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Your 2011 Legislative Return on Investment
In this annual financial impact assessment, learn what the Indiana Chamber’s lobbying efforts at the Statehouse mean to your wallet.
On offense, highlights included the Chamber helping to score a 2% drop in the state's corporate income tax rate, an overhaul of the state's unemployment system, plus a more common sense approach to authorizing public-private partnerships for transportation infrastructure projects. When playing defense, the Chamber worked to block health care insurance mandates, the significant increase in property taxes for businesses and the piling on of environmental compliance fees.
In total, the Chamber’s work yielded savings of $1.91 billion for Hoosier businesses OR $814 per employee. Specific savings are listed below by bill and issue area, in total and per employee.
| Business Savings | |
| $1.91 billion or $814 per employee | |
|
Legislative Session |
|
| Economic Development | |
| Streamlined approval of public-private partnership projects (SB 473) | $50 million; $21.31/employee |
| Employment and Labor | |
| Adjustments to unemployment insurance rate schedules (HB 1450) | $225 million; $95.91/employee |
| Defeated - Mandatory personal leave (HB 1442) | $20 million; $8.52/employee |
| Energy and Environment | |
| Defeated - Additional fees and other expenses related to environmental compliance requirements (various bills) | $185 million; $78.86/employee |
| Defeated - Restricting or adding to the cost of energy production (various bills) | $130 million; $55.41/employee |
| Streamlining or clarification of environmental compliance requirements (various bills) | $60 million; $25.58/employee |
| Enhancement and reduction of energy production cost (various bills) | $20 million; $8.52/employee |
| Health Care and Insurance | |
| Defeated - Undermining cost savings associated with PPOs (SB 65) | $325 million; $138.54/employee |
| Defeated - Dictating treatment and prescriptions (SB 178) | $325 million; $138.54/employee |
| Defeated - Patient acceptance mandate (HB 1080) | $40 million; $17.05/employee |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Defeated - Extending statute of limitations on hazardous substance lawsuits (SB 100) | $25 million; $10.66/employee |
| Tax and Public Finance | |
| Defeated - Opposition to substantial shift of property tax to business taxpayers (SJR 8) | $375 million; $159.85/employee |
| Corporate income tax rate reduction; other favorable tax changes (HB 1004) | $100 million; $42.63/employee |
| Significant enhancement of abatement options (HB 1007) | $20 million; $8.52/employee |
| Broadening application of the industrial recovery credit (HB 1005) | $10 million; $4.26/employee |
Total Savings for Indiana Business: $1.91 Billion
Total Savings Per Employee: $814
Your Return on Investment
10 employees = savings of $8,140
25 employees = savings of $20,350
50 employees = savings of $40,700
100 employees = savings of $81,400
200 employees = savings of $162,800
500 employees = savings of $407,000
Plus the Value of Education Reform:
The Indiana Chamber also played a leading role in the development and passage of transformative education reform legislation this year. While difficult to quantify the specific fiscal impact of these changes, we know from economic research, economic development professionals, site selection consultants and our own membership that the educational attainment of our state's population is a critical factor in the cost of doing business - or even the ability to do business. Thus, we note the important accomplishments in education this year as a significant - albeit unquantifiable - return on investment.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Business impact calculations are based on fiscal impact estimates of the Legislative Services Agency, independent studies, other available data and research materials, and Indiana Chamber analysis. Business impact per employee is calculated by using the estimated number of employed workers statewide in March 2011 (2,345,900).
