Looks like there was a rehash of a bill that failed last year requiring doctors to tell women that human life begins when the sperm hits the egg. SB 146 got a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, but Sen. Bray, the chairman, delayed a vote.

I have to get going, so I won’t do my own rehashing just yet. But, still, government getting in the business of legislating a scientific fact is reminiscent of the General Assembly’s 19th century attempt at legislating the value of pi.

Ryan Yencer, writing for the Muncie Star Press, has an article on Rep. Dennis Tyler’s proposal to expand gambling. Tyler’s proposal would make pull tabs, punch boards and tip boards legal for establishments licensed to sell alcohol.

Lewis Coulter, a Muncie bar and restaurant owner, said customers always came in and played pull tabs and punch boards until gaming laws changed and excise police cracked down on bars last year.

“If you don’t have something for them to do, they won’t come in,” Coulter said.

Coulter used to run eight bars in Muncie, but now only has two, the Red Dog and End Zone. He admits factory closings and declining population were factors in the reduced number of bars, along with smoking bans and drunken driving enforcement.

Back in the day, it seemed to me that drinking a lot of beer and talking to the people in the bar was activity enough. I guess there was an exception – NTN bar trivia was a big draw for me. Still, the booze was pretty much the draw. I’d feel awfully sad about my situation if I was making a bar my destination because of pulltabs and punch boards.

Eric Bradner of the Evansville Courier and Press has an excellent report on recent property tax action in the General Assembly. Some additional information concerning the property tax aspirations of the minority House Republicans is available from Niki Kelly’s report in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

The basics:
Shifting school operating costs to the state. (SB 1). The Senate couldn’t act on a related matter – funding the shift – because revenue bills have to originate in the House of Representatives. A bill pending in the House includes a sales tax increase from 6% to 7%. (HB 1001).

Eliminating property taxes as a source of revenue to pay for the state forestry fund and the state fair (SB 14) – small potatoes, but helps get the State off the local property tax rolls.

Extending the deadline for filing for homestead exemptions from June 11 to October 1. (SB 15)

House Republicans are pitching a plan to amend the Constitution to prohibit property taxes on homesteads – business and rental property could still be taxed. They also want to amend the Constitution to make State funding of school operating costs permanent.

Overall, the House Republicans listed 10 goals to major property tax change; nearly all are identical to Daniels’ with a few exceptions.

For instance, while the governor wants to impose a cap on local government spending, the House Republicans also think the state should abide by its own spending cap.

Also, under the GOP proposal, all future school construction would be funded through local option income taxes instead of property taxes.

[tags]property taxes[/tags]