Caesars Foundation Loans of Floyd County Provide Small Business Owners Funds to Create and Grow Dreams

by with No Comment 1si News1si Press Release
[NEW ALBANY, IN.] One Southern Indiana (1si) and Caesars Foundation of Floyd County are thrilled to announce three new Caesars Foundation of Floyd County Small Business Revolving Loan Fund recipients.  The loan assists businesses that provide evidence of Floyd County operations and projected impact of the proposed loan on the Floyd County economy.  To acquire eligibility, business owners must also have a two-year track record or transferable experience. The most recent recipients include Classic Restorations of Southern Indiana, LLC, Revive Salon and Spa, LLC, and Southern Indiana Spray Foam.

Classic Restorations of Southern Indiana LLC specializes in restoring, remodeling, and/or full-out customizing pre ‘72 cars and trucks in Southern Indiana since 1991. They offer services in metal fabrication, body/paint, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and minor interior work. Their number one goal is to make their customers happy while striving for high quality standards and attention to detail.

“We would like to thank the Caesars Foundation for providing us funding to purchase the needed equipment to grow and outfit our new location. They have been great to work with and an asset to the community.” –Dustin and Pat Foust, owners

Revive Salon and Spa LLC is a salon and spa that is looking forward to utilizing funds to make the salon and spa ADA compliant. Angela G. Torp is the sole member of Revive and aims to welcome everyone to her salon.

“Caesars helped me create a dream and create a beautiful ADA compliant space for everyone to enjoy! They have helped give an old building new life and creating a safe and inviting space.”
— Angela Torp, Sole Member

Southern Indiana Spray Foam offers a variety of spray foam services in commercial and residential sectors. They are capable of insulating walls, ceilings, and roofs, as well as insulation for soundproofing. They pride themselves on 24/7 Availability, offering services at an affordable price, and free estimates.

“I was impacted by the Caesars board which was a very positive experience and led me to the success that awaits me. Thank you all.” — Keith Norton, CEO

Loan amounts range from $5,000 to $50,000 with a maximum interest rate less than the prime rate of interest. Maximum terms of loans are 10 years for land and building loans, five years for equipment loans, and two years for working capital loans. For more information, contact Rachael Armstrong at One Southern Indiana at (812) 206-9021 or RachaelA@1si.org.

“The Caesars Foundation is thrilled to offer loans from the Small Business Revolving Loan Fund to three local businesses,” said Executive Director, Tyler Bliss. “The Caesars Foundation encourages economic development in Floyd County, and small businesses are the heart of our community. We look forward to watching these businesses grow.”

“One Southern Indiana is always excited to watch business owners turn their dreams into reality,” said President and CEO, Lance Allison. “Rachael, our Small Business Navigator, is an excellent resource for small businesses looking to grow and succeed in Floyd County. We thank the Caesars Foundation for their continued support of entrepreneurial endeavors in our region.”

About the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County

The Caesars Foundation of Floyd County is a private foundation created to benefit the Floyd County community. The Foundation’s philanthropic focus traditionally falls into the categories of grant-making to charitable non-profit organizations, educational scholarships, and program-related investments that encourage economic development. For more visit www.caesarsfoundationfc.org.

About One Southern Indiana  
One Southern Indiana was formed in July of 2006 as the economic development organization and chamber of commerce serving Clark and Floyd counties. 1si’s mission is to provide the connections, resources, and services that help businesses innovate and thrive in the Southern Indiana / Louisville metro area. For more, visit 1si.org.  

For Additional Information: 

Tyler Bliss
Executive Director
Phone: 812-945-4332
Email: Tyler@CaesarsFoundationFC.org

Rachael Armstrong
Small Business Navigator
Phone: (812) 206-9021
Email: RachaelA@1si.org

Ellinor Smith
Content Marketing and Media Relations Manager
Phone: (812) 945-0266  
Email: Ellinors@1si.org

-###- 

Advocacy-Update-Email-Header2

Advocacy Update | 04.02.25

by with No Comment 1si NewsAdvocacy

Advocacy-Update-Email-Header2

Our Advocacy Committee continues to meet and discuss relevant bills to our local businesses and constituents. We encourage everyone to see upcoming deadlines. Below, read more information about the bills and updates. 

  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for House adoption of conference committee reports without Rules Committee approval 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for Senate adoption of conference committee reports without Rules Committee approval. 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for 3rd reading of House bills in the Senate. 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for 3rd reading of Senate bills in House. 

We invite you to learn more about local priorities at our Regional Leadership Luncheon Friday April 11th, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The event is an opportunity for you to meet and greet local officials, ask questions, and hear about their priorities for our communities. 

Click here to register. 

Check out 1si News and see all of our advocacy updates. Stay up to date and informed. Check out our news page here. 

 

Current List of Bills 1si Supports:  

SB-463: Child Care Matters  

Explanation: Adds additional qualified childcare for purposes of the employer childcare expenditure tax credit and extends the credit availability through July 1, 2027. The bill will help support adequate funding and staffing for Indiana childcare centers. The bill strongly ties to 1si’s call to action which emphasizes the affordability and quality of childcare.  

