Half a billion dollars in Opportunity Scholarship funding approved by Senate

Posted on by Matthew Sasser

Most of the Senate debate Monday revolved around the conference report for House Bill 10, a series of spending items added to a bill requiring the state’s sheriffs to comply with federal detainer warrants from immigration officials. 

The most discussed of the spending measures was the $463.5 million in increased funding for private school vouchers. The money would clear the Opportunity Scholarship waitlist for the current school year and be retroactive, making families eligible for tuition reimbursement from schools.

“I hope we can reconsider our priorities because one of the things that happens in these local communities when voucher funds are draining public funds from local schools is you’re going to see job losses in local school systems,” Sen. Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake, said about the voucher program. 

“When I think about these taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, I think the majority of taxpayers know that we are looking at fool’s gold,” Sen. Graig Meyer, D-Orange, said. “I understand every parent’s desire to make sure that their child is well educated. I cannot understand how we, as a body, would sanction taxpayer-funded spending on private schools that have almost no standards to ensure that children actually receive the education we know they deserve.”

On the Senate floor, Sen. Michael Garrett, D-Guilford, called the Opportunity Scholarship proposal a “betrayal of our state’s core values, one that threatens the very foundation of our public education system, and the principles of equality and opportunity that I know we all hold dear.”

Senate leader Phil Berger characterized concerns from Democrats as more of the same. 

“We’ve heard those concerns,” he said after the session. “I would just say that the emphasis that we have placed on opportunity scholarships is in giving parents more of a say in their child’s education. And every bill that we’ve had that addresses those kinds of issues, the Democrats have been opposed to. Whether it was a Parents Bill of Rights, whether it’s Opportunity Scholarships, they seem to be more inclined to be supportive of bureaucracies, as opposed to parents and students.”

In a news release, Sen. Michael Lee, R-New Hanover, said that as school choice is expanded, North Carolina will have an educational landscape that provides a high-quality option for those who choose private, traditional, charter or home schooling. 

HB 10 also allocates $377 million to cover a Medicaid rebase to account for projected changes in enrollment, $95 million to the Department of Public Instruction to fund growing public school units, $64 million to the Community College System general fund for enrollment adjustment and $24.7 million to the State Education Assistance Authority to clear a waiting list for the Children with Disabilities Program.

Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, said the conference report also permits the authorization of a broadband funding expansion to make the state eligible to receive $1.5 billion in federal dollars. 

The Senate approved HB 10 on Monday along party lines, with 27 Republicans voting yes and 17 Democrats voting no. The House is expected to take up a vote on Wednesday.

For questions or comments, or to pass along story ideas, please write to Matthew Sasser at [email protected] or contact the NC Insider at [email protected] or @StateAffairsNC 

Committee sends appointment of child advocate to full Senate

Posted on by Brett Stover

The Confirmation Oversight Committee advanced Kerrie Lonard’s appointment Monday, sending the state’s first child advocate to the Senate next session.

Senate Bill 115, passed by the Legislature last session, established the Office of the Child Advocate, an independent agency designed to help children and families “receive adequate coordination of child welfare services for child protection and care.”

Lonard previously led the Division of the Child Advocate, which Gov. Laura Kelly established in a 2021 executive order, since December of that year. SB 115 codified the position, and the governor appointed Lonard to continue in the new role.

Leading the new agency during the transition period provides a unique opportunity, Lonard said. In response to a question from Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, Lonard said that “when necessary, I will push back” against the governor and administration that elevated her to the position. 

Although SB 115 calls for a five-year term, Sen. Larry Alley, R-Winfield, said the Legislature will revise the statute in 2025. If that revision passes, and if she’s confirmed by the full Senate, Lonard’s term would expire June 30, 2028.

Before joining the child advocate office, Lonard worked as an attorney with Kansas Legal Services. She has experience representing children and parents in “child in need of care” proceedings and was a social worker before attending law school at Washburn University.

“My devotion to child welfare has been long-standing, as my career path has shown,” Lonard said.

The committee approved several other appointments and reappointments, including Paul Schneider as Brigadier General of the Kansas National Guard.

