Latest news with #SB1
Chicago Tribune
8 hours ago
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Porter County Council grapples with realities of less funding, tighter budget
Faces were grim around the room Thursday afternoon as the five Republican members of the Porter County Council met with leaders of the Health Department in the second of four annual budget workshops. They have to figure out how they'll deal with a $2.5 million shortfall in the department's budget from 2025 to 2026. Outgoing director of the Health Department Carrie Gschwind told county officials she 'started getting really nervous in March. I got home that night, got a message: 'Halt everything. The budget's been cut.'' The department will lose $2.4 million due to changes brought about by Senate Bill 4 and another $115,000 due to losses from SB 1. That leaves the department with an anticipated $909,000 budget per year for 2026 and 2027. Led by the auditor's office for the second year in a row, the budget workshops aim to streamline the formal budget hearings that take many hours in themselves over several meetings every fall. Gscwind gave a basic lay of the new funding landscape to Council President Andy Vasquez, R-4th, Vice President Red Stone, R-1, Mike Brickner, R-At-Large, Michelle Harris, R-At-Large, and Andy Bozak, R-At-Large. Not present were Councilmen Jeremy Rivas, D-2, and Greg Simms, D-3. 'The first thing we had to do was go back to our needs assessment we did in 2023,' she said. 'Are we still supposed to have the same KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) with the $909,000?' asked Stone, referring to the department's new budget moving forward. Gschwind and Board of Health President Linda Boxum confirmed that the department is still responsible for the same KPIs with the greatly reduced budget. Core services will be the focus, particularly chronic disease prevention. Gschwind said the licensed practical nurses recently hired to serve the population at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center will not be in the budget for 2027. Vasquez said he had spoken with Gschwind weekly over the past month and then asked Bozak, who was joining remotely, if he had any questions. 'No, I don't have any questions,' he replied. 'Living the dream.' 'More like living the nightmare,' countered Chief Deputy Auditor Dave Wichlinski. Porter Superior Court Judge Rebecca Buitendorp and the staff of the Juvenile Detention Center, while seemingly under less budgetary stress, said they'll need a $23,000 increase to their general fund budget to pay for state-mandated salary increases and would like an additional $14,000 to replace the 25-year-old furniture that is not only shabby, but light enough for residents to throw around at each other and staff. JDC Director Alison Cox said revenue has been down from fees collected from families whose children are incarcerated. 'We were generating $60,000 to $70,000 a year, but people just aren't able to pay,' she said. 'It's gone down drastically.' The county charges $110 per day for juveniles held in the JDC, which prompted Stone to suggest the same should apply to adults. 'Someone from Chicago who stays for a month should pay, not me,' he said. Rounding out the workshop was news that the county will face its once-per-decade burden of 27 pay periods instead of the normal 26, adding $1.9 million to the budget. Wichlinski said his office is researching the challenge, including how other counties are approaching it. 'Can you give them two weeks off?' Brickner asked. Harris wanted to know how it was approached last decade. Wichlinski said Porter County Auditor Karen Martin and Porter County Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs, R-North, are the only two current government officials who have dealt with the problem before. Finally, the impending ambulance contract renewal with Northwest Health was discussed, particularly the frustration that the contract does not need to be inked until Dec. 31, but the county budget must be submitted to the state by Nov. 3. The current contract runs from Jan. 1, 2022, to the end of the year. The county currently pays $450,000 per year, but Vasquez said he's heard 'something like $2.5 million has been thrown out' as an anticipated figure for a new contract. 'That's the only number that's been thrown out,' added Harris, who serves on the negotiating team for the county. The next budget workshop is Thursday, Aug. 21, at 3:30 p.m. in the basement conference room. Porter County Sheriff Jeff Balon and his staff are invited to discuss their 2026 budget, which he has publicly said in months past needs to include more officers on patrol, raises and a dedicated shooting range.
