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Headlines : Indiana
Governor signs 'right to work' bill, but foes vow to continue fight
Before the ink dried on Gov. Mitch Daniels' signature making Indiana the 23rd "right to work" state in the nation, advocates on both sides were looking ahead to how the new law will affect Hoosiers.
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Headlines : Indiana
Indiana House stalls again over 'right to work' referendum
House Democrats refused to come to the House floor again tonight, saying they needed more time to prepare an amendment seeking a public referendum on the controversial "right to work" legislation.
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Headlines : Indiana
Right-to-work laws associated with lower levels of state debt
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Headlines : Indiana
House Democrats return to work, make no promises
The Indiana House went into session for the first time in 2012, as Democrats ended their walk-out which began on Wednesday.
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Headlines : Indiana
Panel's OK sets up full Senate vote on 'right to work' bill; House vote nearing
The finish line may be in sight for an end to the House Democratic walkout and the passage of the "right to work" bill that prompted it.
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Gov. Mitch Daniels
Office of Governor Mitch Daniels
State House
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2797
Phone: (317) 232-4567
Fax: (317) 232-3443
http://www.in.gov/gov/index.htm
Christopher A. Ruhl, Director
State Budget Agency
200 W. Washington St., Room 212
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone (317) 232-5610
www.in.gov/sba/
2012 Legislative Calendar: Regular Session convenes January 4 (date for convening will be determined during the organizational session), adjourns March 14.
Legislative Budget Leaders:
Rep. Jeff Espich (R), Chair, House Ways and Means Committee, h82@IN.gov 800-382-9841
Rep. Suzanne Crouch (R), Vice-Chair, House Ways and Means Committee, h78@IN.gov 800-382-9841
Sen. Luke Kenley (R), Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator.Kenley@iga.in.gov 800-382-9467
Sen. Brandt Hershman (R), Senate Tax & Fiscal Policy Committee, Senator.Hershman@iga.in.gov 800-382-9467
Sen. Phil Boots (R), Senate Pension and Labor Committee, Senator.Boots@iga.in.gov 800-382-9467
The current state budget can be found here.
Indiana is required to pass a balanced budget in that according to statue "no law shall authorize any debt to be contracted", except for "casual deficits" which must be covered by loans "as may be necessary to meet the demands of the state." Section 4-10-21-2 of the State law does create a state spending cap, but Section 4-10-21-7 allows the general assembly to exempt an appropriation from the State spending cap. Indiana law forbids the carrying over of a deficit from one year to the next.
Indiana maintains seven major governmental funds: the General, Motor Vehicle Highway, Medicaid Assistance, Major Moves Construction, State Highway Department, Property Tax Replacement and Tobacco Settlement Funds. The State budgets all seven major funds in addition to over fourteen non-major funds. While all information necessary for analysis can be found in the Budgetary Comparison Schedules, it is not presented in the most efficient manner because there are no "total" columns to accompany the numerous major and non-major funds. [from the Institute for Truth in Accounting]
Find the state's bond ratings here.
Indiana Policy Review Foundation
Unions :
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HEADLINES: Indiana
Governor signs 'right to work' bill, but foes vow to continue fight
Before the ink dried on Gov. Mitch Daniels' signature making Indiana the 23rd "right to work" state in the nation, advocates on both sides were looking ahead to how the new law will affect Hoosiers.
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HEADLINES: Indiana
Indiana House stalls again over 'right to work' referendum
House Democrats refused to come to the House floor again tonight, saying they needed more time to prepare an amendment seeking a public referendum on the controversial "right to work" legislation.
- View All Indiana articles
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Solutions: Indiana
Collective Bargaining Reform: Key to Improving Teacher Quality; Improving Student Outcomes, and Instituting School Choice through Student-Centered Funding in Indiana
Student-centered funding systems have demonstrating results in equalizing funding for all students, closing the achievement gap and improving high school outcomes in school districts across the United States. This school finance mechanism seems especially suited for Indiana where the majority of school funding is already allocated at the state level.
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Solutions: Oklahoma, Indiana
Ten Budget Reforms for 2012
Establish limited priorities for Oklahoma’s state government. Once limited priorities are set, everything else should be considered according to these priorities. The state currently has hundreds of agencies, boards, and commissions; it’s no wonder there is chronic overspending and regular “revenue shortfalls.”
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Solutions: Indiana
Indiana Makes Fiscal Progress
By promoting the use of health savings accounts as well as using a realistic budget process, Indiana serves as a fiscal model worth duplicating by fellow states.
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Solutions: Indiana
Citizen's Checklist
The Citizens’ Checklist outlines a series of adjustments that all stakeholders in K-12 education should consider, discuss and implement in order to avoid or minimize any reduction in teaching staff that affects classroom instruction and learning.
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Solutions: Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, California, Louisiana, Colorado
What Works: Fixing State Budgets
Paper suggesting a variety of ways to fixing state budgets in crisis, including freezing or slowing public employee salary growth, privatizing infrastructure and state operations, eliminating prevailing wage and placing constitutional limits on taxing and spending.
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California, Kentucky, New Hampshire , Texas, Michigan, Indiana, Montana, Nevada
Public workers pay to add work time, costing state pensions
In 21 states, certian public employees can increase their pensions by buying credit for extra years, even though they did not work in those years.
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Oklahoma, Indiana
Ten Budget Reforms for 2012
Establish limited priorities for Oklahoma’s state government. Once limited priorities are set, everything else should be considered according to these priorities. The state currently has hundreds of agencies, boards, and commissions; it’s no wonder there is chronic overspending and regular “revenue shortfalls.”
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Indiana
Retirees Shocked By Lower Pension Payments
Thousands of retired state and local government workers were shocked on Friday when they discovered that their monthly pension checks were substantially reduced.
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Indiana, North Carolina , California, New York
The Other Financial Crisis
Nearly everywhere, tax revenue plummeted as property values tanked, incomes dwindled and consumers stopped shopping. Falling prices for stocks and real estate have made mincemeat of often underfunded public pension plans. Unemployed workers have swelled the demand for welfare and Medicaid services. Governments that were frugal in the past are just squeaking by. Governments that were lavish in the good times, building their budgets on optimism and best-case scenarios, now risk being wrecked like a shantytown in an earthquake.
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Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, California, Louisiana, Colorado
What Works: Fixing State Budgets
Paper suggesting a variety of ways to fixing state budgets in crisis, including freezing or slowing public employee salary growth, privatizing infrastructure and state operations, eliminating prevailing wage and placing constitutional limits on taxing and spending.