  • Status:  
  • 3/27/2025-Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means Pursuant to House Rule 126.3 
  • 3/27/2025-Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 
  • 3/3/2025-First reading: referred to Committee on Family, Children and Human Affairs 
  • Referred to the House 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 

 

SB-443: Business personal property tax  

Explanation: The bill proposed to increase business tax exemption by $20,000. This change should help reduce the administrative burden on small businesses, especially those with few fixed assets. However, the impact of the increase is expected to be minor, as it is a relatively small adjustment.  

  • Status:   
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/14/2025- Referred to the House  
  • 2/13/2025- House sponsor: Representative Snow  
  • 2/13/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 127: 
    • Yeas: 39 
    • Nays: 7  

 

HB-1172: Office of entrepreneurship and innovation  

  • Status:  
  • 2/20/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Commerce and Technology 
  • 2/12/2025- Referred to the Senate  
  • 2/11/2025- Senate sponsor: Senator Buchanan  
  • 2/11/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call  
    • Yeas: 131  
    • Nays: 7  

 

HB-1248: Child Care and Development Fund  

Explanation: The bill will help prioritize foster parents to gain assistance through the Childcare Development Fund. The bill strongly connects to 1si’s call to action to increase the availability and affordability of childcare.  

  • Status:   
  • 3/27/2025-Signed by the Speaker 
  • 3/24/2025-House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 304 
    • Yeas: 95 
    • Nays: 0 
  • 3/20/2025- Motion to concur filed 
  • 3/19/2025- Returned to the House with amendments 

 

Current List of Bills 1si is Monitoring:  

Senate Bills:  

SB-1: Property Tax Relief  

Explanation: We are closely monitoring this bill because the changes to residential and personal taxes significantly impact infrastructure, municipal funding, and workforce education. Based on the reports from the Association of Indiana Counties, you can see the impact of SB-1 here. In light of the bill, we are strongly advocating for the clarity of the expected impacts of this bill on businesses and individuals from our local government officials and elected state officials. We strongly advise our members to understand the bill’s effect within our communities.  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/19/2025- Representatives Snow and Jordan added as cosponsors 
  • 2/18/2025- Referred to the House 

 

SB-314: Pass through entity tax  

  • Status:  
  • 3/26/2025-Signed by the Speaker 
  • 3/26/2025-Signed by the President Pro Tempore 
  • 3/25/2025-Senate concurred with House amendments: Roll Call 295 
    • Yeas: 47 
    • Nays: 0 
  • 3/24/2025- Pursuant to Senate Rule 68(b); reassigned to Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedure 

SB-423: Small modular nuclear reactor pilot program 

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications 
  • 2/4/2025- Referred to House  
  • 2/3/2025- House sponsor: Representative Soliday  
  • 2/3/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 60  
    • Yeas 41  
    • Nays:7   

SB-426: Water utilities 

  • Status:  
  • 3/24/2025-Signed by the Speaker 
  • 3/24/2025-Signed by the President Pro Tempore 
  • 3/21/20- Returned to the Senate without amendments 
  • 3/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 292 
    • Yeas: 76 
    • Nays: 15 

SB-488: Skills training pilot program  

  • Status:  
  • 3/20/2025- Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3 
  • 3/20/2025- Committee report: do pass, adopted 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Employment, Labor and Pensions 

 

SB-518: School property taxes 

  • Status: 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 210 
    • Yeas: 28 
    • Nays: 21 

 

House Bills 

HB-1003: Health matters. 

Explanation: Addresses site-neutral payment requirements, burdensome 340B requirements, the extension of site-neutral payments to nonprofit hospital settings, and hospital billing requirements.  

  • Status: 
  • 3/3/2025- Pursuant to Senate Rule 68(b); reassigned to Committee on Health and Provider Services 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions 
  • 2/19/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/18/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 201 
    • Yeas: 66 
    • Nays: 32 

 

HB-1004: Nonprofit Hospitals  

Education: Loss of non-profit status is any charge item is in excess of 300% of Medicare and includes an excise tax to be imposed upon a hospital each time the hospital charges a patient a facility fee that exceeds 265% of Medicare. 

  • Status: 
  • 3/20/2025- Committee report: do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 239 
    • Yeas: 68 
    • Nays: 26 


HB-1214: Workers’ compensation  

  • Status:  
  • Returned to the House with amendments 
  • 3/27/2025-Third reading: passed; Roll Call 299 
    • Yeas: 48 
    • Nays: 0 
  • 3/25/2025-Second reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/20/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 

 

HB-1226: Medicare supplement insurance  

  • Status:  
  • 3/27/2025-Signed by speaker 
  • 3/26/2025-Returned to the House without amendments 
  • 3/25/2025-Third reading: passed; Roll Call 283 
    • Yeas: 45 
    • Nays: 2 
  • 3/24/2025-Second reading: order engrossed 
  • 3/20/2025-Committee report: do pass, adopted 

 

HB-1347: Real estate matters 

  • Status:  
  • 3/19/2025- Returned to the House with amendments 
  • 3/18/2025- Third reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/17/2025- Second reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/13/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 

You can find a copy of the 1si 2024 Advocacy Agenda by visiting https://1si.org/advocacy/ or downloading a PDF copy here.   

Thanks for Renewing Your Membership | March 2025

by with No Comment 1si NewsThank Your for Renewing Your Membership

One Southern Indiana would like to thank the following members for renewing their membership during the month of March 2025.

