Great Lakes Compact bill heads to governor
The Indiana House overwhelmingly approved a Senate bill today that calls on Indiana to join a regional compact intended to prevent water-hungry states from tapping into the Great Lakes’ waters. The bill, which was approved on a vote of 91-8 with no amendments, now goes to Gov. Mitch Daniels, who has 10 days to sign the legislation. Erin Crofton, a resource specialist with the Michigan City-based Save the Dunes Council, said the bill’s passage is a “great accomplishment for Indiana.”
http://www.ibj.com/html/detail_page.asp?content=11169
Annual booze bill toughens liquor laws
The battle over the sale of alcoholic beverages has become an annual event in the Indiana General Assembly. There are wide-ranging issues, including where alcohol can be sold and who is eligible to sell it. The ongoing feud has created double standards across Indiana, leading to a mishmash of laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages. Creating most of the problems was the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission’s interpretation of what constitutes a grocery store. The commission decided that a convenience store or gas station with a convenience store attached fits the definition of a grocery store.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/opinion/789663,edit.article
Indiana Farm Bureau lobbies to delay permanent property tax caps
Farmers support equal tax on all properties
Concerns about permanently establishing property tax caps in Indiana are growing this month, uniting farmers, school officials and mayors in a common cause. On Monday, the Indiana Farm Bureau Property Task Force urged legislators to abandon a constitutional amendment that would permanently establish the caps, at least until the impact on local governments and schools is known, said Paul Wiwi, Union County Farm Bureau president and task force member.
http://www.pal-item.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/NEWS01/802130301/1008
Sam Turpin