Indianapolis Star
08-08-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
'Scalpel,' not an 'ax': Why many Indianapolis departments could face budget cuts in 2026
Indianapolis officials are asking department heads — except those who lead public safety agencies — to reduce their annual budgets by about 4% heading into 2026 as the city adjusts to higher labor costs, lower property tax revenue forecasts due to Senate Bill 1 and other state policy changes. Without those proposed cuts, city leaders would be staring down a roughly $43 million budget deficit caused in part by property tax reforms passed by state lawmakers this spring, City Controller Abby Hanson told IndyStar in a recent interview. After Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett made clear that he wanted to present the city's 10th straight balanced budget with no tax increases, Hanson is pushing most departments to cut 4% of their budgets that "we could live without." Officials are also asking the local police, sheriff's and fire departments to limit their budget growth to 2%. "Frankly, the amount of property taxes that I was expecting us to have in 2026, that didn't come to fruition," Hanson said in an exclusive Aug. 6 interview with IndyStar, noting that property taxes accounted for about a third of city revenues in 2025. "That's not the amount of growth that we ended up having." Experts have warned that SB 1, which is forecast to reduce property tax growth by $1.4 billion statewide from 2026 to 2028, would force local governments to tighten their belts and could force hard decisions about whether to cut public services in the coming years. Starting next year, cities will start collecting less money as homeowners earn tax credits that lower their property tax bills by up to $300. A state analysis shows that under the new law, the Indianapolis city-county and Marion County governments will miss out on about $11 million in expected property tax revenue growth in 2026. But Hanson said the actual loss is nearly $18 million after factoring in separate taxing districts that are split up in the analysis, including the police, fire and sanitation. SB 1 was a component of the revenue shortfall, but not the only factor. New multi-year labor contracts that the city signed with public sector unions at the end of 2024, including the Fraternal Order of Police and the Indianapolis Professional Firefighters Union, have significantly increased its expenses. The four-year contract with the FOP includes annual pay raises for officers across the board and boosted the starting salary for an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer to nearly $75,000 in 2025, according to the contract. A patrol officer with three years of service is set to earn nearly $88,000 in 2026. Hanson also said a state change that increased the pension rates paid to firefighters and police officers will cost the city more money. In 2025 the city spent nearly $1 billion, or 60%, of its $1.65 billion budget on public safety and criminal justice services including the Indianapolis police and fire departments, the Marion County sheriff's and prosecutor's offices, and the Marion County courts. Where exactly the 4% reductions show up in city services will become clearer during months of budget negotiations that formally begin at the Aug. 11 City-County Council meeting. Presentations by Hogsett and Hanson that night will kick off weeks of hearings at which each department presents its budget to council committees. Hogsett's Chief of Staff Dan Parker told IndyStar that despite the cuts, no "significant" city programs will disappear next year and new investments will still be announced. The growth of the overall budget is expected to be in line with previous years, too, although city officials would not cite an exact amount. The $1.65 billion 2025 budget was about 6% higher than the 2024 budget. "This wasn't an ax being taken to the budget," Parker said. "It was really more of a scalpel because we empowered the agencies to look at their budgets." The city will also set up a new fund for the Department of Public Works that draws mainly on organic growth in local income tax revenues, with the goal of raising $50 million in new money to spend on roads by 2027, Parker said. Starting that year, the state will offer up to $50 million a year in matching grants to help Indianapolis repair its battered roads. Parker said the new state program will make amends for a road-funding formula that disregards lane and traffic counts, sending the same amount of money to a two-lane road in a rural county and a six-lane road in Indianapolis. If the city earns the full matching grant, Indy would spend $100 million more each year on roads. The city's 2025 budget for roads, bridges and greenways was about $200 million. "The mayor's position was that Marion County residents were overpaying into a state system where they weren't getting their fair share," Parker said. "Well, with this bill we're now eligible to get our fair share, and so we want to make sure this budget lays the foundation to be able to get that $50 million and put even more dollars out into road construction."
