Latest news with #GregPorter
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Pittsburgh-area EMS chiefs push for reimbursement reform
By law, local municipalities must ensure EMS is available for their community, but they're not required to financially support it. Now, local EMS leaders say we need to act decisively to save Pennsylvania's EMS agencies. "Is EMS stable right now? And I think from an outside view, most people would say operationally yes, financially no. It's not a stable product," Baldwin EMS Chief Todd Plunkett said. In part 2 of our KDKA Investigation into ambulance billing and reimbursements, KDKA Consumer Investigator Meghan Schiller sat down with two local chiefs. At Ross/ West View EMS, they're a few years into collecting a mandatory fee from community members to pay to keep the operation afloat. Chief Greg Porter says he needed to produce a solution to save his department. "I'm pleased to say we are now in year three of that fee collection, and it's going extraordinarily well," Ross/ West View EMS Chief Porter said. But Chief Porter says many ambulance companies in Allegheny County closed their doors before finding a funding solution. "In Allegheny County alone, when I started, there were 128 EMS agencies. We're down to 32 municipally responding EMS agencies," Chief Porter said. That's why he is one of many local EMS chiefs pushing to save EMS and make sure an ambulance still arrives when you call 911. They want enough trained workers to staff the stations, reimbursements that aren't laughable and some funding to help bridge the gaps. "Unlike law enforcement or fire, we're the only public safety entity that generates some of our own revenue, which is kind of unique. So, we're not asking for 100 percent funding. We're asking for a little bit of support," Chief Porter said. Chief Plunkett at Baldwin EMS says paramedics want a seat at the table. EMS is the only essential public safety service with no direct access to Governor Josh Shapiro. "The police commissioner is direct report to the governor, the fire commissioner is a direct report to the governor, the PEMA director is a direct report to the governor, the EMS bureau chief, not even called a commissioner, is five levels below so doesn't even have the voice," said Chief Plunkett. Chief Plunkett says EMS needs a reasonable and uniform reimbursement rate, with an increase in Medicare allowable reimbursements and less bill dodging by commercial health insurance plans. "The warnings are there, and things need to change. And the things that need to change, the solutions are there," said Chief Plunkett. "It's whether they want to fund it, whether our government and our society want EMS to be around like other organizations." KDKA reached out to Governor Shapiro's office to ask his thoughts on where EMS falls in the upcoming budget and his thoughts on the creation of an EMS commissioner. KDKA did not hear back on Tuesday
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indiana House Republicans OK massive local property, income tax plan that Democrats dub a ‘scam'
Rep. Greg Porter, House Democrats' finance lead, delivers remarks to reporters on the Republican-led passage of a massive local tax plan. Porter and his caucus held a news conference, featuring bright red and orange signs, after the House adjourned on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) A gargantuan local property and income tax plan — alternately dubbed a 'great win' by Republicans and a 'scam' by Democrats — cleared the Indiana House of Representatives on Thursday. The 65-29 vote was decided largely along party lines. It came a day after lawmakers made sweeping edits with Gov. Mike Braun's blessing. And the Senate appears poised to consent to the changes. 'SB1 offers meaningful tax relief for Hoosiers. The plan to CUT, CAP, and REFORM means relief now and systemic changes for the future to protect taxpayers,' Braun posted on social media. 'Thank you to the House for their hard work and I look forward to the Senate sending this to my desk for signature next week!' Senate Bill 1 would save homeowners a collective $1.2 billion in property taxes over three calendar years, from 2026 through 2028, according to a Thursday fiscal analysis. It does so largely by creating a credit for 10% off every homestead's bill, up to $300 each. Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, dubbed it a 'great win for Hoosier taxpayers' Thursday. Thompson, the House GOP caucus' tax and budget head, said about two-thirds of homeowners would pay less in 2026 than this year under the overhauled legislation. But local units of government would lose a projected $1.5 billion over the three years, per the analysis. Public school corporations alone represent about half the loss, at $744 million — although Democrats contend other tax changes push that figure to almost $800 million. 'It's a loser for schools,' Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, told the chamber. In comments to reporters Thursday, House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, noted that estimates for local government losses are based on projected revenue. He urged greater focus on year-over-year collections. 'I'm going to push back on everybody that says, 'Well, we would have collected 'x.' Before you say it's a cut, what did you collect last year? And what are you collecting this year? And then tell me what the numbers are,' Huston concluded. House Democrats accused their GOP colleagues of strong-arming local units of governments into raising local income taxes to make up property tax revenue losses. The legislation caps total local income tax rates for all counties to 2.9%, down from 3.75%. Municipalities would be authorized to impose rates up to 1.2% within that county total — a tool they have not had before. Under current law, they have to get county officials on board to nab a local income tax. 'This plan is a trick. It's a scam. It presumes Hoosiers can't understand that 2.9% of their income is a lot more money than a $300 property tax credit,' House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, told reporters during a Thursday news conference. 