Latest news with #R-Fishers
Axios
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Indiana passes bill to court Illinois counties
The Indiana Legislature has passed a bill creating a commission to study the Indiana/Illinois boundary in the hope of stealing away several downstate Illinois counties. Why it matters: The legislation, which Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is expected to sign, is a step forward for the separatist movement in Illinois. Voters in downstate Republican counties have shown dissatisfaction with the Democratic majority in Illinois, saying the current state government doesn't reflect their values. The intrigue: Indiana's GOP seems hell-bent on exploring the idea of absorbing downstate Illinois counties that have recently passed ballot referendums looking to break from Illinois, even if Illinois' Democrat-majority General Assembly wants no part of it. The latest version of the bill, which received final passage Thursday, makes Illinois' participation voluntary instead of mandatory. What they're saying: "That's their choice, whether they want to participate or not," Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said after the vote. Zoom in: Gov. JB Pritzker has waved off the attempt as a stunt, but downstate Republicans like Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) want the state to take it seriously. He authored a bill to appoint Illinois representatives to the Indiana panel, but Democrats in the Illinois House have quashed it. "Indiana is doing its part to facilitate the wishes of these rural residents. It is time for the Illinois Legislature to do the same," Halbrook tells Axios. "The only reason for Democrats to oppose this idea is simple vindictiveness." Between the lines: Halbrook suggests it could be a win for Illinois Democrats, who could redraw the state to help elect more Democrats to Congress. But losing Republican-majority counties could set back the Illinois GOP, which is trying to claw its way back to statewide offices. State of play: The separatist movement has passed referendums in 33 Illinois counties (out of 102). Reality check: Though the Illinois movement has generally centered on splitting from Cook County, Huston sees an opportunity to expand Indiana's borders. "I think it's been a great opportunity to talk about all the great things going on in Indiana, and to say, look, you know, we'd love to have that conversation," Huston said. Yes, but: Don't expect new state borders anytime soon.
Axios
11-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Senate Republicans propose more conservative budget
Senate Republicans introduced a two-year spending plan Thursday that's more conservative than the House's version. Why it matters: Lawmakers have about two weeks left to hammer out a state budget — and they're far apart. An upcoming revenue forecast is expected to project relatively flat growth over the biennium, and major funding uncertainty at the federal level will further complicate matters. Driving the news: Senate Republicans rolled out a $46.8 billion budget plan with modest 2% annual bumps for K-12 schools and full funding for Medicaid — but they're keeping most other spending flat. They also want to keep reserves above 13%, ending the biennium with $3 billion in the bank. Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, the Senate's top budget writer, said they kept so much back because the state has almost no new dollars to spend in the second year of the budget. Between the lines: Republicans have a supermajority in both chambers so they control the budget-writing process. The final budget will be a compromise between the House and Senate proposals, likely falling somewhere in the middle of the House's more aggressive spending plan and the Senate's more conservative one. Zoom in: There are some major differences to be worked out. The Senate proposal did not make the state's private school voucher program universal — a priority for House Republicans and Gov. Mike Braun that is likely to come back during conference committee. "Obviously that's an important thing to our caucus, and it's something that we've always believed in," said House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers. Huston said he still believes it's the right year to lift the income eligibility caps on vouchers, even in a tight budget year. Republicans matched the House's proposal for local public health funding at $100 million each year and stipulated the money may be used only for residents who are legal citizens. Their bill does not eliminate Medicaid waitlists. It eliminates the wait list for child care assistance vouchers but does so by reducing eligibility rather than putting more money into the program. The other side:"They did not address the problem," said Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, who voted against the bill. "They just eliminated the problem by reducing eligibility, but we will still have families across the state who are struggling." 👀 The intrigue: Senate Republicans seemingly want to use the budget to rein in Secretary of State Diego Morales. The bill includes a provision that requires an annual travel report for the governor, lieutenant governor and all separately elected officials. Morales, a Republican elected in 2022, ruffled some feathers recently when he took a 10-day "economic development" trip to India (and skipped his Senate budget hearing). The budget bill also gives the General Assembly oversight on how Morales can spend his office's dedicated funds. What they're saying:"I think we just all need to know where they're going," Mishler said, "and if they're on state business, how they're paying for it." What's next: An updated revenue forecast will be released Wednesday.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House Republican plan for property taxes to save homeowners $1.1B
House Speaker Todd Huston, right, and Rep. Jeff Thompson present the House Republican plan for property taxes on April 4, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Lawmakers introduced yet another plan for property taxes this week, pitching a proposal to save homeowners $1.1 billion over three years. In comparison, homeowners would have seen nearly $1.3 billion in relief in 2026 alone under Gov. Mike Braun's previous proposal. In the atypical Friday afternoon press conference, Rep. Jeff Thompson said that 93-94% of homeowners would see lower property tax bills than they would with no action. But the majority of homeowners would pay less in 2026 than they did in 2025. 'We have two main goals in crafting this bill: deliver immediate relief to homeowners and reform the system to prevent the dramatic spikes in property taxes that we've seen in recent years,' said House Speaker Todd Huston. 'Our amendment accomplishes both.' The amendment to Senate Bill 1, set to be introduced on Monday, isn't yet publicly available. Once adopted by a committee, the Legislative Services Agency will release an estimated fiscal note. According to the two Republican leaders, all homestead property tax bills will get a 7.5% credit in perpetuity, up to $200, based on a calculation performed after accounting for property tax caps. Fixed-income seniors will see an additional $150 credit while disabled veterans will get an additional $250 credit. 