The Truth
It's the halfway point of the Indiana General Assembly and so far legislators have done little to help Elkhart County's struggling economy. While there have been some signs that members of the House and Senate know Elkhart County needs help, there hasn't been enough action to back it up.
The House unanimously passed a sales tax exemption last week for out-of-state buyers of RVs and cargo trailers, but that won't have the big impact the county needs to get its employment back on track.
The House also passed legislation that would provide a one-time appropriation to economic development corporations in counties with an unemployment rate of more than 14 percent, as well as tax credits to large businesses that locate in Elkhart County.
So if the Legislature hasn't done more to create jobs in Elkhart County, a county with 15.3 percent unemployment, what has it accomplished? Mainly, it has set itself up for an end-of-session showdown on the budget and other crucial issues.
House Democrats pushed through a one-year budget that taps into the Next Generation Trust Fund from the toll road lease to pay for projects that would better be paid for out of federal stimulus money. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, are trying to make the trust fund part of the Constitution. Partisan lines also were drawn in the House over tax breaks for casinos.
While the Senate GOP caucus decided not to bring up the gay marriage amendment for a vote, it's a prime example of the distractions legislators embraced so they didn't have to deal with jobs and the economy. Other diversions included immigration legislation and a resolution decrying the possibility of moving federal prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to Terre Haute.
And where has the governor been during the first half of the session? Gov. Mitch Daniels can and must play a key role. His priority thus far seems to be pushing local government reform. And while we believe that has many positives, jobs and economic development must come first.
The Legislature needs to focus on whatever it takes to curb unemployment and help the economy, especially in Elkhart County.