Aspire 2024 General Assembly Recap: Childcare Seats, Workforce Pipeline …and Happy Hour
After significant discussion that the 2024 General Assembly session was to be a “do nothing / emergency issues only” session, legislators debated and passed major pieces of policy with lots of fireworks until the very end.
Challenges and Reforms to Hoosiers’ Healthcare at the Statehouse
In a recent “State of Healthcare in Johnson County” workshop hosted earlier this month by Aspire, Dr. David Dunkle, President and CEO of Johnson Memorial Health and Vice President of Medical Affairs, raised awareness to the financial and governmental challenges faced by healthcare facilities in Indiana.
Aspire Supports Childcare, Small Business at the Statehouse
The Indiana General Assembly returned to session earlier this month. This body pivots every other year from holding a three-month session to holding a shorter two-month session.
Aspire Announces 2024 Legislative Priorities
Aspire Johnson County, the local economic development organization and chamber of commerce for Johnson County, announces its priorities for the 2024 Indiana General Assembly session: supporting quality early childhood education expansion and supporting creative workforce incentives.
Statehouse Boosts Funding for Community Mental Health Services and Crisis Response
As the 2023 Indiana General Assembly session wrapped up, the state's biennium budget was passed, with an increase in funding dedicated to the expansion of mental health services.
Statehouse Update: Latest Revenue Forecast Good for Budgeting
As the clock ticks down on the final days of the 2023 legislative session, conference committees are in full swing.
Second Half Committee Deadline Leaves a Lot on the Table
The 2023 statehouse session is nearing the end. The Governor has already signed 14 bills into law.
Statehouse Enters Fourth Quarter, Advances Economic Development Priorities
We are just under two weeks away from this year’s final committee deadlines.
Statehouse Update: Education Spending and Mental Health Support
Lawmakers are deep into second half committee work with week 10 of the legislative session now in the books.
Second Half Starts with Workforce and Housing
Lawmakers returned to Indianapolis last week after a brief mid-session break.
Statehouse Update: Session Reaches Halftime, Achieves Small Business Tax Savings
Here’s where we stand on topics of interest for our business leaders at the midpoint.
Statehouse Update: Improving Pre-K Public Funding
Week six is in the books, and many committees have met for the last time until bills cross over after halftime.
Statehouse Report: Work Share Proposal Legislative History
Legislative committee agendas have been packed with proposals as lawmakers race to move large pieces of priority language across the midpoint coming in two weeks.
Statehouse Update: GOP Priorities Move, Small Business Tax Deduction Fast Tracking
We concluded a busy week four at the Statehouse last week where both chambers began to coalesce around caucus priority matters, which coincide with two Aspire priorities.
Statehouse Update: First Big Deadline Ahead
The House committee report deadline is February 21, and the Senate on February 23.
Legislative Update: 1,162 Bills Filed After Week Two
Statistically, about a third of the bills will not make it past half-time.
We’re Off! The 2023 Indiana Statehouse Session Begins
This session, deemed a “long session” due to its four-month timeline, will coalesce around the drafting of the state’s spending plan for the next two years.
Aspire Announces Legislative Priorities for 2023
Aspire Johnson County announces its priorities for the 2023 Indiana General Assembly session: funding for quality early childhood education, policies and incentives for attainable housing, and limited government interference in the free market.
Indiana Legislative Update: Technical Corrections and Veto Override
The independent and nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency (LSA) reviews new laws after the conclusion of each legislative session to ensure there are no drafting errors and that the new laws do not duplicate existing statutes.
Statehouse Update – Final Committee Action on Key Bills
A lot happened last week, including on one of Aspire’s priority topics – transit.
Statehouse Update: Huge Win for Employers
There was substantial movement on Aspire priority legislation last week.
Making Affordable Housing Profitable
As housing inventory lagged demand and home prices soared, many hard-working Hoosiers, such as our teachers, firefighters, and logistics center workers, have been shut out of the housing market.
Halftime at Statehouse – Tax Bills Die, Affordable Housing Makes Cut
Now that the Legislature has reached its official halftime, bills that did not make the trek past its chamber of origin are considered dead.
House and Senate Take Different Approaches to Employer Regulation and Taxation
Here are updates on Aspire’s top issues along with other bills of interest.