'Statehouse Republicans are telling you they are cutting property taxes so they can score political points,' he continued. 'But let me tell you the truth … They're forcing our local servants to take the heat for raising your taxes.' Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, called the measure 'a bait and switch' in which 'local governments are left with no choice but to raise income taxes or slash critical services to subsidize the revenue loss.' Thompson pushed back, noting the new, lower cap actually 'slashes' untapped local income tax capacity from $5 billion to $3 billion. That didn't satisfy Democrats. Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, said it still would allow local governments to hike income taxes by three times more than what homeowners would save in property taxes. 'I don't think that would happen,' he said of locals. 'But, Braun math says (that) if I save you a nickel in your left pocket, I can take 15 nickels out of your right pocket.' House Speaker Todd Huston offered vehement defense in a rare speech from the floor. 'The idea that this is a bait-and-switch is comical … because at the end of the day … we are providing taxpayer relief. We are,' Huston told his colleagues. The local income tax furor appeared to trouble Braun. 'I have heard from several Hoosiers since my property tax deal was announced yesterday who are concerned about the local income tax provisions in the bill. Let me be clear,' he wrote in a Thursday morning social media post. 'I agreed to a deal that delivers meaningful property tax cuts … and cuts the total local income tax rate by 23% from 3.75% to 2.9%.' Although Braun wrote he 'trust(ed)' that's what was in the massive amendment approved Wednesday, his team was still examining the document 'line by line to verify all of the language matches the deal.' 'If we find errors or it doesn't do what I agreed to then I am confident the House and Senate will make needed edits to honor the deal before I allow it to become law,' he added. Asked if there was confusion over what was in the deal, Huston told reporters, 'There's no confusion on my end. We've laid out all along what was in the bill.' Accelerate Indiana Municipalities, representing cities and towns, indicated such hikes could come. 'We are glad there is targeted relief for property taxpayers, but this comes with the likelihood of significant cuts to the property tax base that will need to be evaluated in the coming years,' CEO Matt Greller said in a statement to the Capital Chronicle. 'In communities where it makes sense, and the determination is made that additional local option income tax capacity would be adequate to recover lost funding, we are happy to see the decision to do so granted to municipal government.' Fixed-income seniors would get an additional $150 discount off their property tax bills stacked atop the $300 maximum available to the general population. Disabled veterans could also qualify for stackable credits of $150 and $250. In exchange, lawmakers nixed assessed-value based deductions for both populations. 'This is a win for disabled veterans, moving to a credit,' Huston told reporters. 'There are a lot of people — if you're at the cap, you don't even get the benefit of the deduction. This gives you a credit right off the bottom of your tax bill.' His colleagues also said that modest per-person savings are still meaningful. 'I have heard some people say that an extra $200 or $300, or $500 or $700, is not worth lowering property taxes,' said Rep. Becky Cash, R-Zionsville. 'We know that's not true,' she said, citing how hard public retirees have fought to win a pension benefit bonus that may be worth less. 'This bill may not go far enough, but it does offer some relief,' Cash added. 'The people's money belongs to the people, and I cannot, in good conscience, keep one extra dollar from a family.' Democrats, however, critiqued the measure for not providing direct relief to tenants, who pay property taxes indirectly via rent. 'This $300 credit, they're not going to get it. Their landlords may get it, but does anybody here think the landlords want to pass that on to their renters?' asked Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie. Senate Bill 1 also commands the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance to develop a property tax transparency portal by 2026. The portal would let Hoosiers provide feedback and compare their current liabilities to what they'd owe 'based on changes under a proposed tax rate.' Other taxpayers would get relief too, according to the analysis. Over three years, it would cut property taxes by about $25 million for apartments, almost $69 million for other residential properties, $116 million on farmland and $145 million on personal property. But bills for agricultural business and other real properties would rise by $63 million and $720 million, respectively. That adds up to about $802 million in savings across other property types. The overhauled legislation additionally phases in a major increase in the acquisition cost threshold for the business personal property tax exemption — from $80,000 to $2 million — and narrows application of the 30% depreciation floor. It previously would've phased the tax itself out by 2030 on anything purchased this year or later. 'This is a smart, pro-growth reform that will reduce compliance burdens and unlock investment across Indiana,' said Vanessa Green Sinders, the president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, in a news release. She added that the changes 'directly benefits small- and medium-sized business owners in every corner of the state.' Four lawmakers defected from their parties in the vote: Republican Reps. Craig Haggard, Andrew Ireland and Ethan Manning voted in opposition, while Democratic Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser voted in support. Senate Bill 1 next returns to the Senate for either a tidy concurrence with the House overhaul — one was already filed Thursday — or to set up complex negotiations over a final version of the legislation. Senators could vote to approve the concurrence as soon as Monday, although they could also back choose to dissent instead. 'Our caucus members have (been) looking at some runs and making sure they understand how it affects their local communities, and so we'll continue to talk about that over the weekend,' Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray told reporters. 'But it is our strong hope that we'll be able to concur on that,' Bray, R-Martinsville, added. Senior Reporter Casey Smith contributed. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Axios