Col. Schneider previously served as director of the state guard’s joint staff. He first joined the military in 1987. His service includes participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004-2005 and Operation Spartan Shield, a U.S. Central Central Command operation, in 2021, and has earned a long list of awards including the Bronze Star.

Wildlife and Parks secretary decision postponed

One appointee wasn’t approved Monday: Acting Wildlife and Parks Secretary Chris Kennedy.

Kennedy, who started in the role March 18 after the retirement of former Secretary Brad Loveless, will answer more questions at a virtual meeting in the next 10 days, Alley said. After the meeting, the committee chair said interested parties didn’t realize until late in the process that Kennedy’s confirmation hearing was on the docket.

“It’s just like everything else that happens: all of a sudden, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re having a confirmation hearing today, I got to send in questions,’” Alley said, and committee members didn’t have a chance to fully review those questions.

Born in Missouri, Kennedy worked for that state’s conservation agency for nearly three decades before Kelly appointed him to lead Kansas’ department earlier this year. He faced a question from Sen. Rick Wilborn, R-McPherson, about his most recent role in Missouri as Assistant to the Director for Inclusion and Diversity.

Kennedy said his job in that role was to ensure internal collaboration at the Missouri Department of Conservation and to prepare agency staff “to go out and reach anybody within the state, no matter their color, no matter their creed, how they identify.”

“In my eyes, it really doesn’t matter,” he continued. “We’ve got to, as responsible advocates for fish and wildlife, we’ve got to be prepared to reach across the board to all of our citizens.”

Kennedy answered other questions about his views on various issues the department handles, including feral hogs, the deer population and a proposed regulation on fire extinguishers for boats — a new rule some lawmakers felt ran afoul of House Bill 2648.

After Alley announced the committee wouldn’t vote Monday, Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, said she felt ready to advance Kennedy’s nomination without an additional meeting.

Kennedy told State Affairs he wished the process could’ve been completed but said he’s not concerned about the delay.

“I think everybody has to do due diligence in their job, and I think the committee is — hopefully — that’s what they’re doing,” he said. “I’m prepared to be transparent and answer any questions that they may have.”

Brett Stover is a Statehouse reporter at State Affairs Pro Kansas/Hawver’s Capitol Report. Reach him at [email protected] or on X @BrettStoverKS.

Legislative Coordinating Council greenlights wage increases for temporary staffers

Posted on by Matt Resnick

The Legislative Coordinating Council on Monday approved a pay scale and wage policy for temporary staffers employed during the 2025 legislative session.   

The newly minted pay schedule resembles the roughly 5% pay hike state employees received in July. In contrast, legislators secured a 93% pay boost — including salary and per diem— with the average legislative salary skyrocketing to approximately $58,000 from $30,000 annually.

The increase for legislative office staffers moved up to $17 from $16 hourly — $1,360 on a biweekly basis. Additionally, retention payments of $250 for office assistants will continue for another session.  

Wages for committee assistants, whose assignments are determined by Legislative Administrative Services, vary depending on the committee designation:

  • Committees in Range 26 (of 28 on the state’s salary matrix) are Senate: Assessment and taxation, Federal and State Affairs, Judiciary and Ways and Means. House: Appropriations, Federal and State Affairs, Judiciary, and Taxation. 

The pay rate for Range 26 is $25.40 hourly up from $23.90  or $2,032 biweekly. The council approved House Minority Leader Vic Miller’s motion to move the Senate Federal and State Affairs and House Judiciary committees from Range 25 to 26. 

  • Committees in Range 25 on the salary schedule are: Senate: Commerce, Education, Financial Institutions and insurance, and Public Health and Welfare. House: Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, Corrections Juvenile Justice, Education, Financial Institutions, Health and Human Services, Insurance, and Transportation. 

The pay-rate for Range 25 is $24.20 hourly, up from $22.75 — or 1,936 biweekly. 

  • Committees in Range 24 on the salary schedule are Senate: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Confirmation Oversight, Local Government, Transparency and Ethics, Utilities. House: Agriculture and Natural Resources,  Child Welfare and Foster Care, Elections, Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications, K-12 Education Budget, Legislative Modernization, Local Government, Veterans and Military, Water, and Welfare Reform. 

The pay-rate for Range 24 is $22.95 hourly, up from $21.60 — or $1,836 biweekly. 

