Northeast Indiana has plenty of bills alive

By Lisa Esquivel Long | Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly

A handful of bills that would benefit northeast Indiana businesses continue to make their way through the Indiana General Assembly.

The Indiana Senate approved House Bill 1405 that could help attract data centers. The bill had two amendments made it but they appear to be procedural, said Bill Konyha, president of the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana. Konyha testified in support of the bill earlier last month. It would make data centers exempt from certain taxes.

Senate Bill 566, which would allow counties having a population of 100,000 or fewer residential tax increment financing, has had Rep. Dave Heine, R-Fort Wayne, whose 85th District includes eastern Allen County, added as a sponsor, Konyha said. The bill has been sent to the House Way & Means Committee, of which Heine is a member. Ten counties are interested in the bill, Konyha said.

Senate Bill 563, which would allow Economic Development for a Growing Economy tax credits to companies along Indiana’s borders, is also in the House Ways & Means Committee. The bill would put state businesses such as Woodburn’s BFGoodwich on equal footing with neighboring states. If the tire company hires 100 workers, and 10 are from Ohio because it can’t find Indiana workers, it shouldn’t be penalized for that, Konyha said.

All this comes as the Indiana House restored some of the groups that would be covered in a hate crimes bill.

“We’re still in the game,” Konyha said.