Quarter Century Club (25 Year or More)Member Since
H&H Design-Build1976
City of Charlestown1985
Hughes Group, Inc.1985
News and Tribune1985
Schuler Bauer Real Estate Services1985
Jeffersonville Housing Authority1984
WAVE 3 News1988
The Salvation Army1996
  
Ten to 24 Years 
Floyd Circuit Court Judge 2001
River Ridge Development Authority2001
Luckett & Farley2003
Kentuckiana Air Education Network2004
Old National Bank2004
Northwestern Mutual2007
Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel2007
Delaco Kasle Processing Indiana2008
Delta Services LLC2009
YMCA of Greater Louisville, Inc.2009
Arctic Minerals2011
Frost Brown Todd, LLP2012
Jones, Nale & Mattingly PLC2012
Brinly-Hardy Co.2013
Nugent Sand Company2013
Red7e2015
  
Nine to Five Years 
RE/MAX Pat Harrison Enterprises2016
CE Hughes Milling, Inc.2017
Facilities Management Services, Inc.2017
Little Star ABA Therapy2017
Waterfront Botanical Gardens2017
Chicken Salad Chick2019
Clark’s Snacks2019
Naked By Sunday2019
Patrick Johnson Landscaping LLC2019
Kratz Sporting Goods2020
  
Two to Four Years 
Hyland, Block, & Hyland, Inc.2021
Mansion 18862021
Miranda Construction 2021
BoomBozz Pizza & Watch Bar2022
Brookstone Financial LLC2022
Carpet Specialists, Inc.2022
Joash, Inc.2022
Lead Well Strategic Consulting2022
Ron  Grooms – Retired Executive2022
American Structurepoint2023
B. Redmon Insurance Partners, LLC2023
Fistful of Ale2023
Innovators Inurance Group LLC2023
Louisville Painting Company LLC2023
OHM Advisors2023
Patriot Mobile Wash2023
Prosser Alumni Association Inc. 2023
Rise Foundation, Inc.2023
Transit Authority of River City-TARC2023
  
One Year 
ADE Food African Kitchen & Catering Services2024
Andes Roofing2024
Bone Dry Roofing 2024
City Wide Facility Solutions 2024
Hunter Station Pizza Company2024
Michener Mullins & Arrington PLLC2024
The Skin Group, PLLC2024

Welcome New Members | March 2025

by with No Comment 1si NewsWelcome New Members

One Southern Indiana would like to welcome the following businesses that joined or rejoined during March 2025.

Advocacy-Update-Email-Header2

Advocacy Update | 03.26.25

by with No Comment 1si NewsAdvocacy

Advocacy-Update-Email-Header2

At One Southern Indiana, we continue to learn about the policies that are impacting our communities. We encourage everyone to see upcoming deadlines. Below, read more information about the bills and updates. 

  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for House adoption of conference committee reports without Rules Committee approval 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for Senate adoption of conference committee reports without Rules Committee approval. 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for 3rd reading of House bills in the Senate. 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for 3rd reading of Senate bills in House. 

We invite you to learn more about local priorities at our Regional Leadership Luncheon Friday April 11th, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The event is an opportunity for you to meet and greet local officials, ask questions, and hear about their priorities for our communities. 

Click here to register. 

Check out 1si News and see all of our advocacy updates. Stay up to date and informed. Check out our news page here. 

Current List of Bills 1si Supports:  

SB-463: Child Care Matters  

Explanation: Adds additional qualified childcare for purposes of the employer childcare expenditure tax credit and extends the credit availability through July 1, 2027. The bill will help support adequate funding and staffing for Indiana childcare centers. The bill strongly ties to 1si’s call to action which emphasizes the affordability and quality of childcare.  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025-First reading: referred to Committee on Family, Children and Human Affairs 
  • Referred to the House 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 
  • 2/20/2025- House sponsor: Representative DeVon 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 198 
    • Yeas: 44 
    • Nays: 5 
 
SB-443: Business personal property tax 

Explanation: The bill proposed to increase business tax exemption by $20,000. This change should help reduce the administrative burden on small businesses, especially those with few fixed assets. However, the impact of the increase is expected to be minor, as it is a relatively small adjustment.  

  • Status:   
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/14/2025- Referred to the House  
  • 2/13/2025- House sponsor: Representative Snow  
  • 2/13/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 127: 
    • Yeas: 39 
    • Nays: 7  
 
 HB-1172: Office of entrepreneurship and innovation  
  • Status:  
  • 2/20/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Commerce and Technology 
  • 2/12/2025- Referred to the Senate  
  • 2/11/2025- Senate sponsor: Senator Buchanan  
  • 2/11/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call  
    • Yeas: 131  
    • Nays: 7  
 
HB-1248: Child Care and Development Fund  

Explanation: The bill will help prioritize foster parents to gain assistance through the Childcare Development Fund. The bill strongly connects to 1si’s call to action to increase the availability and affordability of childcare.  