The Sun
05-08-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Texas court upholds voter ID law for mail-in ballots amid political tensions
WASHINGTON: A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law requiring voters to provide identification numbers for mail-in ballots, a decision former President Donald Trump praised as a model for nationwide adoption. The ruling intensifies political clashes in Texas, where Republicans are pushing to redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously supported the provision under SB1, a 2021 election law, stating the ID requirement helps verify voter eligibility. Judge James Ho, appointed by Trump, wrote that the rule ensures mail-in voters 'are indeed who they claim to be.' The decision reverses a 2023 block by US District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, who argued ID numbers were unnecessary for determining voter eligibility. Texas Republicans celebrated the ruling, while Democrats and civil rights groups warn it could disenfranchise voters over minor errors. Trump hailed the verdict on Truth Social, calling it 'GREAT NEWS' and suggesting it should apply nationwide. Meanwhile, Texas Democrats face escalating penalties, including fines and arrest warrants, after fleeing the state to block redistricting efforts. - AFP
Chicago Tribune
08-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
West Porter fire protection funding to remain stagnant with new state budget
The West Porter Township Fire Protection District Board was told by its municipal advisor Cender Dalton Monday evening to expect its funding stream to remain stagnant in the wake of passage of Senate Bill 1 this spring. 'I would advise you that revenues would remain stagnant,' said Cender Dalton Senior Associate Daniel Dalton during a brief report. 'There's a lot of moving parts, but this is not a fire and brimstone conversation.' Dalton explained that there isn't a clear answer as to what the impact of SB1 will be on the district until the end of 2028. The supplemental deduction will increase as the standard deduction goes down. Formally being called a new, non-refundable homestead tax credit capped at $300, the tax break will affect the district since most of it is residential property. Board President Craig Klauer said tax revenue remaining stagnant would affect the district 'hugely.' Board Secretary Rob Rabelhofer said one area of concern is the district's aging fleet of equipment. The district has tried to be conservative on replacing items as efforts to form a fire territory complicate issues of investment and ownership. 'My personal thought is we're just trying to maintain our standard of service,' Rabelhofer said. Dalton said the levy growth quotient, which is the maximum levy the district is allowed to ask for from the state, is capped at a 4% increase for 2026, a 1% increase for 2027, and a 2% increase for 2028. Board Treasurer Guy Kosmoski asked if there was talk about how the state would make up the loss of revenue from the tax credits. Rabelhofer said local governments would be left to raise the Local Income Tax (LIT) to fill the shortfall. Some in Porter County government, namely Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs, R-North, are saying that a LIT increase is indeed necessary. 'We're at the mercy of whatever the county gets,' Rabelhofer said. The board plans to address the Porter County Council at its August meeting. In other business, Klauer said Board Attorney Adam Sworden advised the board it was exempt from a new state law requiring live streaming of public meetings as of July 1. Regarding efforts to form a fire protection territory, Rabelhofer said, 'There's no update right now. We're still in talks.' The next board meeting is Monday, Oct. 6.