  • Committees in Range 20 on the salary schedule are House: Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget, General Government Budget, Higher Education Budget, Social Services Budget, Transportation and Public Safety Budget.

The pay-rate for Range 20 is $18.75 hourly, up from $17.65, or $1,500 biweekly.

Matt Resnick is a statehouse reporter at State Affairs Pro Kansas/Hawver’s Capitol Report. Reach him at [email protected]

NC Senate overrides five vetoes

Posted on by Clifton Dowell

The Senate made quick work on Monday of a series of bills passed earlier but that were vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper. But not necessarily because a practiced hand was wielding the gavel.

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson made a rare appearance to preside over the chamber. At one point Robinson acknowledged he had skipped an item by mistake; he apologized to colleagues. “Sorry, guys, I’m a little rusty,” he said. 

Robinson, who is the Republican candidate for governor, appeared at the General Assembly rarely over the last year. Starting several weeks ago, however, he began what his campaign describes as a “barnstorm” of the state, drastically increasing the number of his public appearances and dropping in on diners and restaurants across the state. 

Five bills were added to the calendar, and the vetoes of all five were overridden by votes of 27-17. Only one of the bills drew comment from the Democratic side. 

Sen. Natasha R. Marcus, D-Mecklenburg, said she opposed Senate Bill 166 — 2024 Building Code Regulatory Reform — for the same reasons outlined in Cooper’s veto message. 

Cooper wrote that the bill limits options for energy efficiency and electric vehicles and prevents the state from adopting innovations in building construction. 

Marcus said experts in the field of construction are also worried about provisions in the bill. “Affordable housing is something we’re all concerned about, but housing is not affordable or good if it is not safe and not energy efficient,” Marcus said. 

Vetoes were also overridden on:  

SB 166 and SB 445 next go to the House, while HB 155, 556 and 690 — which had House overrides earlier — became law Monday with Monday’s Senate action.

For questions or comments, or to pass along story ideas, please write to Clifton Dowell at [email protected] or @StateAffairsNC on X.

Tax study: Indiana’s low business taxes balanced by income, sales taxes

Posted on by Jarred Meeks

A new tax study found Indiana is able to maintain lower business taxes by relying more on individual income and sales taxes than comparable states.

The first phase of the study, conducted by Ernst & Young LLP for the Indiana Chamber Foundation, was released Monday. It comes as state lawmakers consider significant changes to Indiana’s state and local tax systems.

Individual income taxes, sales taxes and property taxes make up 31%, 27% and 23% of Indiana’s total tax revenue, respectively, according to the study. Corporate income taxes in Indiana contribute 4%, below the 6% national average.

The study found more than 72% of Indiana’s state tax revenue comes from individual income and sales taxes. At the local level, nearly all tax revenues — more than 96% — come from property and local individual income taxes.

Yet Hoosiers had a lower overall tax burden compared to the national average, the study said.

Indiana businesses paid about 38% of Indiana’s taxes, the third lowest share among peer states analyzed in the study, which included neighboring states as well as Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

And while Indiana businesses paid a higher share of property taxes compared to the other states analyzed in the study, Hoosier businesses’ share of excise, licenses, sales, individual income and other taxes were lower than the national average.

Indiana’s total effective business tax rate — a measure of total state and local taxes paid by business as a share of gross state product — is 3.8%, according to the study, which noted it was “well below” the U.S. state average of 5% and fifth lowest of the peer states analyzed.

“Our state’s tax climate is the result of sustained efforts over decades to build a strong, business-friendly environment,” Vanessa Green Sinders, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release. “Indiana is well positioned among our peers to attract capital investment and support long-term economic growth.”

From 2012 to 2021, Indiana lowered its corporate income tax rate several times. The state now imposes a 4.9% flat rate tax on each corporation’s adjusted gross income, down from 8% in 2012.

“Indiana is middle of the pack in share of state tax revenue from corporate income tax and has little state property tax,” the study said.

The study found Indiana relies on property taxes less than the U.S. average at the local level, largely because of its “sizable” local income tax collections. However, gubernatorial candidates eyeing an election win and state lawmakers looking ahead to the 2025 budget session have shown an interest in providing further property tax relief for Hoosiers.