  • Status:   
  • 3/20/2025- Motion to concur filed 
  • 3/19/2025- Returned to the House with amendments 
  • 3/18/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 248 
    • Yeas: 49 
    • Nays: 0 
  • 3/17/2025- Amendment #1 (Brown L) prevailed; voice vote 
  • 3/17/2025- Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed 
  • 3/10/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 

 

Current List of Bills 1si is Monitoring:  

Senate Bills:  
SB-1: Property Tax Relief  

Explanation: We are closely monitoring this bill because the changes to residential and personal taxes significantly impact infrastructure, municipal funding, and workforce education. Based on the reports from the Association of Indiana Counties, you can see the impact of SB-1 here. In light of the bill, we are strongly advocating for the clarity of the expected impacts of this bill on businesses and individuals from our local government officials and elected state officials. We strongly advise our members to understand the bill’s effect within our communities.  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/19/2025- Representatives Snow and Jordan added as cosponsors 
  • 2/18/2025- Referred to the House 
 
SB-314:  Pass through entity tax  
  • Status:  
  • 3/24/2025- Pursuant to Senate Rule 68(b); reassigned to Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedure 
  • 3/21/2025- Returned to the Senate with amendments 
  • 3/20/2025- Third Reading: passed; Roll Call 290 
    • Yeas: 84 
    • Nays: 5 
  • 3/17/2025- Second reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/13/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 
 
SB-423: Small modular nuclear reactor pilot program 
  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications 
  • 2/4/2025- Referred to House  
  • 2/3/2025- House sponsor: Representative Soliday  
  • 2/3/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 60  
    • Yeas:  41  
    • Nays:  7   
 
SB-426: Water utilities 
  • Status:  
  • 3/21/20- Returned to the Senate without amendments 
  • 3/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 292 
    • Yeas: 76
    • Nays: 15 
  • 3/17/2025- Second reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/13/2025- Committee report: do pass, adopted 
 
SB-488: Skills training pilot program  
  • Status:  
  • 3/20/2025- Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3 
  • 3/20/2025- Committee report: do pass, adopted 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Employment, Labor and Pensions 
 
SB-518: School property taxes 
  • Status: 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 210 
    • Yeas: 28 
    • Nays: 21 
 
House Bills 
HB-1003: Health matters

Explanation: Addresses site-neutral payment requirements, burdensome 340B requirements, the extension of site-neutral payments to nonprofit hospital settings, and hospital billing requirements.  

  • Status: 
  • 3/3/2025- Pursuant to Senate Rule 68(b); reassigned to Committee on Health and Provider Services 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions 
  • 2/19/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/18/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 201 
    • Yeas: 66 
    • Nays: 32 
 
HB-1004: Nonprofit Hospitals

Education: Loss of non-profit status is any charge item is in excess of 300% of Medicare and includes an excise tax to be imposed upon a hospital each time the hospital charges a patient a facility fee that exceeds 265% of Medicare. 

  • Status: 
  • 3/20/2025- Committee report: do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 239 
    • Yeas: 68 
    • Nays: 26 
 
HB-1214: Workers’ compensation  
  • Status:  
  • 3/20/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 
  • 2/18/2025- First Reading: Referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions  
  • 2/5/2025- Referred to the Senate  
  • 2/04/2025- Senate sponsor- Senator Zay  
 
HB-1226: Medicare supplement insurance  
  • Status:  
  • 3/20/2025- Committee report: do pass, adopted 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions 
  • 2/18/2025- Referred to the Senate  
  • 2/17/2025- Senate Sponsors: Senators Walter K and Qaddoura  
 
HB-1347: Real estate matters 
  • Status:  
  • 3/19/2025- Returned to the House with amendments 
  • 3/18/2025- Third reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/17/2025- Second reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/13/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 

You can find a copy of the 1si 2024 Advocacy Agenda by visiting https://1si.org/advocacy/ or downloading a PDF copy here.   

Economic Update | Will Uncertainty Cause a Slowdown?

by with No Comment 1si NewsEconomic Development

submitted by
Uric Dufrene, Ph.D., Sanders Chair in Business, Indiana University Southeast

With consumers making up 2/3rds of the U.S. economy, they have a large sway over the macroeconomy trajectory.  Over the past year, for example, economic growth remained strong largely due to consumer spending. Making up one of four components of GDP (gross domestic product), along with investment, government spending, and net exports, it was consumption that drove the strong economic growth of the past year. Given the outsized role and the contributions to last year’s growth, consumers will have a large say in what happens to the economic landscape over 2025.       

In a nutshell, signs are beginning to point to some hesitation. Both soft and hard economic indicators show that consumers may balk. 

Coming out of the pandemic, a combination of government stimulus and supply shortages caused inflation to accelerate to a 40-year high. Consumer sentiment plummeted as a result, reaching historical lows. In fact, consumer sentiment was even lower than levels associated with prior recessions, but the U.S. escaped any recession. As inflation decelerated, consumer moods were improving, and sentiment began an upward climb. Consumer confidence, another measure that is tilted more toward the effects of the labor market, also was down, but with the strong job market, levels were not at historically low levels.     

Following the election, optimism, as measured by both consumer confidence and sentiment, surged. It was not just consumers.  Small business optimism had one of the largest spikes in the history of the series.  The last time a similar spike had been observed was after the 2016 presidential election.    