San Francisco Chronicle
27-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Supreme Court delivers blow to transgender rights in Tennessee ruling
The Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to expel thousands of transgender troops from the U.S. military last month while it considers his request to ban them from service. So it came as no surprise Wednesday when the court upheld a Tennessee law, similar to laws in 26 other states that have restricted gender-affirming care for transgender minors. While the ruling is a major setback for transgender rights, it will not affect states like California that do not have bans on care for minors. The court also said this case raised different issues from those in its landmark ruling in 2020 that declared a federal law banning sex discrimination in employment also barred discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In its 6-3 ruling Wednesday, the court said the Tennessee law does not discriminate based on sex or transgender status because males and females have access to the same types of treatment for other purposes. The court weighed in on the debate over the medical value of gender-affirming care for minors. Some recent studies have not found evidence that the treatments are beneficial. Chief Justice John Roberts said in his ruling that 'the voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound.' But shortly after the ruling, the American Academy of Pediatrics blasted it, saying, 'The Supreme Court's decision today does not change the science. Gender-affirming care remains evidence-based, medically necessary care that improves the health and well-being of transgender youth.' The unsuccessful legal argument against the ban on medical care — that it would violate a transgender youth's constitutional right to equal protection of the laws — is the same argument advocates have used in challenging other parts of Trump's agenda, such as banning transgender military service, cutting off federal funding for research on gender identity, moving transgender women to men's prisons, and refusing to allow people to change gender identification on their passports. The rollbacks are in line with an executive order Trump issued on his first day in office in January, declaring that the U.S. government recognizes 'two sexes, male and female,' as determined at birth. Lower courts have blocked some of those restrictions, but by rejecting the sex-discrimination argument Wednesday, the Supreme Court indicated that it is likely to uphold the president's orders. The ruling could make states like California a haven for transgender youths from other states, a role it has played for women seeking abortions since the court's 2022 ruling overturning the constitutional right to abortion. In response to the ruling, state Attorney General Rob Bonta said, 'In California, we will continue to promote and protect access to health care, not restrict it.' In Wednesday's majority opinion, Roberts said the Tennessee law, Senate Bill 1, is not discriminatory because it treats male and female patients equally. 'SB1 prohibits healthcare providers from administering puberty blockers and hormones to minors for certain medical uses, regardless of a minor's sex,' Roberts said. Because youths of either gender can still receive those treatments for other reasons, he said, the law does not discriminate based on sex. He cited an example raised in the dissent, of a minor girl with unwanted facial hair inconsistent with her sex seeking hormonal therapy to remove it, treatment that is not prohibited by the Tennessee law. And he said the state 'does not exclude any individual from medical treatments on the basis of transgender status but rather removes one set of diagnoses — gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, and gender incongruence — from the range of treatable conditions.' In other words, a law that denies transition care to minors who identify as transgender does not violate the constitutional guarantee of equal protection of the laws, or bans on sex discrimination. 'Tennessee determined that minors lack the maturity to fully understand and appreciate the life-altering consequences of such procedures,' the chief justice said, and 'there is a rational basis' for those conclusions. Justice Neil Gorsuch, the author of the 2020 ruling on employment discrimination, joined Roberts' opinion, along with Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. In a separate opinion, Alito said there was 'no evidence that transgender individuals, like racial minorities and women, have been excluded from participation in the political process.' And Thomas said states 'may legitimately question whether such treatments are ethical' for minors. In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by the court's other Democratic appointees, Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, said the law was clearly discriminatory. 'Male (but not female) adolescents can receive medicines that help them look like boys, and female (but not male) adolescents can receive medicines that help them look like girls,' Sotomayor wrote. 'By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the Court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.' Bonta, whose office filed arguments urging the court to overturn the Tennessee law, condemned the ruling. 'Across the nation, we've seen a rise in hate-fueled violence and intimidation against our LGBTQ+ community, and laws such as Tennessee's Senate Bill 1 only serve to exacerbate these conditions by blatantly discriminating against transgender youth,' California's attorney general said. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, chair of the Legislature's LGBTQ Caucus, said the court 'is giving bigots like Trump a permission slip to make it impossible to be trans.' Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, recalled the court's 2022 ruling overturning its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that declared a constitutional right to abortion, and said the court 'has once again taken a wrecking ball to Americans' rights to make decisions about their own bodies.' But Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, whose office defended the law in court, described the ruling as 'a landmark victory … in defense of America's children.' And Carrie Severino, president of the conservative Judicial Crisis Network, said the court had properly 'refused to engage in judicial second-guessing of democratic decision-making. Thank goodness the old days of judicial self-aggrandizement that defined the Roe v. Wade era are behind us.' The case is U.S. v. Skrmetti, 23-477.
