The House $1 trillion healthcare takeover passed by a mere two votes last weekend. See which Hoosier Congressman voted for the Pelosi plan.
Instead of making healthcare more affordable, H.R. 3962 imposes more costs through its expensive employer mandates, punitive payroll taxes and a new government-run program.
Local governments are crying foul after seeing large amounts of their budgets disappear in the wake of property tax reform. Supporters of the caps say local governments will finally be forced to live within their means.
The Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute (IFPI) released a report this week titled "Sales Taxation of Services in Indiana." This report lays out the benefits to the state revenue stream if Indiana expands the sales tax to services.
NFIB President Dan Danner and state director Barbara Quandt met with Governor Mitch Daniels to discuss healthcare and other proposals pending before Congress. They both agreed that small business owners and the state of Indiana could be severely impacted by the proposals like cap and trade and card check.
Indiana will still need to borrow from the federal government this year, as unemployment claims have far exceeded the state's projections. The hole in the state's unemployment insurance trust fund is bigger than anyone anticipated.
New legislation gives owners of Hoosier companies the option to opt out of workers' compensation insurance by electing not to be an employee.
NFIB head says president can choose to stand with small businesses who need healthcare reform.
Small business owners who have always found it tough to break away from their businesses are taking the time to let their voices be heard. Why? Because they know that their very livelihoods are at stake.
We have teamed up with Energy Citizens in a rally against passage of cap-and-trade legislation pending before the U.S. Senate.
Last year was one of the most politically charged in recent memory--but it was just the beginning of a heated national debate on the issues that are so vital to the survival of Indiana's small businesses.
So you think the 2010 election is a long way off? It may seem that way, but in the world of politics, November, 2010 is right around the corner. Candidates are emerging and the battle lines are forming.
Join us Thursday, July 30th for this exclusive online event for NFIB members. Interact with SBA experts as they guide you through the process of finding the right financing option for you. Explore how your small business can benefit directly from these new financing programs.
The special budget session of the Indiana General Assembly came to a conclusion without much time to spare. The state would have had to shut down most services on July 1 had the budget bill not passed the House and Senate and been signed by the governor by midnight on June 30.
The General Assembly has until Tuesday, June 30, to pass a budget. There has been much political posturing and chest thumping on both sides, but as we approach the deadline (again!), incredibly, we are no closer to a budget than we were in January…. or April.
When I sat down to write this week’s report on the Special Session of the Indiana General Assembly, the words of that world famous philosopher, Yogi Berra, came to mind. This is like déjà vu all over again.
Will members of the Indiana General Assembly play politics with the special legislative session that begins June 11? Odds are very good that an attempt will be made to score political points during this overtime period. After all, next year is an election year with all members of the House and many state senators up for reelection.
As the curtain fell on the 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly, there was much dismay from all quarters over the results (or lack thereof). While many bills passed through the statehouse and to the governor’s desk; the bottom line was disappointing for just about everyone.
NFIB today urged lawmakers to reject a proposal unveiled this week to fix the shortfall in the state’s unemployment trust fund with a massive tax increase. The proposal would more than triple unemployment taxes on some Indiana businesses, giving Indiana the highest tax on wages in the nation
Deathwatch is the descriptor statehouse veterans use to describe the last twelve days of session. It's the time between the deadline for all bills to pass the second house and the final day of the session on April 29. In the waning days of session, we're keeping an eye on legislators to ensure nothing awful is inserted into bills in the eleventh hour. As we approach the finish line, deathwatch is the period during which conference committees are held--and much mischief can be made.
This is the last week for bills to move out of committee so that they may be voted on by the entire House or Senate. Bills must pass out of committee by this Thursday, Feb. 19, in order to stay alive. Additionally, proposed legislation must pass the first house by next Wednesday, Feb. 25, to be eligible to move on to the second house.
I find it curious that I am writing this report to you on "Groundhog Day" and that the subject matter is reminiscent of the Bill Murray movie with the same name. (On the chance that you didn't see it: Bill Murray's character keeps repeating the same day over and over again.)
You hear about threats to small business nearly every week in this space. But of all the quicksand and landmines that dot the landscape for small business as we begin 2009, the greatest immediate threat to our very existence is card check.
Special NFIB member report on activism in Indiana, February/March 2009 edition.
According to the notice from the House Labor and Employment Committee, the hearing last Thursday was to be "a presentation and discussion of matters involving unemployment insurance and possible solutions to the solvency of the fund."
You'd think that with the U.S. economy reportedly in the dumpers and the unemployment rate going through the roof, the members of the Indiana General Assembly would try to protect the job creators in this state. Wouldn't you?
"Good grief!" Charlie Brown's signature utterance really doesn't come close to characterizing the tumultuous events of the past few months, but it's the only expletive I could think of that might be fit to print. The second half of 2008 has seen more change (now there's a word that's been on everybody's lips!) in a short period of time than any comparable interval in my memory. (We won't be talking about age here. Suffice it to say, there's a few years in the memory bank.)
Special NFIB member report on such small business issues as job creation, activism and Guardians of Small Business, December/January 2009 edition.
Small business owners are an intriguing lot. We're certainly not shy when it comes to starting our own business and taking on enormous risk. We're not shy about promoting our business services or products and networking with potential customers. We're not shy when it comes to stepping out on the road to entrepreneurship; the road that can more easily lead to ruin than it can lead to riches.
The phone is ringing non-stop in the NFIB/Indiana office these days. As you might expect, the subject is the financial crisis. Are these calls coming from our small business owner members?
Special NFIB member report on such small business issues as activism and education, August/September 2008 edition.
Special NFIB member report on such small business issues as activism and the upcoming elections, October/November 2008 edition.
It's really easy to get all caught up in the daily rhetoric during this roller-coaster of a political season. If a candidate cites facts and figures and we read it in the paper, they must be telling the truth. Right? Certainly they wouldn't make claims that are misleading at best and patently false at worst, would they?
Your legislators' voting record on small business issues, 2008 edition.
The Indiana Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund is going broke and will most likely run out of money during the first quarter of 2009.Of course, this is not news to NFIB members. There have been whispers in and around the Statehouse for months about the trust fund and its dire straights. The state has now confirmed that legislation will be needed to correct the insolvency.
The political action committee of the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation's leading small business association, has announced its endorsement of candidates in Indiana for reelection to the U.S. Congress. NFIB supports candidates who have pro-small business voting records and are strong advocates for small business owners.
"Barb, is this for real?" was the voice on the phone. "Has NFIB really joined with the AARP and a labor union?"The caller was the second Hoosier legislator to call me in a week to ask about NFIB's participation in Divided We Fail, the national coalition urging healthcare reform. I'm sure you've seen the ads on TV that call for a bipartisan approach featuring a character with an elephant on one end and a donkey kicking up its heels on the other.
The NFIB/Indiana phones began ringing off the wall in the last few weeks with calls from many of our dentist members. It seems that Delta Dental, the largest dental insurer in Indiana, has recently come out of the dugout swinging, and NFIB members are involved in a squeeze play.
In the midst of all the gloom and doom in the national media came an enormous boost to the State of Indiana and some significant recognition for the Daniels administration. The state was upgraded this week by Standard and Poor's Ratings Service (S&P) from AA+ to AAA.
See All
