Indiana House eyes another $5M for state fair victims

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s House Ways and Means chairman is pushing for $5 million more for victims of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse and $80 million to pay for full-day kindergarten.

The proposals come shortly after Indiana’s state budget agency discovered $320 million in untouched corporate tax collections. Republican Rep. Jeff Espich of Uniondale also said Tuesday he wants to re-craft the state’s automatic taxpayer refund to give refunds to taxpayers first before paying down teacher pension obligations.

But the whole proposal could become no more than a rhetorical exercise if House Democrats resume their boycott over right-to-work legislation. Democrats have stalled work in the House through most of the 2012 session over the divisive labor bill. And critical deadlines in the House loom next week.