Successes, Northeast Indiana area | Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana

Authored by Rep. Heine includes the language that we needed to make technical changes to the Workforce Attainable Housing Bill (SEA 566) that we passed in 2019. Sen. Holdman Sponsored the bill in the Senate and inserted our language as an amendment. It is currently in a conference committee that included Reps. Thompson and Porter, Sens. Holdman and Melton.

Authored by Sen. Holdman subsequently sponsored by Rep. Timothy Brown, Chair of Ways and Means became a Pilot for Central Indiana. We did all we could to influence its outcome but in the end, settled for having our RDA grandfathered. There is nothing to really aid Northeast Indiana at this time, but nothing hurt us either. Most importantly, it did not include any funding source for RDAs and without a funding source, the bill will have very little impact. We will continue to work to impact the future development of this as an opportunity for the future.

A bill that we were asked by several of our members to discuss. It had provisions that many considered to be harmful to their business venues which are focused upon quality of place assets. We did weigh-in and support their viewpoint and impacted the bill. Ultimately, it was passed from the House Committee but was not heard by the full House.

Increased the aggregate damages cap for a wrongful death action from the current $300,000 to $700,000. We did not oppose raising the damaged but did oppose such a large increase in one action. We prefer that it be raised in increments over a reasonable amount of time and that it be indexed in a manner consistent with an appropriate metric from the DOL or another independent vehicle. The bill did not pass but there is an effort to insert some of the language into another bill during the conference committee process.

Authored by Rep. Dan Leonard and subsequently sponsored by Sens. Holdman and Kruse refers to the Skills Enhancement Fund. It provides that an increase in wages with a participating employee or group of participating employees negotiated by agreement regardless of timing qualifies as an increase of wages for purposes of eligibility for a grant from the Skills Enhancement Fund. Greater Fort Wayne was a Primary Supporter and the Regional Chamber was a contributing supporter.

Right-to-work law which provides that no employer, labor organization or any person may require an individual to become or remain a member of a labor organization, or pay dues, fees or assessments (or charitable donation substitutes) as a condition of employment, new or continued
Early Childhood Development Pilot & Expansion Program

Moves administration of credit from DNR to the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA)
Introduced in HB1215, passed in SEA367

HEA1039 Indiana Grown
Establishes Indiana Grown initiative to market and promote Indiana produced agriculture products
Provides the Department of Agriculture to develop, administer and market

HEA1346 allows for Allen County to have a referendum in 2014 to propose the option to move to a single county executive

INITIATIVES SUPPORTED BY THE REGIONAL CHAMBER THAT POSITIVELY IMPACT NORTHEAST INDIANA

HEA1198 creates a single point of contact for businesses by streamlining state government agencies

HEA1002 provides for the transfer of up to $400 million from the Major Moves 2020 Trust Fund to be used for transportation projects

SEA260 allows local units of government the ability to expend money for the direct support of active military bases

HEA1187 supports future economic development efforts, and ensures a fair process for the resolution of disputes between competing municipal utilities

Removed language from HEA1118 that would have restricted communities from the ability to use TIF funding for IT infrastructure

HEA1003 provides expanded funding to promote internships for high school students
HEA1083 ensures access to $700,000 in minority training funding for all apprenticeship programs

SEA1 reduces the corporate income tax and financial institutions tax rates to 4.9% by 2023, expands abatement schedule and comprehensive study of business tax reform