In 2022, state lawmakers also began phasing in reductions to Indiana’s individual income tax rate and sped up the cuts the following year. They aim to lower the rate to 2.9% in 2027. Meanwhile, Indiana’s 3.05% rate this year was the lowest flat tax rate of the peer states analyzed in the study.

During the election primaries, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, a Republican, suggested fully phasing out Indiana’s individual income tax, a policy proposal that proved controversial because of its estimated $8 billion cost to the state.

Indiana’s sales tax rate has remained at 7% since 2008 and generates nearly half of the state’s General Fund revenue, according to the study.

The second phase of the study intends to explore opportunities for tax reform and provide recommendations.

Contact Jarred Meeks on X @jarredsmeeks or email him at [email protected].

Mental Health Division’s director leaving after 5 years

Posted on by Tom Davies

Jay Chaudhary will be stepping down next month as director of the state’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction, the Family and Social Services Administration announced Monday.

Chaudhary has been the division’s director since September 2019 and also served as chair of the Behavioral Health Commission since 2022. His last day leading the department will be Oct. 11.

Becky Buhner, the division’s deputy director and chief of staff, will become interim director with support from FSSA Secretary Daniel Rusyniak and FSSA chief of staff Kim Opsahl.

Chaudhary did not announce his future plans. His departure comes as several other officials from Gov. Eric Holcomb’s administration have left for new jobs during the final months of his time as governor.

“It has been an extraordinary privilege to work with an incredibly talented team and alongside committed community partners to build the behavioral health system Hoosiers deserve,” Chaudhary said in a statement. “I’m proud of what we have accomplished, and I am excited to see what comes next.”

Chaudhary previously was managing attorney and director of medical legal partnerships for Indiana Legal Services. 

His work at the Division of Mental Health and Addiction included the creation of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline phone service and mobile crisis teams that launched in 2022.

Agency officials said last week that Indiana’s five 988 Response Centers received more than 7,700 calls during July, up from 3,700 during the same month two years ago. 

Tom Davies is a Statehouse reporter for State Affairs Pro Indiana. Reach him at [email protected] or on X at @TomDaviesIND.

Former Sen. Earline Rogers’ legacy praised

Posted on by Tom Davies

State leaders and legislative colleagues praised the career of former state Sen. Earline Rogers, who died last week at the age of 89.

Rogers represented Gary and surrounding communities in the Indiana Legislature for 34 years, first in the House from 1982-90 and then in the Senate from 1990 until her retirement after the 2016 session.

Rogers was a longtime leader in the push for casino gambling in the state as she sought the opening of a casino in Gary to help spark redevelopment in the city. Indiana’s first riverboat casino opened in 1995, with two casino boats in Gary starting operations in 1996.

She also was a teacher for 38 years in the Gary public school system and a top Senate Democrat on education issues throughout her tenure. She also was a member of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus.

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said Rogers “devoted her life to serving the citizens of Gary.”

“She was an inspiring leader and mentor with a legacy of remarkable legislative achievements,” Melton said. “It was a privilege to succeed her in 2016 as an Indiana state senator. As the Mayor of Gary, I strive to honor her memory of service and dedication.”

Rogers died Thursday, her family told the Post Tribune. She was married for 65 years to Chuck Rogers, a Gary Fire Department battalion chief who died in 2020. They had two children, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Former Gov. Mitch Daniels called Rogers “one of the finest public servants I’ve ever had the privilege to know.”

“A committed leader of her party, she was nonetheless always willing to listen and work across party lines when the interests of her district or all of Indiana were at stake,” Daniels said in a statement, pointing out that Rogers was among one of the two Senate Democrats to support his 2006 plan to award a 75-year lease of the Indiana Toll Road to a private operator for $3.8 billion.

“Earline loved the extra strong coffee I asked our office to brew, and stopped in almost every day for a cup or two,” Daniels said. “I will always treasure the memory of our friendship and the changes she helped us bring to the state we both loved so much.”

Rogers was awarded an honorary degree at Indiana University Northwest’s 2017 commencement ceremony. The university noted her work pushing school legislation for anti-bullying measures, transportation safety and the prevention of dating violence.

Former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg called Rogers a “legislator’s legislator.”

