Indiana State Resource Guide
Sam Adams State Resource Guides are designed to help citizens get involved in their home state.
Do you have additional information that you'd like to see on this list? Please email your tips to resources@samadamsalliance.org.
Background
After 1964, when Indiana supported Lyndon B. Johnson, Indiana has favored the Republican candidate in federal elections. Nonetheless, half of Indiana's governors in the 20th century were Democrats. Indiana's delegation to the United States House of Representatives has also generally served as a bellwether for the political movement of the nation. For instance, Democrats held the majority of seats until the 1994 Republican Revolution, when Republicans took a majority. This continued until 2006, when three Republican Congressmen were defeated in Indiana, giving the Democrats a majority of the delegation again.
In the Indiana General Assembly, there are no term limits. There are 100 members in the House of Representatives: 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans, who serve two-year terms. Senators serve four-year terms. There are currently 33 Republicans and 17 Democrats in the Indiana Senate.
Issues
Taxes
Since 1980, property taxes across Indiana have increased by $4 billion, an equivalent of nearly 350 percent. In 2007 alone, the expected increase for each household is 23.8 percent. For relief, the state legislature has passed the House Enrolled Act 1001, which adds $300 million for additional homestead credits, to be given to homeowners this year, as well as another $250 million to provide immediate protection against impending increases in property taxes payable in 2008. For the average homeowner, this would amount to $554 in tax relief for 2007 and 2008.
Additional property tax savings may be realized by taxpayers if counties adopt any of the Local Option Income Taxes (LOIT) in House Bill 1478. If more money is raised through LOITs than needed by local units of government, the excess dollars would go into a stabilization fund. Adopting entities would be either the county council or a county option income tax council if one already exists. LOITs would help replace Indiana's antiquated system of property taxes with a more modern and fair tax system based on actual personal income and the ability to pay.
Think Tanks
Indiana Policy Review Foundation
http://www.inpolicy.org
Sagamore Institute for Policy Research
http://www.sipr.org
Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute
http://www.indianafiscal.org/
Action Groups
Citizens for Common Sense
http://citizensforcommonsense.info/
Hoosier Taxpayers Association
http://www.protectindiana.com
Stop Taxing of Property
http://www.stopindiana.com
Marshall County Tax Awareness Committee
(574) 936-8909
Blogs
Hoosier for Fair Taxation
http://hoosiersforfairtaxation.blogspot.com/
Angry White Boy
http://www.angrywhiteboys.org
Frugal Hoosiers
http://www.frugalhoosiers.com/
Hoosier Pundit
http://hoosierpundit.blogspot.com
Entropy Manor
http://www.entropymanor.com/
The Baron
http://www.baronthebaron.blogspot.com/
It’s All Downhill From Here
http://www.negative-g.com/downhill/
Indiana Parley
http://indianaparley.blogspot.com/
The Indiana Law Blog
http://indianalawblog.com/
Resources
Official State Website
http://www.in.gov/
Association of Indiana Counties
http://www.indianacounties.org/
Indiana Department of Education
http://ideanet.doe.state.in.us/
Indiana Historical Bureau
http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/ihb/ihb.html
U.S. Census Bureau
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18000.html
Indiana Economic Development Council, Inc.
http://www.in.gov/iedc/
Political News
Indiana House Republicans News Feed
http://www.political-humor.net/rss2html.php?XMLFILE=http://www.state.in.us/legislative/house_republicans/rss/news_feed.xml
U.S. Politics Today
http://uspolitics.einnews.com/indiana/
