Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Breaking News:


Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry has passed away after a brief battle with cancer.

Senate Democrats Push for Minimum Wage Hike in 2015

Brandon Smith
/
Indiana Public Broadcasting

Indiana Senate Democrats say a budget session is all about prioritizing – and their priority is to help working class Hoosiers.

The top item on the Senate Democrats’ agenda is what they call “giving Hoosier families a raise.”  Portage Senator Karen Tallian says that begins with increasing the state’s minimum wage. 

She notes 29 states have a higher minimum wage than Indiana.

“If you work 40 hours a week, you should not be below the federal poverty level,” Tallian said. “Indiana has a household income problem.”

Democrats will also propose increasing the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, getting rid of textbook fees for public school students, and expanding a mental health pilot program for incarcerated offenders to more counties. 

All those proposals would cost state dollars; in some cases quite a lot. But Minority Leader Tim Lanane says that pales in comparison to what the state’s ongoing corporate tax cuts cost.

“Now yes, you can say, ‘Well, 80 million here, 120 million there, it all adds up,’” Lanane said. “Well yes, and a billion dollars year after year continues to add up.”

Senate President Pro Tem David Long opposes an increase to the state’s minimum wage, noting Indiana’s lower cost of living makes it unnecessary.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
Related Content