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Measures Passed to Boost Postsecondary Attainment

Bills backed by the Chamber that put more low-income and first-generation college students on the path to earning postsecondary credentials tied to workforce needs gained major traction this session. At the top of that list is the passage of House Bill 1449, which ensures that eligible low-income students will now be automatically enrolled in the state’s 21st Century Scholars [...]

2023-05-25T09:27:15-04:00May 25th, 2023|

Top 2023 Education and Workforce Measures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBtVLdqlT4U Jason Bearce, our vice president of education and workforce development, highlights a productive session that saw Chamber priorities like the FAFSA filing requirement, automatic enrollment in the 21st Century Scholars program and boosts to early learning come to fruition. These measures will be key to giving low-income high school students greater access to postsecondary education and getting Hoosier [...]

2023-05-05T12:12:06-04:00May 5th, 2023|

FAFSA Bill Clears House; Chamber Priority Heads to Governor’s Desk

Perhaps lost in the higher profile and controversial legislation drawing attention this week is the passage of a Chamber priority that will have meaningful impact on Indiana’s students. Senate Bill 167, authored by Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), passed the House on Tuesday with an 84-9 vote, bringing a five-year struggle to put more students on the path to earning [...]

2023-03-24T14:22:51-04:00March 24th, 2023|

Chamber Says 2022 Legislative Session Ended ‘Overall in a Good Place,’ Except for Senate’s Refusal to Repeal Anti-Competitive Tax

(INDIANAPOLIS) — Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kevin Brinegar says the 2022 Indiana General Assembly concluded “overall in a good place for the rights of businesses, for the state’s economy and for talent attraction and growth. But the Senate’s failure to support a tax cut that would strengthen the state’s manufacturing sector is a head-scratcher given Indiana’s [...]

2022-03-09T08:56:42-05:00March 9th, 2022|

FAFSA Bill Moves Forward … Is This the Year?

A common sense policy that passed both the House and Senate last year only to fall apart at the end is back. Senate Bill 82, authored by Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), would require high school seniors to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It passed the Senate last Tuesday 30-19.  The Indiana Chamber will keep strongly [...]

2022-02-08T09:00:16-05:00February 8th, 2022|

Chamber Education Priority (FAFSA Bill) Moves On

Senate Bill 82 (FAFSA Requirement), authored by Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), unanimously passed the Senate Education and Career Development Committee last week. “It’s déjà vu all over again,” as the saying goes. For the third straight year, Indiana lawmakers are considering a commonsense proposal championed by the Chamber that would make completion of the Free Application for Federal Student [...]

2022-02-01T08:28:11-05:00February 1st, 2022|

Legislative Session “Strong” for Business Recovery, But Missed Opportunities May Hurt Hoosier Families

Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kevin Brinegar calls the 2021 Indiana General Assembly session, which wrapped up regular work yesterday, a “strong one for assisting businesses in their recovery from the pandemic and continuing to push the state to be a leader in the Midwest and beyond.” His remarks on the fate of key legislation determined this [...]

2021-04-23T12:03:24-04:00April 23rd, 2021|

Chamber Calls 2021 Session ‘Strong’ for Business Recovery, But Failure to Act on FAFSA Completion Rate ‘Hurting Hoosier Families’

(INDIANAPOLIS) — Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kevin Brinegar calls the 2021 Indiana General Assembly session, which wrapped up regular work today, a “strong one for assisting businesses in their recovery from the pandemic and continuing to push the state to be a leader in the Midwest and beyond.” His remarks on the fate of key legislation [...]

2021-04-22T16:34:12-04:00April 22nd, 2021|

Long, Strange FAFSA Odyssey Continues in Session’s Final Stretch

Senate Bill 54 (FAFSA Awards), authored by Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), headed into conference committee this week with House and Senate lawmakers agreeing that increasing the percentage of Hoosier high school students completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was important but displaying distinctly different perspectives on the best way to achieve this goal. As passed by [...]

2021-04-16T14:01:52-04:00April 16th, 2021|

House Overwhelmingly Passes FAFSA Bill; Senate Expected to Concur on Amended Version

Senate Bill 54 (FAFSA Awards) easily passed the House last week 87-6. As amended by the House, the bill provides that a school corporation may receive an improvement award for increasing the percentage of its high school seniors who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. That coincides with when the [...]

2021-04-06T10:51:00-04:00April 6th, 2021|