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Indiana News
- 10/13/08 - Voter Alert: GOP Moving Once Again to Steal the Elections
- 10/09/08 - Progressive States Network Voter Suppression Update
- 09/16/08 - The State of The White River: Cleaner, But Room for Improvement
- 09/16/08 - Eco Groups Divided Over Gasification
- 08/27/08 - Organic Foods Pricier, But Big-Chain Grocers Stocking More
- 08/22/08 - Grassroots Direct Action: San Francisco Voters Nov. 4 Will Tell Their Congress Reps to Defund the War
- 08/21/08 - Eli Lilly's Acquisition of rBGH: OCA Pledges to Pressure the Drug Giant & 'Tarnish Their Image'
- 08/21/08 - More on Elanco Buying Bovine Growth Hormone from Monsanto
- 08/19/08 - Action on Protective Laws for Great Lakes Ever Likelier
- 07/25/08 - Ethanol Production Soars but Opposition Mounts
- 07/24/08 - Has Your Town Declared Peace Yet?
- 07/18/08 - Wal-Mart Promotes Indiana Grown
- 07/17/08 - Closing After 64 Years
- 07/11/08 - Fair Trade Catches on in Muncie
- 06/30/08 - States Taking Initiative on Environmental & Climate Crisis while Feds Do Little or Nothing
- 06/27/08 - Wal-Mart Fires Next Barrage With Suit Against Zionsville
- 06/24/08 - Proposed Ethanol Plant May Make Dioxins
- 06/24/08 - Great Lakes Deal Ready
- 06/24/08 - Zionsville, IN. Wal-Mart Suffers Second Rejection
- 06/11/08 - Move Over MoveOn: Grassroots Netroots Alliance (GNA) Launches New Progressive Campaign to 'Press the Politicians'
- 05/28/08 - Big Win over Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone in Missouri
- 05/20/08 - Zionsville Planners Nix Wal-Mart
- 05/19/08 - Zionsville Wal-Mart Controversy Could be Resolved Monday Night
- 05/16/08 - Indianapolis Neighborhood Fights Toxins
- 05/15/08 - How Obama WON Tuesday, Even Though He Lost WV Primary
- 05/15/08 - Center for American Progress: What Are You Paying for the War?
- 05/13/08 - Purging Plastics
Submit News Stories
We Won! Indiana Fails to Ban rBGH Milk Labels!
The Indiana House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development was trying to ban dairy labels that tell consumers whether the cows were injected with genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (Monsanto's Posilac, also known as rBGH). If Bill 1300 had become law, rBGH dairy labels would have been banned.
Due to overwhelming opposition from consumers and rBGH-free dairies, Rep. Friend passed on the opportunity to hold a House vote on Bill 1300, and now the Indiana legislature is adjourned and HB 1300 is dead.
Learn More about rBGH
Last updated: 3/2108
Indiana's 2008 Legislative Roundup
From Progressive States Network)
In Indiana, the main focus of the session was a debate on a tax plan that limited property bills for homeowners, while shifting many local responsibilities to the state budget.HB 1001 is designed to limit property tax bills for most homeowners to 1% of their home's assessed value, with a 2% limit on rental property and a 3% limit on business property taxes. The sales tax was bumped from 6% to 7% to allow the state to take over many child welfare, school general fund, health care, and police and fire pension obligations.
While education advocates worry the bill will undermine school funding and that the increase in sales taxes will offset any property tax savings for most working families, there were at least a few provisions designed specifically to help lower-income residents:
- Renters would have their income tax deduction increased to $3,000 from the current $2,500.
- Lower-income seniors whose homes are valued at $60,000 or less would see their property bill increases limited to 2% from year to year.
- The state earned income tax credit will increase from 6% to 9%.
A green buildings bill, HB 1280, that would have mandated all renovations, additions and new buildings funded through public works dollars to be certified as Energy Efficient failed and proposed increases in mass transportation investments didn't succeed.
One advantage of the focus on Gov. Daniel's tax plan is that right-wing initiatives got sidelined, including an anti-immigrant bill, school voucher programs, a proposal to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, and a bill to allow pharmacists to deny customers prescriptions to birth control pills that might induce abortions.
Take Action. Support Green Jobs!
The Green Jobs Act of 2007 authorized $125 million per year to create an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program as an amendment to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The Green Jobs Act (GJA) is an initial pilot program to identify needed skills, develop training programs, and train workers for jobs in a range of industries - including energy efficient building, construction and retrofits, renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, biofuels, and manufacturing that produces sustainable products and uses sustainable processes and materials. It targets a broad range of populations for eligibility, but has a special focus on creating "green pathways out of poverty."
Congress has not yet appropriated money for the Green Jobs Act. Please contact your Senator today and urge them to fund the Green Jobs Act of 2007!
Read more at Green for All's web site.
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