Statehouse Session Week Two: Sales Tax on Services?
The Legislature continued its frenzied schedule last week with a wealth of committee hearings.
2022 Indiana General Assembly Session Begins, Governor Announces Priorities
This year is a “short session,” which is statutorily due to end by March 14th. Legislative leaders have indicated they would like to finish sooner.
Township Merger in Johnson County to Improve Services, Save Money
The idea of Hoosier government consolidation has been in focus for over ten years and supported by many organizations, including Aspire. The merger of three Johnson County townships will be the first such merger in Indiana history.
Aspire Releases 2021 Indiana Legislative Session Report
The Indiana General Assembly convened its 2021 session to tackle the large issues facing our State during the COVID-19 pandemic. And so, they did, in an unprecedented fashion.
Statehouse Committee Deadline: Controversial Transit Bill Dies but Language Appears in Amendments
This week is the Second and Third reading deadlines in both chambers.
Statehouse Update: Broadband Bills Racing to Finish Line, Constitutional Argument to Court?
Sine die date subsequently advanced the timetable for bills to make it out of committee to this Thursday.
Statehouse Update: Women’s Suffrage, Funds for Small Business and More
The second half of the legislative session ramped up last week, with committees meeting in full swing and longer daily session calendars.
Statehouse Update: Second Half of Session Begins with 'Normal' Cadence
During the second half of the session, bills that passed out of their originating chamber in the first half are sent to the opposite chamber to start the entire review and debate process over again.
Statehouse Update: Indy Business Community Speaks Out
As various measures gain traction, more constituents take notice and use their voice.
Statehouse Update: Remote Worker Grants and Rare Moment of Bipartisanship
Here are updates on some key issues Aspire has been following.
Aspire Statehouse Returns, Taking Care of Business
Bills to help businesses stay open moved fast, and we are seeing progress on other bills to help address the long-term business environment.
Statehouse Update: Recess, State of the State, and Bad Bill 74
Several of Aspire’s priority issues resumed moving forward this week, notably Employer Liability Protections.
Filing Deadline: They’re All In and We’re Optimistic
The bill filing deadlines have now passed in both the Senate and House. All bill lists are now complete and public.
Democracy is For and By the People, Not Buildings
The 2021 Session Begins
Aspire Announces Legislative Priorities for 2021
Broadband, employer liability, tobacco and work share included on list.
Chambers Across the Midwest and Great Lakes Region Unite in Support of Coordinated Reopening of Economy
Businesses throughout the Midwest and Ohio River Valley are anxious to get back to work while maintaining the wellbeing of our workforce and communities.
Legislative Update Final Week: : Bills that Crossed the Finish Line
Here are session highlights, beginning with an update on House leadership and Aspire’s 2020 session top priorities.
Legislative Update Week 9: Conference Committees and the Wheels on the Bus
The House and Senate are past their bill reading deadlines and our days (and nights) are now spent focusing on concurrence votes and conference committees.
Legislative Update Week 8: Procedural Move Threatens Transit Development
The legislation-making process contains more than a dozen steps before a bill becomes a law. This process is built to foster transparency, due diligence, and dialogue.
Legislative Update Week 7: Distracted Driving, Workforce Bills Moving
Studies have shown distracted driving is the leading cause of traffic accidents and fatalities. The penalty for breaking this law would be a ticket and fine up to $500.
Legislative Update Week 6: Second Half Begins
The countdown to sine die (the end of session) is officially on.
Legislative Update Week 5: Too Fast, Too Furious?
It is officially halftime for the 2020 legislative session. What does this mean?
Legislative Update Week 4: : Committee Deadline Week
Any piece of legislation that hasn’t crossed the desk of its originating Chamber for a second time for potential amendment is considered “dead” for the session.
Legislative Update Week 3: And The First Bill Is...
Priority bills are continuing to make progress in both houses – especially policies related to health care and tobacco.
Legislative Update Week 2: SOTS, Women’s Suffrage Centennial and Bill Movement
Gov. Eric Holcomb announced that Fiat-Chrysler has chosen Indiana for diversification and will invest nearly $400 million in its Kokomo facility.
Legislative Update Week 1: Moved Fast
It is a short session which means that statutorily the legislature is required to finish their business by no later than March 14.