“Unbelievable hard worker. She fought for NW Ind like nobody else,” Gregg wrote on his X account. “She was well respected & her impact will live on for generations.”

Tom Davies is a Statehouse reporter for State Affairs Pro Indiana. Reach him at [email protected] or on X at @TomDaviesIND.

Tennessee Chamber of Commerce president abruptly resigns

Posted on by Erik Schelzig

Bradley Jackson has abruptly resigned after more than eight years as president and CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Board Chair Andrew Tavi said in an email to members that Jackson had stepped down with immediate effect for personal reasons. 

“We greatly appreciate Bradley’s efforts and years of service on behalf of the Chamber,” said Tavi, the vice president for sustainability and corporate and external affairs for Nissan Americas. “The Board of Directors will work quickly but thoroughly to find the very best person to lead the organization in the future.”

The Chamber was most recently at the center of negotiations over Gov. Bill Lee’s move to cut $1.9 bill in franchise taxes. The law enacted in May created a $1.55 billion pool to repay taxes paid by businesses over the last three years and set aside $405 million per year going forward to eliminate a property tax element that state officials feared could result in adverse court decisions.

Jackson joined the chamber’s lobbying team after stints as a legislative liaison in Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen’s administration and as a researcher for the state House and Senate finance committees. When Catherine Glover retired as president in the spring of 2016, Jackson was named as her interim successor. Chamber officials at the time declined to open a search to other potential candidates and made Jackson’s move permanent by the end of the year.

Glover, who earlier headed local chambers in Maine, New York, and Georgia, took over leadership of the Chamber after Deb Woolley was forced out in 2012 after a nine-year stint. Woolley had succeeded Dave Goetz, who left the job to become Bredesen’s commissioner of finance and administration.

Gov. Bill Lee speaks to attendees at a Tennessee Chamber of Commerce meeting in Nashville as Bradley Jackson, the association’s president and CEO, looks on. (Credit: Tennessee Chamber)

The Tennessee Chamber PAC has given more than $385,000 to state candidates under Jackson’s leadership since 2016, 96% of which has gone to Republicans. Here are the top recipients over that timeframe (totals include both personal campaigns and PACs):

  • Republican Gov. Bill Lee: $34,800
  • House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville: $34,500
  • Senate Speaker Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge: $33,000
  • Senate Finance Chair Bo Watson, R-Hixson: $19,000
  • House Majority Leader William Lamberth: $15,500
  • Senate Republican Caucus: $17,500
  • House Business Subcommittee Chair Clark Boyd, R-Lebanon: $10,750
  • Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin: $10,500
  • House Commerce Chair Kevin Vaughan, R-Collierville: $10,250
  • Senate Education Chair Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol: $8,500
  • House Finance Chair Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain: $7,500

The Chamber dates its founding back to 1912, when industrialists from around the state made whistlestop train tours converging in Nashville to form an organization to fight what they called “unfair taxes.”

Kansas Daily News Wire September 9, 2024

Posted on by State Affairs

Welcome to the Kansas Daily News Wire, your daily roundup of top state and political stories from newsrooms across Kansas. — Hawver’s Capitol Report/State Affairs

STATE

Blast of nostalgia: Docking Building on track for 2025 completion: The once-hallowed halls of the Docking State Office Building have been gutted, but some of the building’s decades-old nostalgia will make a triumphant return next summer. (Resnick, State Affairs)

Democrat Sharice Davids wins Kansas Farm Bureau PAC endorsement, a first for KC-area rep: Rep. Sharice Davids has won the endorsement of the Kansas Farm Bureau’s political arm, with the state’s most influential agricultural group coming to view the Kansas City-area Democrat as a reliable ally as Congress struggles to pass a farm bill. (The Kansas City Star)

Mixed bag: Ethics commission gets good, bad news in court on GOP donation investigation: The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission got a win in court Friday after a ruling declared it can continue with its subpoenas on two county Republican leaders. (Richardson, State Affairs)

KHP arrests person at Kansas State Fair for allegedly brandishing gun: One person was arrested at the Kansas State Fair on Friday for allegedly brandishing a gun, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. (KSN)

