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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana General Assembly completed its 2013 legislative session late Friday, passing a two-year budget that retroactively eliminates the state inheritance tax and increases funding for the Department of Child Services.
HEA 1001 ends Indiana’s inheritance tax, effective Jan. 1, 2013, rather than Jan. 1, 2022, when it is currently scheduled to end. The legislation repeals Indiana’s estate tax and generation-skipping transfer tax.
The budget also increased funding for DCS by $35 million per year and provides $10 million per year for school resource officers, as outlined in Senate Enrolled Act 1. School resource officers will be tasked with keeping a school secure and helping to educate and counsel students.
The Indiana Supreme Court will receive $8,725,240 and $8,899,933 annually for employee costs in this biennial budget and $2,077,014 for other operating expenses for fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15. Civil legal aid receives $1.5 million each budget year. The Indiana Court of Appeals has been given $9,544,709 and $9,760,409, respectively, in the two-year budget for employee costs, and $1,337,184 and $1,437,184, respectively, for other operating expenses. The Indiana Tax Court has been allocated $575,818 and $585,451, respectively, for employee costs. It will receive $177,000 for other operating expenses effective July 1 and $147,000 for operating expenses effective July 1, 2014.
Nearly $62 million has been allocated for local judges’ salaries beginning in the 2013 fiscal year; that number increases to nearly $63 million for the 2014 fiscal year. Trial court operation funding will remain at $746,075 for each year.
The budget also allocates $300,000 annually to the Indiana Bar Foundation for the We the People program.
The budget bill phases in a 5 percent individual tax cut from 2015 to 2017, said to be the largest tax cut in Indiana history.
Dozens of bills await Gov. Mike Pence’s signature, including legislation on the committee on child services oversight, restricting criminal background checks and problem-solving courts. Pence has seven days from receiving the legislation to sign or veto the bills. If he takes no action, the enrolled acts become law after seven days.
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