Government

U.S. Senator Dick Lugar and Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock will face each other just one time before the Primary Election.

The Indiana Debate Commission is working out details of the meeting, such as broadcast time, format, and who will moderate. It’s scheduled for Wednesday, April 11, in the television studios of WFYI in Indianapolis.

Lugar has held the U.S. Senate seat for 35 years. Mourdock has served as Indiana state treasurer since February, 2007.

The debate commission, an Indiana nonprofit group made up of citizens and media, will provide a free live broadcast feed to news organizations interested in carrying the debate.

Two bills making their way through the General Assembly this session would make changes to the state’s inheritance tax, and its elimination may be the ultimate result.

The inheritance tax is levied on people who inherit money or property.  Spouses and charitable organizations are exempt in Indiana.  A Senate bill would lower the inheritance tax by about half as well as expand exemptions.  But a House bill eliminates the tax entirely.  And House Ways and Means chairman Jeff Espich (R-Uniondale) says when the Senate bill comes up in his committee, he wants to amend the bill to include an elimination of the tax.

Tippecanoe County has officially established its own solid waste district.

Commissioners gave final approval today for the creation of the Tippecanoe County Solid Waste District.

The county has contracted with Southside Landfill to handle the job, which includes hazardous waste collection.

But Commission President Tom Murtaugh says the new site won’t be ready to accept hazardous waste until April 1st.

The County severed its relationship with the Wildcat Creek Solid Waste District last month.

Murtaugh says Southside Landfill will provide expanded hours for hazardous waste collection at no additional cost to the taxpayers.

Lafayette area Congressman Todd Rokita cast a “no” vote for the extension of the payroll tax cut. The 4th District Republican was joined by two other House members and Senator Dan Coats.

Rokita opposed the bill because he says it will hurt the country in the long run.

“Today’s vote, on the third anniversary of President Obama’s failed stimulus law, is another vote for more borrowing, more debt and more failed, empty economic stimulus. We have spent the past three years spending money we do not have on stimulus programs that have not worked.  I opposed this bill because it is time to stop borrowing money, especially to fund another short term stimulus plan.”

An Indiana House committee made changes to a Senate bill Thursday dealing with the state’s automatic taxpayer refund trigger. 

The current trigger for an automatic taxpayer refund is 10% of the state budget. That currently equals about $1.4 billion.  The Senate bill raises the trigger after this year to about $2 billion, which is about 15% of the state budget.  House Ways and Means committee chair Jeff Espich (R-Uniondale) says he’s open to the concept of raising the threshold.

“The Senate seems insistent that they want a little greater reserve and it’s hard to say that’s bad policy.  Saving money for the rainy day’s always good.  So I guess I’m willing, if you will, to sort of concede that area.”

A bill in the Indiana Senate would boost compensation to State Fair stage collapse victims and give more money to full-day kindergarten.  The money comes from recently-discovered state revenues.

The bill would distribute $5 million among the victims on top of the $5 million already disbursed through the state’s tort claim fund.  The money would be given to the estates of those who died and fully-reimburse the medical expenses submitted by the other victims.

Brad Humphrey is an 18 year old Indianapolis high schooler who was left paralyzed by injuries suffered in the stage collapse.  He says he’s worried the additional $5 million dollars isn’t big enough to really help all the victims.  His mother Sue says Brad’s costs will continue the rest of his life.

Lafayette leaders will have a great say over two major roads running through the city.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and city's Board of Works have signed an agreement to transfer to the city of Lafayette responsibility for 19.6 miles of U.S. 52 and nearly 7.5 miles of State Road 26 through the city.  In exchange, INDOT has agreed to pay the city $21 million.

INDOT Crawfordsville District Deputy Commissioner Alan Plunkett and Mayor Roswarski began negotiating this transfer two years ago.  This includes cash payments totaling $21 million and up to $2.9 million for a future road work project on U.S. 52.

In just a few weeks, most of the United States will shift back to daylight saving time — and Americans will lose an hour of sleep but gain an extra hour of light in the evening.

That won't be happening in Russia, though, where President Dmitry Medvedev has put the country on permanent summer time.

Medvedev's decree, issued last fall, means that it doesn't get light in Moscow now until around 9 a.m. Back in January, it was dark until 10 in the morning.

This has become an issue in Russia's presidential election next month.

Many people don't like being on summer time during the winter, especially adults who have to deliver their kids to school in the dark.