TIFs

Indiana Call to Action hosted a Lunch & Learn last Friday focusing on Tax Incremental Financing (TIFs), an economic tool used by local governments to finance infrastructure projects. One future project under consideration is the Microsoft Data Center, set to be developed on the land that was formerly St. Joe Farms. We appreciated the informative presentation by Jeff Rea, President and CEO of South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

You can access the slides from his presentation here.

SAVE THE DATE

We are pleased to announce that Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith will be joining us on March 18th at the Matterhorn in Elkhart. As the president of the Indiana Senate, Lieutenant Governor Beckwith will provide a review of significant legislation from the recently concluded 2026 legislative session. This event presents an excellent opportunity to discuss the upcoming critical midterm elections and what to anticipate at both the state and federal levels.

INDIANA STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

On January 26th, we emailed a list of key legislation we are monitoring during this legislative session. This "short" session is set to conclude at the end of February. We have reached the halfway point, where successful Senate bills have crossed over to the House, and successful House bills have crossed over to the Senate. Each bill will undergo the same level of scrutiny and debate in the opposite chamber. Below  are a couple of bills of particular interest at this time:

SB 199 - Social media use by minors: This bill included provisions to ban social media for children and require parental consent for teens under 18. However, the bill's author, Sen. Jeff Raatz, removed these provisions due to potential legal challenges in federal court. The ACLU is threatening to challenge, arguing such restrictions could infringe on minors' constitutional rights. There are indications that Raatz is looking at similar legislation in Florida, which has been successfully defended in a recent court ruling. 

We are hopeful this issue will be reintroduced in the current legislative session.

Sen. Raatz stated that according to the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nationally, suicide rates for teen girls have gone up 63.9% in the last 15 years, and male suicides are up 35%. Anxiety is up 134% and depression up 106% since 2010 for U.S. undergraduates.

Also, concerns about the use of addictive technology in social media have recently gained significant attention, particularly due to the unregulated access and subsequent harm, especially to minors. This issue has become a major topic of discussion on many levels. Notably, Australia has already banned social media for minors, and other countries are considering following suit.

HB 1333 - Land use and development: This bill has generated controversy due to current provisions which would remove the power of local authorities to block projects such as data centers, oil refineries, or solar farms on agricultural land with unproductive soils. This bill, in certain circumstances, could bypass local ordinances and eliminate the need for public hearings.

In discussions with local representatives who voted to advance this legislation, we learned their vote was necessitated by the lack of time due to the abbreviated legislative session and the desire to advance the positive provisions in the bill. They did so with the assurance from the author, and the Senate sponsor and committee chair, that the bill would be amended in the Senate to assure local control. The House had encountered issues with their own proposed amendment and due to lack of time proceeded as stated above.

One of the positive provisions of HB 1333 includes allowing local communities to share 1% of the sales taxes from data center projects. This could provide substantial financial benefits. The Indy Star reported that 1% of Amazon's New Carlisle project's estimated $4 billion in state sales tax savings would yield $40 million for the local government.

We will continue to monitor the progress of this bill and keep you informed of any developments. Representative Jake Teshka addresses this issue on his Facebook.

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“The All-American Halftime Show is an opportunity for all Americans to enjoy a halftime show with no agenda other than to celebrate faith, family, and freedom.” 

TPUSA’ s ‘All American Halftime Show’ is set to air Sunday, February 8, at approximately 8:00 PM (during the Super Bowl halftime).

This exclusive halftime performance can be streamed on Turning Point USA social media channels, including YouTube, X, and Rumble, and on partner platforms, including Daily Wire +, Real America's Voice, TBN, CHARGE!, The National News Desk, NTD.com, and OAN News. 

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