Then uncertainty emerged, kryptonite to markets and the economy. Administration messages of tariffs on and tariffs off. Tariffs up, and tariffs down. Carve-outs and exemptions. The off-and-on-and-ups and downs introduce something called risk. Throw in more risk, especially risk that was not necessarily anticipated, and this will serve as the killer to any stock market. Higher risk means lower asset values, and the NASDAQ moved into correction territory.  Just like that, trillions of value destroyed.  And capital likes to flow to the highest rate of return, other things equal, and the result is an exodus of capital from the USA.  A recent fund manager survey showed the biggest drop in US equity allocation on record, with the US showing the largest decline and the Eurozone showing the largest gain in equity allocations.    

What does this have to do with the economy and the consumer?  As we’ve written in the past, two of the main reasons for consumer resiliency were the labor market and household net worth, driven by a combination of home values and equity investments, i.e., the stock market. Corrections have happened in the past and are part of historical stock market patterns, but investment behavior is also influenced by expectations, and the current level of uncertainty, along with stock market declines and volatility, were not exactly expected.     

We see the impact of uncertainty on consumer activity here in Louisville Metro. Examining foot traffic for seven consumer-related industries, restaurants, shopping centers, home improvement, theaters and music venues, hobbies, gifts and crafts, hotels and casinos, and clothing, we see a stark change in behavior from early December (when expectations were running high) to late February. In early December, five out of the seven industries were running above trend with foot traffic, compared to the year before. The latest data show that six of seven are now running below trend, with negative changes compared to the previous year.  Only hobbies, gifts, and crafts are just slightly above trend. Puzzles anyone? 

Other spinoffs of uncertainty. In the latest NFIB survey, only 12% of owners reported it was a good time to expand their business.  This was down 5 points from the previous survey, and was the largest decline since April 2020, during the height of the Covid recession.   And only 37% of the respondents expect the economy to improve, down 10 points from the previous month. All this is the product of uncertainty, as the uncertainty index rose another four points, the second highest level of uncertainty since the early 90s. With uncertainty, small business owners are less likely to take risks, seek financing, or commit to major capital investment. This will act as a squeeze on the economy, contributing to a slowdown in overall growth.  The latest Atlanta Fed GDP Now estimate of GDP for the first quarter is a minus 1.8%.  A big driver of this is the surge in imports due to the threat of tariffs.  But negative is negative, and that’s where the latest estimate stands. If this holds, it will be the first negative change in GDP since the first quarter of 2022, and who knows, maybe one of the fastest pivots in the economy, from U.S. exceptionalism to a self-inflicted slowdown.   

Advocacy-Update-Email-Header2

Advocacy Update | 03.19.25

by with No Comment 1si NewsAdvocacy

Advocacy-Update-Email-Header2

At One Southern Indiana, we continue to learn about the policies that are impacting our communities. We encourage everyone to see upcoming deadlines. Below, read more information about the bills and updates. 

  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for House adoption of conference committee reports without Rules Committee approval 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for Senate adoption of conference committee reports without Rules Committee approval. 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for 3rd reading of House bills in the Senate. 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for 3rd reading of Senate bills in House. 

We invite you to learn more about local priorities at our Regional Leadership Luncheon Friday April 11th, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The event is an opportunity for you to meet and greet local officials, ask questions, and hear about their priorities for our communities. 

Click here to register. 

Check out 1si News and see all of our advocacy updates. Stay up to date and informed. Check out our news page here. 

 

Current List of Bills 1si Supports:  

SB-463: Child Care Matters  

Explanation:  Adds additional qualified childcare for purposes of the employer childcare expenditure tax credit and extends the credit availability through July 1, 2027. The bill will help support adequate funding and staffing for Indiana childcare centers. The bill strongly ties to 1si’s call to action which emphasizes the affordability and quality of childcare.  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025-First reading: referred to Committee on Family, Children and Human Affairs 
  • Referred to the House 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 
  • 2/20/2025- House sponsor: Representative DeVon 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 198 
    • Yeas: 44 
    • Nays: 5 

 SB-443: Business personal property tax  

Explanation: The bill proposed to increase business tax exemption by $20,000. This change should help reduce the administrative burden on small businesses, especially those with few fixed assets. However, the impact of the increase is expected to be minor, as it is a relatively small adjustment.  

  • Status:   
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/14/2025- Referred to the House  
  • 2/13/2025- House sponsor: Representative Snow  
  • 2/13/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 127: 
    • Yeas: 39 
    • Nays: 7  

 HB-1172: Office of entrepreneurship and innovation  

  • Status:  
  • 2/20/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Commerce and Technology
  • 2/12/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/11/2025- Senate sponsor: Senator Buchanan 
  • 2/11/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 
    • Yeas: 131 
    • Nays: 7  

HB-1248: Child Care and Development Fund  

Explanation: The bill will help prioritize foster parents to gain assistance through the Childcare Development Fund. The bill strongly connects to 1si’s call to action to increase the availability and affordability of childcare. 