How could the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Chevron affect states?: The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Chevron, the cornerstone of modern administrative law, threw much of the country’s regulatory environment up in the air.  (Stover, State Affairs)

LOCAL

K-10 interchange at 6th Street in west Lawrence to open: The new diverging diamond interchange at Kansas Highway 10 and West Sixth Street is set to open Monday, conditions permitting. (The Lawrence Times)

‘Incredible … son, brother and friend’: Fundraiser for Kansas lineman killed in workplace accident: A fundraiser has been set up to help the family of a 20-year-old Wellington lineman who died Wednesday in a workplace accident. (The Wichita Eagle) 

Johnson County Paralympian brings medal back to Kansas City: Brad Hudspeth, a Johnson County Kansas, Paralympian, brought home a silver medal from the 2024 Paralympic Games. (KSHB)

Man wakes from dream ‘disoriented,’ fires gun in Manhattan, police say: Riley County police were investigating a report of a gun being fired after a man woke up “disoriented” from a dream, officials said. (WIBW)

Howey Daily Wire Sept. 9, 2024

Posted on by Howey Politics Indiana

Good morning!

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun said it “remains to be seen” whether he will release more policy details before the November election. And Indiana health officials touted the success of the state’s suicide and crisis lifeline, answering more than 7,700 calls in July alone. More news below. — Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs

Braun noncommittal on more policy details: Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun suggested he would be more of an active participant with lawmakers. “You’ve still got to make sure that it’s going to pass a legislature.” (Davies, State Affairs)

Health officials dub Indiana’s 988 suicide and crisis line a success 2 years in: Because of Indiana’s free, confidential 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, more Hoosiers are receiving help during suicide, mental health and substance use crises, health officials said. (Meeks, State Affairs)

STATE

Holcomb’s press secretary leaving in latest administration turnover: Gov. Eric Holcomb’s press secretary, Erin Murphy, is joining the exodus from the administration amid the governor’s final months in office. (Davies, State Affairs)

Indiana awards schools nearly $5M in excellence grants: The Indiana Department of Education awarded nearly $5 million to 25 school corporations throughout the state at the third annual Indiana Educational Excellence Awards Gala. (Adair, Lakeshore Public Media)

Lawyers for East Chicago residents say state isn’t doing enough to enforce environmental laws: Attorneys representing the East Chicago Calumet Coalition–Community Advisory Group said the state isn’t doing enough to enforce environmental laws and keep residents safe, expressing concern about operations at the Tradebe Treatment and Recycling, LLC. (Thiele, Lakeshore Public Media)

4 Hoosier hydroelectric projects to receive nearly $19M in federal incentive payments: Four hydroelectric projects in Indiana will receive about $19 million in federal incentive payments, including facilities in Elkhart and Mishawaka and two in Monticello. (Brown, Inside Indiana Business)

Enrollment up at IU campuses; Bloomington sets record for overall enrollment: Enrollment is up at Indiana University campuses across the state, with 24,489 new undergraduate and graduate students this fall, and IU-Bloomington setting a record with 48,424 students enrolled, according to a news release. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

LOCAL

Warrick County commissioners move to dismiss criminal cases: Warrick County’s three commissioners petitioned a judge to remove the special prosecutor overseeing their ongoing criminal cases and to dismiss the charges they have faced since February, arguing the special prosecutor had overstepped her legal authority by charging them in the first place. (Harwood, Courier & Press)

Elkhart County residents oppose data center in Bristol: Project overseers from Province Group spent nearly three hours at a packed house at Bristol Town Council defending their position to dozens of community members who brought forward their concerns. (Messick, Goshen News)

Mammoth Solar touts economic payments to Pulaski County: Just months after its massive $475 million Mammoth Solar field came online, the company predicts economic development payments to Pulaski County will total about $375,000 this year. (Mazurek, Inside Indiana Business)

Child welfare cases soar in Bartholomew County: Bartholomew County and state records show an increase in criminal cases of child abuse and neglect — as well as a surge in child welfare cases — filed in county courts this year. (East, The Republic)

Department heads push back as Johnson County Council draws line on raises: Despite pushback from department heads and elected officials, the Johnson County Council held firm to its guideline of 5% raises for employees. (Maudlin, Daily Journal)

