Legislative News

Challenges and Reforms to Hoosiers’ Healthcare at the Statehouse

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

As the clock ticks down on the final days of the 2023 legislative session, conference committees are in full swing.

Statehouse Update: Entering the Home Stretch

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Second Half Committee Deadline Leaves a Lot on the Table

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

We are just under two weeks away from this year’s final committee deadlines.

Statehouse Update: Education Spending and Mental Health Support

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Lawmakers returned to Indianapolis last week after a brief mid-session break.

Statehouse Update: Session Reaches Halftime, Achieves Small Business Tax Savings

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Here’s where we stand on topics of interest for our business leaders at the midpoint.

Statehouse Update: Improving Pre-K Public Funding

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

The House committee report deadline is February 21, and the Senate on February 23.

Legislative Update: 1,162 Bills Filed After Week Two

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Statistically, about a third of the bills will not make it past half-time.

We’re Off! The 2023 Indiana Statehouse Session Begins

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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: 2022 Session Adjourns with Final Tax Deal

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Statehouse Update: A Good Place

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Statehouse Update – Final Committee Action on Key Bills

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

A lot happened last week, including on one of Aspire’s priority topics – transit.

Statehouse Update: Huge Win for Employers

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

There was substantial movement on Aspire priority legislation last week.

Making Affordable Housing Profitable

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Here are updates on Aspire’s top issues along with other bills of interest.

Statehouse Session Week Two: Sales Tax on Services?

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

The Legislature continued its frenzied schedule last week with a wealth of committee hearings.

2022 Indiana General Assembly Session Begins, Governor Announces Priorities

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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.

Indiana Republicans Release Draft District Maps

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Aspire Releases 2021 Indiana Legislative Session Report

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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.

Final Week of the 2021 Statehouse Session

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Statehouse Committee Deadline: Controversial Transit Bill Dies but Language Appears in Amendments

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

This week is the Second and Third reading deadlines in both chambers.

Statehouse Update: Broadband Bills Racing to Finish Line, Constitutional Argument to Court?

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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: Governor Signs First Bill, An Aspire Priority

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Statehouse Update: Indy Business Community Speaks Out

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

As various measures gain traction, more constituents take notice and use their voice.

Statehouse Update: Remote Worker Grants and Rare Moment of Bipartisanship

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

Here are updates on some key issues Aspire has been following.

Aspire Statehouse Returns, Taking Care of Business

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

The 2021 Session Begins

Aspire Announces Legislative Priorities for 2021

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

The countdown to sine die (the end of session) is officially on.

Legislative Update Week 5: Too Fast, Too Furious?

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

It is officially halftime for the 2020 legislative session. What does this mean?

Legislative Update Week 4: : Committee Deadline Week

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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...

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

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

By Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance

It is a short session which means that statutorily the legislature is required to finish their business by no later than March 14.