BILLS THAT PASSED:
PROPERTY TAXES: \nLawmakers passed a tax plan that would limit property tax bills for most homeowners to 1 percent of their home’s assessed value, with 2 percent limits on rental property and 3 percent caps on business property. The state would take over some local levies, and the sales tax would be raised from 6 percent to 7 percent to help pay for tax relief.
GOVERNMENT STREAMLINING: \nThe property tax plan includes shifting property tax assessment duties from township assessors to the county level in townships with less than 15,000 parcels. In townships with more parcels, voters would decide whether to transfer assessing duties to the county assessor.
EXPANDED GAMBLING: \nAn approved bill would allow bars and taverns to offer pull tabs and other low-stakes gambling. Proponents said the bill would help struggling bars stay in business and generate tax revenue, but opponents say it’s further proof that the state is addicted to gambling.
SHERIFF’S PAY:\nGov. Mitch Daniels has already signed a bill into law that limits sheriff’s pay to no more than what a full-time county prosecutor earns. Current policy allows sheriffs to subsidize their salaries with fees for collecting overdue taxes. The salary limits would apply after the 2010 election.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: \nPeople arrested for domestic violence would have to spend at least eight hours in jail as a cooling off period under the bill. The governor has already signed the bill into law.
\nBILLS THAT FAILED TO PASS:
IMMIGRATION: \nThe General Assembly adjourned Friday without passing a bill that would have cracked down on companies that hire illegal immigrants. Lawmakers could not agree on the details of the proposal, which could have revoked a company’s business license if it knowingly hired illegal workers.
GOVERNMENT STREAMLINING:\nLawmakers adjourned the session without passing a bill that would have allowed counties to elect a single county executive rather than three county commissioners if voters approved the change. The proposal was included in a government streamlining report last year.
VOTE CENTERS:\nLegislators couldn’t reach a compromise on a bill that would have allowed counties to opt for vote centers instead of neighborhood polling places. The House wanted the bill to allow voters to cast absentee ballots by mail without giving an excuse, a provision opposed by the Senate.
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: \nThe Senate approved a resolution seeking to amend Indiana’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage, but the bill died in the House. The issue could come up again next year, but the lengthy process of amending the state’s constitution would start again.
ABORTION:\nThe Senate passed a bill that would have allowed pharmacists to deny customers prescriptions they believe cause abortions, but the legislation died in the House. Opponents said the proposal could have limited women’s access to birth control pills and other contraceptives.
HATE CRIMES:\nA bill that would have created a hate crimes law in Indiana died in the House. The bill would have allowed judges to consider it an aggravating factor if a criminal selected the victim because of reasons such as race, disability, religion or sexual orientation.
STEROID TESTING: \nA bill that would have subjected high school football and baseball players to random steroid testing died in the House. Three other states currently test high school athletes for anabolic steroids.