Crown Point eyes raises for city employees in 2025: The City of Crown Point’s $52.6 million budget includes 3% raises for elected officials and employees, while police and fire/rescue personnel can expect 6% raises. (Masters, Post-Tribune)

Marion County Sheriff seeks 8% increase in funding: The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is seeking an additional $11 million for its 2025 budget –– a more than 8% increase from the previous year. (Anderson, WFYI-FM)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Key lawmakers say Rising Sun casino’s proposed move is worth consideration: Lawmakers pivotal to Rising Star Casino Resort’s license relocation bid say the move is worth a look. (Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Hogsett prepares to again seek changes to state road-funding formula: Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration will again ask the Legislature to change the state’s road-funding formula so it stops favoring rural areas over Indianapolis and other densely populated cities. (Wooten, IBJ)

CONGRESS

GOP, Democrats release separate reports on Afghanistan withdrawal: After Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans released a report criticizing President Biden for the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, House Democrats accused Republicans of criticizing the withdrawal for political purposes. (Fox)

Government shutdown looms as Congress faces funding fight: Congress is staring down a time crunch to avert a shutdown, with both parties digging in their heels and some Republicans expressing skepticism about their own party’s plans less than a month before government funding is set to run out. (The Hill)

Congressional schedule: The House will meet at noon. Legislative business begins at 2 p.m. with multiple proposals to be considered. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. The Senate will convene at 3 p.m. to resume consideration of the nomination of Adam B. Abelson to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland.

CAMPAIGNS

Thursday: 5th CD forum in Anderson — The League of Women Voters will host a 5th Congressional District forum to include Victoria Spartz, the Republican incumbent, and challengers Deborah A Pickett, the Democratic nominee, and Robby Slaughter, an independent candidate. The free event begins at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of Anderson High School, 4610 S. Madison Ave. (Star Press)

Houchin campaigns at Casey’s in Seymour: U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., visited the Casey’s in Seymour during an 18-county tour, focusing on inflation, overregulation and the farm bill. (Smith, The Tribune)

Camp, Goodin headline Fulton County Democratic JFK Dinner: Lieutenant governor nominee Terry Goodin and 2nd Congressional District nominee Lori Camp headlined the Fulton County Democratic Party’s annual JFK dinner at the Geneva Center outside Rochester. (Sander, InkFreeNews)

6 House races tilt in Dems’ favor as GOP fights to keep its razor-thin majority: Six House races have shifted in Democrats’ favor, while just two are looking better for Republicans, according to a nonpartisan analysis by the Cook Political Report. (Fox)

Catholic League president says Democratic Party pushes ‘anti-Chritian’ policies: The Democratic Party is pushing away the religious vote with “anti-Christian” policies as former President Donald Trump works to court Catholics and other Christians, Catholic League President Bill Donohue said. (Fox)

PRESIDENTIAL 2024

Tomorrow: Harris and Trump face major challenges, risks on debate stage: Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will need to navigate the debate of their political lives on Tuesday as each tries to persuade millions of voters that they’re the one best suited to be president. (ABC)

NATION

Pence teaches first class at Grove City College in Pennsylvania: Former Vice President Mike Pence is teaching political science at Grove City College in Mercer County, Penn. (Martin, Erie Times-News)

USDA: Net farm income projected to drop 7% this year — Farmers will see a 7% drop in net incomes this year compared to last year — and a 23% drop compared to two years ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest Net Farm Income Report. (Halvorson, Hoosier Ag Today)

White House schedule: President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will depart Wilmington, Del., and return to the White House in the early afternoon. In the evening, the president will deliver remarks to celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act and to mark Disability Pride Month. Vice President Kamala Harris is in Pittsburgh where she will receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff. She will travel to Philadelphia in the afternoon.

SUNDAY TALK

Haley says Vance’s comments on childless women ‘not helpful’: Nikki Haley took issue with some of JD Vance’s controversial comments about childless women, comments for which Vance has declined to apologize. (CBS)

Liz Cheney says it’s ‘not enough’ for anti-Trump Republicans to vote for someone other than Harris: Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney encouraged anti-Trump Republicans and independents to consider voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, saying it’s “not enough” to write in someone other than former President Donald Trump in the November election. (NBC)

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