(AP) — State lawmakers are poised to wrap up this year’s legislative session without taking action to help Indianapolis lure Amazon’s second headquarters and its tempting promise of 50,000 jobs.
That bid could even be hurt by the failure of proposals for Indiana to create a hate-crimes law and to lift a ban on allowing Indianapolis to consider building a light rail mass transit system.
Despite a pro-business history, the Republican majorities in the Statehouse didn’t rally around either measure. They faced opposition from conservatives to the hate crimes bill and anti-tax groups to a possible high cost of a rail project.
They also say Indiana’s low-tax environment and low cost of living are already attractive incentives to corporations like Amazon.
Advocates, however, say the setbacks send a negative message to businesses.