  • Status:   
  • 3/10/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Family and Children Services 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/20/2025- Senate sponsors: Senators Brown L and Charbonneau 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 244 
    • Yeas: 89 
    • Nays: 0 

Current List of Bills 1si is Monitoring: 

Senate Bills:  

SB-1: Property Tax Relief  

Explanation: We are closely monitoring this bill because the changes to residential and personal taxes significantly impact infrastructure, municipal funding, and workforce education. Based on the reports from the Association of Indiana Counties, you can see the impact of SB-1 here. In light of the bill, we are strongly advocating for the clarity of the expected impacts of this bill on businesses and individuals from our local government officials and elected state officials. We strongly advise our members to understand the bill’s effect within our communities.  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/19/2025- Representatives Snow and Jordan added as cosponsors 
  • 2/18/2025- Referred to the House 

SB-314: Pass through entity tax  

  • Status:  
  • 3/17/2025- Second reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/13/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 

 SB-423: Small modular nuclear reactor pilot program 

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications 
  • 2/4/2025- Referred to House  
  • 2/3/2025- House sponsor: Representative Soliday  
  • 2/3/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 60  
    • Yeas 41  
    • Nays:7   

SB-426: Water utility infrastructure 

  • Status:  
  • 3/17/2025- second reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/13/2025- Committee report: do pass, adopted 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications 
  • 2/12/2025- Referred to the House  

SB-488: Skills training pilot program  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Employment, Labor and Pensions 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 205: 
    • Yeas: 45 
    • Nays: 2 

SB-518: School property taxes 

  • Status: 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 210 
    • Yeas: 28 
    • Nays: 21 

House Bills: 

HB-1003: Health matters. 

Explanation: Addresses site-neutral payment requirements, burdensome 340B requirements, the extension of site-neutral payments to nonprofit hospital settings, and hospital billing requirements.  

  • Status:
  • 3/3/2025- Pursuant to Senate Rule 68(b); reassigned to Committee on Health and Provider Services 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions 
  • 2/19/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/18/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 201 
    • Yeas: 66 
    • Nays: 32 

HB-1004: Nonprofit Hospitals  

Education: Loss of non-profit status is any charge item is in excess of 300% of Medicare and includes an excise tax to be imposed upon a hospital each time the hospital charges a patient a facility fee that exceeds 265% of Medicare. 

  • Status: 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 239 
    • Yeas: 68 
    • Nays: 26 

HB-1214: Worker’s compensation  

  • Status:  
  • 2/18/2025- First Reading: Referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions  
  • 2/5/2025- Referred to the Senate  
  • 2/04/2025- Senate sponsor- Senator Zay  
  • 2/4/2025- Third Reading passed; Roll Call 85:  
    • Yeas: 89  
    • Nays:0  

HB-1226: Medicare supplement insurance  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions 
  • 2/18/2025- Referred to the Senate  
  • 2/17/2025- Senate Sponsors: Senators Walter K and Qaddoura  
  • 2/17/2025- Third Reading: Passed; Roll Call:  
    • Yeas: 94  
    • Nays: 0  
  • 2/13/2025- Amendment #1 (Dant Chesser) prevailed; voice vote  

HB-1347: Real estate matters 

  • Status:  
  • 3/17/2025- Second reading: ordered engrossed 
  • 3/13/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 
  • 2/18/2025- First Reading- Referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions  

 You can find a copy of the 1si 2024 Advocacy Agenda by visiting https://1si.org/advocacy/ or downloading a PDF copy here.   

Nonprofit Spotlight | NAMI Louisville

by with No Comment 1si NewsNonprofit Spotlight
NAMI Louisville
708 Magazine St., Suite 144
Louisville, KY  40208
PH: 502- 588-2008
namilouisville.org

Contact Person:
Anita Whitworth, Outreach Coordinator

Agency Mission Statement or Description:

Year established: 1979

Our Mission:

To strengthen families and individuals affected by mental illness through education, support, and advocacy.

Counties/regions serviced: Jefferson County and surrounding counties, Southern Indiana

Focus areas: Educate, Support and Advocate at the county, state, and national levels for non-discriminatory access to quality healthcare, housing, education, and employment for people with mental illness.  

Impact on the community:

NAMI Louisville provides many initiatives to support the community:

  • Support Groups and Classes- Support individuals and families struggling with mental health to find connection and support. These free classes and support groups reached over 2,000 individuals annually.
  • Outreach Assistance-Connecting individuals and families to desperately needed resources. We have assisted countless people in finding mental health resources each year.
  • Suicide Prevention Training empowers individuals to navigate a mental health crisis utilizing QPR (Question, Persuade, & Refer method. In 2024 we trained over 450 individuals to empower all to take action for those in crisis.
  • NAMI Louisville Stigma-Free Workplace Initiative promotes mental health awareness for businesses, organizations, and employees by offering workshops and materials on mental health topics in order to make the workplace a safe environment to seek mental health support.
  • Youth Advisory Council – a place for youth to learn and be heard while becoming youth advocates of mental health.
  • De-Escalation Training-support for LMPD’s Crisis Intervention Team. We have worked with the LMPD to provide CIT Training to over 600 state and local police officers in the past three years.
  • Understanding Mental Illnesses Training – assisted in educating LMDC on Mental Illness and working strategies on working with individuals in the Louisville Metro Department Corrections System.
  • NAMI Wellness Wheels Is a renovated bus will visit schools, youth organizations and community events where young people can come on board to learn about mental health, their developing emotions, coping skills, and how to be an advocate for their peers. 

Volunteer Opportunities: We welcome volunteers to help with vendor fairs, NAMI events, NAMI committees and programs.

How can 1si members help your organization:

Members can support NAMI Louisville by partnering with us through the established Stigma Free Partnerships and other programming.

