Strong and Republican County Chairman Dan Dernulc) for playing politics with the Local Option Income Tax.

EDITORIAL: House shifts blame, doesn't solve problem

One of the selling points, though not the only one, for enacting a local income tax in Lake County is to thaw the property tax levy that has been frozen by the state Legislature since 2007. Wednesday's action in the Indiana House of Representatives muddied the waters but didn't build a bridg…

Parties spar over income tax blame

CROWN POINT | Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. is taking Lake County Republicans to task for opposing a local income tax.

House puts Medicaid expansion entirely in governor's hands

INDIANAPOLIS | A top House Republican has halted legislation requiring Republican Gov. Mike Pence negotiate with the federal government the terms of an alternative health care plan for low-income Hoosiers, as Pence refuses to expand Medicaid eligibility in Indiana.

BRIAN HOWEY: Legislator turned governor focused on tax cut

The headline fixation in the fledgling administration of Gov. Mike Pence has been his 10 percent income tax cut. It is what Chief of Staff Bill Smith calls, “the shiny object” and one that Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley partially restored on Thursday at 3.3 percent after it didn’…

Income tax cut in Senate budget but smaller than Pence wants

INDIANAPOLIS | Gov. Mike Pence lauded the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday for adding an income tax cut to the pending 2014-15 state budget, even though the reduction is less than one-third the size Pence wanted.

Senate committee shrinks voucher expansion plan

INDIANAPOLIS | A Senate panel scaled back a House-approved expansion of Indiana's private school voucher program Thursday by keeping most current eligibility requirements and only slightly increasing the value of a voucher.

Ritz seeks more funds for remedial classes

INDIANAPOLIS | The state's schools leader asked the Indiana Senate's budget writers Thursday to provide more money for remedial instruction and reduce their focus on student testing.

Region lawmaker to shape state budget

INDIANAPOLIS | For the first time since 2007, a Northwest Indiana lawmaker will play a significant role in deciding how the state spends some $30 billion over the next two years.

Legislature embracing cooperation over conflict at midpoint of session

INDIANAPOLIS | For the first time since 2010, the Indiana General Assembly has made it to the midpoint of its annual session without a walkout, boycott or protest shutting down the business of the legislature.

Pence may use TV ads to pressure Legislature on income tax cut

INDIANAPOLIS | Gov. Mike Pence hasn't ruled out spending his campaign funds on television ads to garner support for a proposed income tax cut the Indiana House refused to include in a two-year state budget plan it approved Tuesday.

Senate rolls the dice on casino tax cut

INDIANAPOLIS | The Senate on Monday bet millions of dollars belonging to Northwest Indiana counties and cities on the chance that reducing casino tax payments will lead to new casino property developments and improve competition with out-of-state gambling halls.

Senate votes to take gaming revenue from counties without casinos

INDIANAPOLIS | Counties without casinos would also lose some of their gaming tax revenue following a change made Thursday to legislation intended to help Indiana casinos make improvements to better compete with new casinos in neighboring states.