With information from the Associated PressIndiana lawmakers are working toward final agreement on several tax and spending issues in the last days of this year's legislative session. House and Senate budget leaders have agreed on a plan to prohibit school districts from charging fees for full-day kindergarten in a bill directing millions of dollars in state money to the program. That bill also makes a one-time additional payment of $6 million for victims of last summer's deadly state fair stage collapse. Negotiations continue on the proposed phase-out of the state inheritance tax and changing the automatic taxpayer refund championed by Gov. Mitch Daniels so that the state would need more money in the bank before refunds would kick in. And a panel of lawmakers continues negotiations on a compromise statewide smoking ban.Legislative leaders are planning to adjourn the 2012 session this week.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.