'Now, every single veteran and every single senior will get a benefit if they qualify,' said Thompson, R-Lizton. But one of the biggest benefits for the average homeowner, Huston said, would be improved transparency for taxpayers, who would be able to assess their bills on a Property Tax Transparency Portal. 'When we do a rate-based and non-levy-based system … I think the normal Hoosier homeowner can understand what their bill looks like. It's not some algebraic equation,' said Huston, R-Fishers. The plan for property taxes joins a handful of other efforts, including one from Gov. Mike Braun, Senate Republicans, a House Democrat and a previous Thompson pitch. Each proposal has varying impacts to homeowners and local units of government, which rely on revenue from property taxes to fund public safety, infrastructure and schools. For instance, Braun's plan would save homeowners the most money on their property taxes going forward but be a heavy hit to the budgets of school corporations, counties, cities and towns. Alternatively, plans that reduce that revenue loss have a small, nearly negligible impact on homeowner property taxes. It's not yet clear what the total estimated impact of those credits will be to local governments. Thompson, the chief budget architect in the House, said most units will still see additional revenue but smaller increases than they would without Senate Bill 1. 'They're still going to be gaining dollars. If I recall, it's about a 5.6% gain (under) current law. This will roughly cut that down to a little over 3%,' Thompson said. 'So they're still adding more dollars, just not as many new dollars.' But Huston cautioned that some units, depending on their circumstances, could see losses simply because of the 'complexity of the system,' pointing to local referendums and debt. Similarly homeowner tax bills vary significantly depending on a home's value, the local tax rate and other factors. 'You could have the same home in the same county — and built in the same year — and you'd have two wildly different property taxes,' Huston said. '… I wish I could stand up here and give you all the bare bone specifics. I'd love to know what my property tax bill is going to look like in '26.' The proposed amendment would also 'rein in' locally held debt, though it's not yet clear how the General Assembly would accomplish that. House Republicans reported that the state's 2,000-plus local units of government hold a combined $53.4 billion in debt. Such calculations will impact local schools, who would get a double-whammy revenue hit with the incorporation of Senate Bill 518 into the plan for property taxes. The current version would require schools to split their revenue with certain charter schools. Under the new language for sharing property taxes, which isn't yet available, Huston said changes for schools wouldn't kick in until 2028 and would be phased in over four years. Thompson also alluded to changes in the state's personal business property tax, including a 'very, very slow, gradual phase down' for purchases made after Jan. 1, 2025. Will it be enough? It's uncertain whether the plan will be enough for the Hoosiers calling for relief. Last month, hundreds rallied to push lawmakers to adopt a plan closer to Braun's proposal, pointing to tax jumps in recent years during the economic fallout of COVID-19. Democratic Rep. Greg Porter said that big business would still be the winners in a Friday press release, criticizing the plan for not addressing home assessments that increase faster than business assessments. CONTACT US 'With roughly $1.1 billion saved over three years and about 1.9 million homesteads, each homeowner will save an average of close to $575 from 2026 to 2028,' Porter said in a statement. '… With an average property tax bill ranging from $1500 to $3000, a yearly credit of only $200 will fail to make a difference.' He also denounced the lack of relief for renters as well as an increased reliance on local income taxes for municipalities to backfill losses. 'Our schools will lose money, especially with Senate Bill 518 rolled into the plan diverting property tax dollars to charter schools so the state can pay even less. 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,' Porter continued. Braun threatened to veto earlier versions of the proposal, citing the need for homeowner relief. Still, Huston seemed comfortable with the current package. 'We feel very good about the trajectory that we're on and we will continue to work with our partners on this and figure out where the best place to land the plane is,' said Huston. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘We'd love to have you': Illinois secession bill earns Indiana House approval
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, addresses the chamber on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. His GOP priority bill could prompt multiple Illinois counties to secede and join Indiana. (Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Discussions on a bill that could prompt nearly three-dozen Illinois counties to secede — and instead become part of Indiana — will continue in the Senate after House lawmakers approved the proposal 69-25 on Thursday. Republican House Speaker Todd Huston's proposal would create an Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission tasked with exploring the secession and transfer of counties that have already voted to leave the state of Illinois. Huston maintained Thursday that House Bill 1008, part of the majority caucus' priority agenda, seeks to show disgruntled Illinois residents that Hoosiers 'welcome' those counties to join Indiana. Since 2020, 33 Illinois counties have passed 'advisory referenda' to secede from the Prairie State — with seven of those votes occurring in the November election. 'Hey, we'd love to have you. Because you know what? We always think it's better to be growing than it is to meet the alternative,' Huston said. Illinois secession bill passes first hurdle He emphasized Indiana's 'fastest growing population' within the Midwest, driven by the state's 'vibrant' economy and robust private school voucher program. Huston said his bill 'is an opportunity to share' Indiana's successes and 'raise our hand to others to say we think we have a heck of a lot to offer.' Democrats noted that a border shakeup is unlikely, though. Illinois would need to approve the move, alongside Indiana. Then, it'd head to the U.S. Congress for additional vetting. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said he's not on board and called the Indiana bill 'a stunt' that is 'not going to happen.' 'I think it's obviously going to be a super long shot that this will ever happen,' said House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne. 'And I think it's probably getting off of the real work that we have to do today.' Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary, supported the bill in committee — highlighting that a majority of Lake County residents feel a similar lack of government representation as those in downstate Illinois. She flipped her vote on the chamber floor, however. 'As a super minority, we have little say on critical issues like the state budget or education policy,' Hatcher said. 'I urge this body to listen — not just to those from another state who are seeking a place in Indiana — but also to the voices of the communities that are already here. Let's give the same attention and consideration to the concerns of Indiana's own underrepresented regions as we do to those from outside our borders.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
