Second Day Story
Okay, here’s the follow up to yesterday.
Contrary to popular opinion, Indiana lawmakers are not stupid and see the handwriting on the wall when it comes to property tax caps by overwhelmingly voting them out of committee. In addition, the committee also overwhelmingly voted to cap tax bills to the previous year, plus the consumer price index. That bill will likely get heavily amended on the full floor, but it looks like a race to provide Hoosiers with the most relief and local governments are going to feel it.
Lawmakers also voted out of the Ways and Means Committee to halt any further privatization of FSSA intake. The measure won’t go anywhere and I doubt it will be a major campaign issue. After all, while most people may feel sorry for the poor, they have enough problems of their own.
The City-County Council is choosing new leadership. Council Republicans picked Ryan Vaughn as their nominee (insert Barnes and Thornburg conspiracy here) for President and Marilyn Pfisterer for Vice-President. The full Council will vote on the nominees in January. Mike McQuillan was voted Majority Leader and Susie Day was voted Majority Whip. And in case you were wondering, Vaughn will not sit on the Capitol Improvement Board, McQuillan will likely be the appointment. And the proposed smoking ban is being indefinitely postponed because there is no room for anyone to compromise.
And Former Mayor Bart Peterson did quietly endorse Melina Kennedy for Mayor. One Democratic Party insider told me “It’s like the Joe Kernan endorsement of Jim Schellinger. Some people will care and it’s a definite plus, but at the end of the day, he lost.” Potential challenger Jose Evans was more direct. “That won’t deter me from moving forward. Last I remember, Bart lost in ’07.”
