House Speaker Bosma wants Governor Holcomb to embrace tax hike…graduation rates are up…meth lab seizures are down….
HOUSE SPEAKER ENCOURAGING GOVERNOR TO SUPPORT TAX HIKE FOR ROADS
The top Republican in the Indiana House says it’s important for Gov. Eric Holcomb to help sell a proposal that would raise taxes to pay for road improvements. House Speaker Brian Bosma said Thursday that he doesn’t know if the new Republican governor will address the road funding needs during his first State of the State speech next week. Holcomb says he wants a long-term road funding solution and is open to taxes. But it’s not known how much he plans to promote the idea. House Republicans want to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees. Senate Republicans say new revenue is needed, but they haven’t offered much more so far. Experts have given poor ratings to Indiana’s roads and bridges for years. (story by AP)
GRADUATION RATES ARE SLIGHTLY UP
The percentage of Indiana high school graduates rose just barely in 2016.
The Indiana Department of Education said Thursday that 89 percent of students graduated last year, compared to 88.8 percent in 2015. The rate was just 78 percent back in 2006.
The state also reported that 82.3 percent of students graduated last year without a waiver from certain statewide exams, down from 82.8 percent in 2015.
Nearly 91 percent of white students graduated, while about 80 percent of black students graduated. Girls had a 3-percentage point edge over boys. (story by AP)
METH LAB SEIZURES ARE DOWN
The Indiana State Police says they saw a 35% drop in statewide meth lab seizures during the past year. State Representative Ben Smaltz, who supported a bill that limited the amount of certain types of cold medicine you can buy at one time in an effort to curb meth production, says he’s excited with the results so far.
Smaltz’s bill made it so Hoosiers who have a “patient relationship” with a pharmacy can buy medicine containing pseudoephedrine without a prescription; if no relationship existed, you could either buy a very small amount or have to get a prescription. Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient in meth. (story by Network Indiana)
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