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Indiana News
- 05/06/08 - New Food Co-op Opens in Rural Paoli, Indiana
- 05/06/08 - Supreme Court Upholds Indiana Photo ID Law, Undermines Voting Rights
- 04/25/08 - House Passes Legislation That Keeps Invasive Species From Great Lakes
- 04/22/08 - Lake Polluters Also Are Lifeblood of Communities
- 04/22/08 - Cities Allowed to Discharge Wastewater More Than Industry
- 04/22/08 - Troubled Waters?
- 04/05/08 - Judge Says Zionsville Must Reconsider Wal-Mart
- 04/04/08 - Monsanto's Patchwork Plan to Deny Consumer Choice
- 03/27/08 - Immigration Policy in the States- Mid-session Developments
- 03/27/08 - BioTown Couldn't Get Rolling
- 03/25/08 - So THIS Is What It Takes to Win?
- 03/13/08 - Great Lakes Fish Soak in New Poison
- 03/12/08 - Nothing Artificial Here
- 03/10/08 - Lead Poison Bill Faces Slow Death
- 03/08/08 - Brain Mist Baffles Health Officials
- 03/06/08 - CBS Will Pay $31 Million to Clean Indiana Superfund Sites
- 03/01/08 - Update on the Battle Against Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone
- 02/28/08 - Mega-Farms, Pollution and Rural Voters
- 02/24/08 - Living Through Chemistry
- 02/21/08 - Indiana County Slated for Mega Hog Expansion
- 02/11/08 - Bootlegged Federal Report Spells Trouble for Eight States
- 01/27/08 - Open Letter from OCA & Other Groups Telling Indiana Legislature Not to Ban rBGH-Free Labels
- 01/20/08 - Election Fraud & Paperless Ballots: Congress Must Act Fast to Address Looming National Emergency
- 01/18/08 - 46803: Lung Cancer Zone
- 01/18/08 - Did Pig Brain Tissue Sicken Austin Pork-Plant Workers?
- 01/14/08 - Paul to Launch CAFO Bill
- 01/07/08 - Progressive States Network on Broadband Buildout and Technology Investments in the States
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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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