Advocacy Update | 03.13.25

by with No Comment 1si NewsAdvocacy

The House is back in session this week. As we are about halfway through session, we encourage everyone to see upcoming deadlines. One Southern Indiana continues to watch for bills that impact our current businesses and communities according to our 2025 advocacy agenda. Below, read more information about the bills and updates. 

  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for House adoption of conference committee reports without Rules Committee approval 
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Last day for Senate adoption of conference committee reports without Rules Committee approval. 
  • Tuesday April 15, 2025: Last day for 3rd reading of House bills in the Senate. 
  • Tuesday April 15, 2025: Last day for 3rd reading of Senate bills in House. 

We invite you to learn more about local priorities at our Regional Leadership Luncheon Friday April 11th, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The event is an opportunity for you to meet and greet local officials, ask questions, and hear about their priorities for our communities. 

Click here to register. 

Members of our Advocacy Committee visited the State House in Indianapolis and met with Representatives and Senators to discuss the priorities on our agenda and have an impact on our surrounding communities. 

Check out 1si News and see all of our advocacy updates. Stay up-to-date and informed. Check out our news page here. 

 

Current List of Bills 1si Supports:  

SB-463: Child Care Matters  

Explanation:  Adds additional qualified childcare for purposes of the employer childcare expenditure tax credit and extends the credit availability through July 1, 2027. The bill will help support adequate funding and staffing for Indiana childcare centers. The bill strongly ties to 1si’s call to action which emphasizes the affordability and quality of childcare.  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025-First reading: referred to Committee on Family, Children and Human Affairs 
  • Referred to the House 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 
  • 2/20/2025- House sponsor: Representative DeVon 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 198 
    • Yeas: 44 
    • Nays: 5 

SB-443: Business personal property tax  

Explanation: The bill proposed to increase business tax exemption by $20,000. This change should help reduce the administrative burden on small businesses, especially those with few fixed assets. However, the impact of the increase is expected to be minor, as it is a relatively small adjustment.  

  • Status:   
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/14/2025- Referred to the House  
  • 2/13/2025- House sponsor: Representative Snow  
  • 2/13/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 127: 
    • Yeas: 39 
    • Nays: 7  

  HB-1172: Office of entrepreneurship and innovation  

  • Status:  
  • 2/20/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Commerce and Technology 
  • 2/12/2025- Referred to the Senate  
  • 2/11/2025- Senate sponsor: Senator Buchanan  
  • 2/11/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call  
    • Yeas: 131  
    • Nays: 7  

 HB-1248: Child Care and Development Fund  

Explanation: The bill will help prioritize foster parents to gain assistance through the Childcare Development Fund. The bill strongly connects to 1si’s call to action to increase the availability and affordability of childcare.  

  • Status:   
  • 3/10/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Family and Children Services 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/20/2025- Senate sponsors: Senators Brown L and Charbonneau 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 244 
    • Yeas: 89 
    • Nays: 0 

Current List of Bills 1si is Monitoring:  

Senate Bills:  

SB-1: Property Tax Relief  

Explanation: We are closely monitoring this bill because the changes to residential and personal taxes significantly impact infrastructure, municipal funding, and workforce education. Based on the reports from the Association of Indiana Counties, you can see the impact of SB-1 here. In light of the bill, we are strongly advocating for the clarity of the expected impacts of this bill on businesses and individuals from our local government officials and elected state officials. We strongly advise our members to understand the bill’s effect within our communities.  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/19/2025- Representatives Snow and Jordan added as cosponsors 
  • 2/18/2025- Referred to the House 

SB-314: Pass through entity tax  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/11/2025- Referred to House  
  • 2/10/2025- Third reading passed, roll call 90:  
    • Yeas: 45  
    • Nays: 4  
  • 2/10/2025- Senate Bills on Third Reading  

SB-423: Small modular nuclear reactor pilot program 

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications 
  • 2/4/2025- Referred to House  
  • 2/3/2025- House sponsor: Representative Soliday  
  • 2/3/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 60  
    • Yeas: 41  
    • Nays: 7   

SB-426: Water utility infrastructure 

Status:  

  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications 
  • 2/12/2025- Referred to the House  
  • 2/11/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 108  
    • Yeas: 46  
    • Nays: 3  

 SB-488: Skills training pilot program  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Employment, Labor and Pensions 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 205: 
    • Yeas: 45 
    • Nays: 2 

SB-518: School property taxes 

  • Status: 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the House 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 210 
    • Yeas: 28 
    • Nays 21 
House Bills 

HB-1003: Health matters. 

Explanation: Addresses site-neutral payment requirements, burdensome 340B requirements, the extension of site-neutral payments to nonprofit hospital settings, and hospital billing requirements.  

  • Status 
  • 3/3/2025- Pursuant to Senate Rule 68(b); reassigned to Committee on Health and Provider Services 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions 
  • 2/19/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/18/2025- Third reading passed; Roll Call 201 
    • Yeas: 66 
    • Nays: 32 

HB-1004: Nonprofit Hospitals  

Explanation: Loss of non-profit status is any charge item is in excess of 300% of Medicare and includes an excise tax to be imposed upon a hospital each time the hospital charges a patient a facility fee that exceeds 265% of Medicare. 

