Indiana State Senate Moves More Quickly Than House on Library Bill

Indiana General Assembly

Help for library gets OK. (Indianapolis Star, 2/10/2011)

Excerpt: A state Senate committee Wednesday advanced a bill that could lead to more money for the Indianapolis library system, but a hearing on a similar measure was delayed in the House.

Both bills would grant the City-County Council more authority to decide whether to give the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library a cut of county income taxes, and how much. The library has been struggling with property tax caps that are eating into its largest revenue source.

The Senate Local Government Committee voted 6-1 to advance Senate Bill 526, which also would alter the selection of the seven-member library board. The Indianapolis mayor would get four appointments, and the council would get three.

In the House, the Ways and Means Committee bumped a vote on whether to advance House Bill 1539, which focuses only on library funding, to Friday morning.

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