11-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Marion County schools bracing for property tax overhaul
Marion County school districts stand to lose millions under the House Republicans' property tax reform proposal, which was amended yesterday to cut even more. The big picture: Lawmakers have struggled to strike a balance between relief for homeowners who say they're struggling to keep up with skyrocketing property tax bills and the local units of government — cities, counties, school districts and more — that rely on those tax dollars to fund essential services. Driving the news: House Republicans amended Senate Bill 1 this week to give the average homeowner a $300 credit toward their property tax bill next year — more than the $200 credit they introduced last week. It also includes new credits for veterans and seniors, saving taxpayers more than $1 billion over the next three years. House Speaker Todd Huston said the bill ensures most homeowners will pay less next year than this year, while controlling "unsustainable" local government spending. Yes, but: The new SB 1 also gives municipalities a tool to offset those losses — the ability to raise local income taxes. "This plan encourages local governments to raise their local income tax rate, so you'll get more money in your right pocket but have to pay more out of your left," said Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis). State of play: Most local units of government will still bring in more property tax revenue next year than they will this year, just less than they would have without SB 1. Without the bill, revenue is projected to grow by more than 5% next year. With it, that growth slows to less than 3%. Under the earlier proposal, Marion County was projected to take in $50 million more next year than it will this year, but that's about $20 million less than it would have without SB 1. A new fiscal impact based on the larger credit adopted yesterday hasn't been released yet. Zoom in: The effect on schools would be wider ranging and likely to grow with the larger credit. Under the smaller credit, the county's 11 public school districts would see property tax revenue growth between 1% and 4% next year. Two districts — Wayne Township and Beech Grove City Schools — are projected to see year-over-year losses by 2028. What they're saying: Beech Grove superintendent Laura Hammack said she is "profoundly concerned about the long-term implications" of SB 1. "These reductions could force incredibly difficult decisions that may affect staffing, student programs and overall day-to-day operations," she told Axios. "Our ability to attract and retain talent, maintain safe and functional facilities, and offer opportunities that enrich student learning will all be jeopardized." Washington Township Schools are projected to receive at least $10 million less over the next three years than they would have taken in without SB 1. "Districts may need to revisit previously planned operations, capital improvements and other strategic initiatives to align with more modest revenue growth expectations," said Ellen Rogers, spokesperson for Washington Township. The new version of SB 1 also incorporates language from Senate Bill 518, which would require districts to start sharing some property tax dollars with charter schools. An Indianapolis Public Schools preliminary analysis of the bill said it will cost the district nearly $100 million over the next seven years. The other side: Charter school advocates say all public schools should be funded equally. What's next: The deadline for Senate bills to pass out of the House is Tuesday. The Senate will need to vote on the changes made in the House, but Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) told reporters last week he thinks his caucus will support them.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indiana lawmakers set to vote on budget that increases funding for virtual charter schools
Indiana lawmakers are slated to vote on a new state budget on Thursday that would fund virtual charter schools at the same rate as brick-and-mortar public schools, despite them having fewer costs and the sector's history of alleged fraud with state tax dollars. The House Republican budget includes a provision that would increase funding for virtual schools, instead of funding them at a rate of 85% what other public schools receive as their "foundational" funding level. The House is expected to approve the budget on Thursday, sending the proposal to the Senate for consideration. The actual cost of the proposed change is unclear. A fiscal analysis prepared by the Legislative Services Agency that notes the change doesn't specifically spell out the cost of increased virtual school funding to taxpayers. But it could be north of $10 million in extra costs if enrollment stays near current levels. The state spent more than $60 million on supporting virtual schools in 2023. Republicans' decision to increase virtual school funding was criticized by several House Democrats on Wednesday. Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, said taxpayers are mistrustful due to past instances where taxpayer money has "miraculously disappeared" after it went to virtual schools. Virtual charter schools have been under increased scrutiny in recent years, and the state in 2021 sued a group of virtual schools accused of defrauding taxpayers out of more than $150 million, which Indiana officials argue was either improperly obtained or spent. Those former school leaders also face an ongoing federal lawsuit, and their schools are closed. House Republicans voted down an amendment on Wednesday that would have kept the current lower funding levels for virtual charter schools, among many other unrelated Democratic priorities. "They were not accountable for about $150 million," Porter said. "These are the same virtual (schools) that want 100% of funding." House budget writer Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, said the funding choices in the budget were a matter of the state's top priorities. He did not specifically address the fraud concerns raised about virtual charter schools. "What do we want to prioritize? We fund students," Thompson said. "We believe it should be up to the parents on what's the best place for their students." Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, told IndyStar he was "rather shocked" that the House Republican budget increases funding for virtual schools. "The economics of the virtual schools has got to be less costly than traditional schools," DeLaney said. "We knew and recognized that for years. Suddenly, we don't know that." Democrats' overall criticism of the House budget focused on their belief that it prioritizes wealthy families over poor families. The budget, for example, removes the income cap for families that receive school vouchers to pay for private school tuition. But it doesn't increase the funding that poor or special education students are due to receive over 2024 levels. "What a choice," DeLaney said. "What a set of priorities. Not one of the many millionaires in my district came begging for that." Thompson, on the other hand, said that private school families receiving vouchers get less money for their kids than if they were to go to public schools. Voucher awards cannot exceed 90% of what the state would spend on the student if they were to attend public school. "There'll be a lot of money, a lot of money, (for) traditional public schools if parents decide they want to send their students there," Thompson said. Several other Democratic amendments to the House budget were defeated or voted down on Wednesday as the chamber worked to get the bill ready for Thursday's vote. For example, Rep. Sheila Klinker, D-Lafayette, proposed increasing the minimum teacher salary in Indiana to $60,000, compared to $40,000 which is current law. She said even Republican Gov. Mike Braun has recognized that teacher salaries have to increase. "We're losing our educators all over the state," Klinker said. Braun promised during the governor campaign to increase minimum teacher salaries; his proposed budget increased minimum salaries to $45,000 and there's a bill working its way through the Senate that would increase pay. And Rep. Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis, proposed increasing the income eligibility for the state's preschool program, On My Way Pre-K, but it was voted down. That would have cost $22 million, which she said pales in comparison to the costs of expanding eligibility for the K-12 private school voucher program. That could cost the state $90 million per year, according to the Legislative Services Agency. "We should be focused on setting up our kids for educational success ... before subsidizing wealthy families," Hamilton said. Thompson said he didn't deny that some of the Democratic amendments were good ideas, but that they weren't among the list of Republican priorities. "This, like a lot of topics that we've had presented today, might be a spot you could land someplace, but dollars are tight," Thompson said in relation to Hamilton's amendment. "That's reality. We have to have priorities." Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@ This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Lawmakers set to vote on budget that increases funding for virtual schools
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House Democrats prioritize ‘fully funded' education, eliminating waitlists in budget
Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, presents budget priorities for House Democrats on Feb. 18, 2024. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Indiana's House Democrats presented its own budget proposal Tuesday, pushing for 'fully funded' K-12 and the elimination of waitlists for Medicaid waiver services. Other priorities for House Democrats included universal pre-K, upping investments in veteran services and increasing tax credits for impoverished Hoosiers. Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, painted the proposal as a response to Hoosier wants, contrasting it with budgets from Gov. Mike Braun or House Republicans. 'Smoke and Mirrors': Democrats, critics denounce Republican budget proposal over school funding 'We're living in unprecedented times with high prices,' Porter told reporters. '… no matter how much you make, your paycheck does not stretch enough.' House Republicans opted to increase K-12 funding by 2% each year, but that boost includes dollars for fully funded virtual school students and additional money for 'school choice' vouchers. Public school advocates say that the increase for traditional schools alone will be closer to 1.3%. Indiana is projected to have modest revenue growth over the next biennium. Porter said savings could be realized by revisiting economic development funding, halting planned tax cuts and increasing taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. The proposal includes an additional $300 million for Medicaid to hedge against potential cuts from the federal government on top of money to eliminate waitlists. The federal government pays for roughly two-thirds of Indiana's Medicaid program. 'We're going to have cuts at the federal level; we have to be ready for those cuts,' Porter said. House Democrats would also restore funding for Health First Indiana, the College Success Program, Martin University and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. However, supermajority Republicans are unlikely to accept the proposal. Porter said that House Democrats, which hold 30 seats in the 100-member House, represented closer to one-third of Indiana's 6.8 million people. 'We must have — should have — a seat at the table and more input in the state budget,' Porter said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
