Economy
Anti-ESG bill clears financial panel with new $5.5 million price tag
A substantially altered bill cracking down on Indiana’s public pensions and external investment managers cleared a key financial panel Tuesday — with a new projected fiscal impact of $5.5 million over the next decade. That’s much less than a previous $6.7 billion estimate, though Democrats still weren’t appeased. House Bill 1008 seeks to block the […]
Across the country, resistance to new renewables is mounting
BUCYRUS, Ohio — In four terms as a county elected official in northern Ohio, it was the most contentious issue Doug Weisenauer had ever seen. The state legislature had newly empowered county governments to drastically restrict wind and solar power development, a process formerly overseen by the Ohio Power Siting Board, and the meetings of […]
Traditional poverty calculation doesn’t capture all of Indiana’s struggling families
A new report finds that poverty, or inadequate income to meet a household’s basic needs, is much higher and more extensive in Indiana than official counts would suggest — particularly among working, single mothers of color. The Overlooked and Undercounted report commissioned by the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute analyzed how wages failed to keep […]
Anti-ESG pension bill’s high price tag prompts concern for governor, top lawmakers
Indiana’s top government leaders said this week they are concerned about the potential multi-billion-dollar impact of a public pension bill intended to crack down on the environmental, social and governmental framework known as ESG investing. And senators are pointing to their less-stringent alternative as House lawmakers scramble to “tighten it up.” “Intent, and where that […]
Indiana’s beleaguered workforce can tap into pool of disabled Hoosiers
It seems you can’t go anywhere these days without seeing a “Help Wanted” sign or being impacted by the lack of staff as you frequent certain businesses. There is a workforce crisis in nearly every area of employment in our state and no swift solution is on the horizon. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development […]
Birth-control and housing bills pass chambers
Welcome to Wednesday’s legislative roundup, with lawmakers approving several key bills Tuesday, from housing and education to contraceptives and taxes. The House kicked it off with a 91-5 vote to advance House Bill 1005, which establishes a revolving loan fund meant to help municipalities cover housing-related development costs. Bill author Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, said […]
Anti-ESG pension bill could drop state pension returns $6.7 billion in next decade
A bill mandating that Indiana’s public pension system divest from firms or funds that use certain non-financial investment criteria — a flashpoint in the state’s culture wars — could slash the system’s returns by nearly $7 billion over the next decade, according to a revised fiscal analysis. Author Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Logansport, and supporters say […]
Bill seeks to encourage employers to hire Hoosiers with disabilities
Four out of every five Hoosiers with disabilities are unemployed, spanning the spectrum of Hoosiers with a physical disability or Hoosiers with a developmental disability. Many want to work and live independently but encounter barriers outside of their control – whether it’s a transportation issue or employer stigma. “A lot of people with disabilities can’t […]
Bill requiring public retirement system to divest from ESG-following firms passes committee
A House committee on Thursday approved a bill requiring the state’s public pension system to divest from and terminate business relationships with firms or funds that use non-financial “ESG” factors in decisions, such boycotting gun manufacturers and fossil fuel companies. The prohibition is part of a GOP effort to crack down on the environmental, social […]
Lawmakers move bill tracking farmland lost — but say it’s not anti-development
Lawmakers on Monday unanimously advanced a proposal tasking the Indiana State Department of Agriculture with creation of an inventory of farmland lost in the last decade — whether to industry, housing, renewable energy or otherwise. Bill author Rep. Kendall Culp, R-Rensselaer, said the detailed data would serve as a foundation for future efforts to preserve […]
House committee passes TANF increase, workforce training program
Indiana ended 2022 with more than 136,000 job openings partly because hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers don’t have the skills needed to join the workforce. According to committee testimony last week, 80% of Hoosiers with disabilities are unemployed along with an estimated 60% of impoverished adult Hoosiers receiving benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy […]
Committee affirms anti-ESG, anti-China pension investing bills
Indiana senators on Wednesday said the state’s pension system should prioritize return on investment in one bill — not environmental and social concerns — even as they advanced another bill requiring the system to divest from China-related investments. Senate Bill 292 would require the Indiana Public Retirement System to make investment decisions for its 500,000 […]