  • Status: 
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services 
  • 2/21/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/20/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll Call 239 
    • Yeas: 68 
    • Nays: 26 

HB-1214: Worker’s compensation 

  • Status:  
  • 2/18/2025- First Reading: Referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions 
  • 2/5/2025- Referred to the Senate 
  • 2/04/2025- Senate sponsor- Senator Zay  
  • 2/4/2025- Third Reading passed; Roll Call 85:  
    • Yeas: 89  
    • Nays: 0  

HB-1226: Medicare supplement insurance  

  • Status:  
  • 3/3/2025- First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions 
  • 2/18/2025- Referred to the Senate  
  • 2/17/2025- Senate Sponsors: Senators Walter K and Qaddoura  
  • 2/17/2025- Third Reading: Passed; Roll Call:  
    • Yeas: 94  
    • Nays: 0  
  • 2/13/2025- Amendment #1 (Dant Chesser) prevailed; voice vote  

HB-1347: Real estate matters 

  • Status:  
  • 2/18/2025- First Reading- Referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions  
  • 1/29/2025- Referred to the Senate  
  • 1/28/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll call 33:  
    • Yeas 91 
    • Nays 1   

You can find a copy of the 1si 2024 Advocacy Agenda by visiting https://1si.org/advocacy/ or downloading a PDF copy here.   

Economic Update | Southern Indiana Payrolls Accelerate

by with No Comment 1si NewsEconomic Development
–Slower growth emerging for nation 

submitted by
Uric Dufrene, Ph.D., Sanders Chair in Business, Indiana University Southeast

It has been an exhausting roller coaster ride for the past couple of weeks.  As we mentioned in the two updates, we are seeing changes in the indicators that point to a pivot in the economy, from solid to slower growth, and a reversal of optimism, from upbeat to diminishing.   Before we start with some of the emerging negatives, let’s take a quick look at some good news: the latest data on Southern Indiana. 

County payroll data were recently released, and the results were very favorable for Southern Indiana. Payrolls, or jobs located in the five Indiana counties of the Louisville Metropolitan area, surged for the 3rd quarter of 2024, increasing by 1,816 compared to the prior year.  Health care once again led all job gains, with the industry adding over 1,000 jobs.  Transportation and warehousing added almost 700 jobs.  Since Covid, this industry has gained over 2,000 jobs.  Other industries increasing by 200 payrolls, plus or minus, include wholesale and retail trade, professional, scientific and technical services, and educational services.    The growth of all these industries points to a strong Southern Indiana economy in the second half of 2024.    

Other notable positives in the report include the increase in establishments and wages. Establishments increased by 138, the largest increase since the first quarter of 2023. Total wages, an accumulation of all wages paid by establishments located in the five Indiana counties of the Louisville MSA region, saw the largest increase on record. Total wages increased by $231 million, partly driven by the largest increase in average weekly wages of $139.   As a comparison, the largest increase prior to this level was $170 million back in 2022.  A closer look at the data indicates that these wage gains were driven primarily by the retail trade sector, showing a significant jump in average weekly wages. The jump is unusual, so this might require some additional scrutiny.   

Manufacturing, suffering from the nationwide manufacturing slump, lost more than 700 jobs, now 6 consecutive quarters of payroll declines. Outside of recessions, the most recent time of slower manufacturing growth occurred in 2018 and 2019. Recent national developments point to a deteriorating environment. The latest ISM report, a measure of the state of manufacturing and developed from surveying purchasing managers, edged closer to contraction again, but more alarmingly was the significant drop in new orders and a spike in prices.   

This leads us to the national economy. Uncertainty, largely driven by the seemingly daily changes in tariff policy, is having an impact on consumer and business sentiment.  The latest Conference Board Consumer Confidence number, a series that had been more positive than the alternative Michigan consumer sentiment measure, dropped, and the decline was larger than expected. Consumer spending, measuring both goods and services spending, dropped 2/10ths of a percent, the largest decline since February 2021. The decline would have been even higher without the large increase in housing and utilities, reflective of higher rent payments and home ownership costs.   

The last national employment report showed a solid increase in payrolls. Even though the change was less than expected, an increase of 151,000 provided some confidence that the labor market is maintaining some strength. Unemployment claims spiked to 242,000 the week before last but fell back to a level closer to 200,000. The household component of the employment report was less favorable. Employment declined by more than 500,000, and the labor force participation rate, an important input to the supply side of the economy, declined by 2/10ths of a percent. The result was an increase in the unemployment rate from 4% to 4.1%. 

The Beige Book, the Federal Reserve publication based on feedback and input from business organizations throughout each district, shared light to some of the concerns around uncertainty. The St. Louis District portion of the report, which covers Southern Indiana and Kentucky, cited that “contacts across multiple industries expressed uncertainty about the impact of policy changes and were holding off investment until further clarity.”  Contacts indicated that the “outlook has declined from slightly optimistic to neutral.”  The volatility in equity markets, connected to policy uncertainty, along with a decline in confidence and optimism by both consumers and businesses, will push slower growth over the near term.  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated in a recent interview that one of the goals of the administration was to decrease the rate on the 10-Year Treasury.   The 10-Year is in fact, declining, but for the wrong reasons, slowing growth and now a recession on the horizon. One positive is that reductions by the Federal Reserve may now be back on the table sooner than expected from just two weeks ago.