STATEHOUSE (May 19, 2010) - State Sen. Ron Alting (R-Lafayette) is ranked among the state’s most pro-job lawmakers, according to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber rankings listed Alting with the fourth highest percentage in the 50-member Senate for his employer-friendly voting record. The statewide organization credited the senator for supporting job growth and economic development in the state.

Votes on at least 40 key bills ranging from unemployment insurance and education to local government, transportation and the environment determined the scores. Alting supported in committee and on the Senate floor several new laws advocated by the Indiana Chamber.

Alting was among legislators who pushed for the delay of $400 million in new unemployment insurance premiums in 2010. He said avoiding these increases could help Hoosier employers retain or add workers.

Alting and other lawmakers also passed initiatives to help Hoosiers recover from the national recession:

• New Employer Tax Credits will be offered to businesses relocating or incorporating in Indiana. Qualified businesses must hire 10 or more full-time employees, not including owners;
• Small Business Tax Credits will be expanded to make small employers with fewer than 35 workers eligible for Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) credits;
• Small Business Ombudsman will be an advocate for small employers with state agencies, helping navigate regulations, streamline paperwork and coordinate due dates. Also, the ombudsman will monitor outdated, ineffective and overly burdensome reporting requests and red tape; and
• H.I.R.E. (Helping Indiana Re-start Employment) initiative will offer tax incentives to employers who hire and train unemployed and underemployed Hoosiers.

Another pro-business law Alting helped craft and was cited by the organization allows schools to claim up to 5 percent of funding normally dedicated to capital projects and use it for instructional purposes. Schools agreeing to pay freezes for staff, excluding those for years of experience and new degrees, can use up to 10 percent.

Alting said by allowing access to these already existing resources, money will be available to help schools prevent teacher layoffs and preserve instructional programs without raising new taxes to do so.

Although lawmakers made progress in 2010 toward moving the state forward, Alting said much work remains to help maintain jobs and attract new investments.

“Job creation, economic development and funding education continue to be top priorities for the Indiana Senate and me,” Alting said. “Next session, I will continue to help protect, maintain and attract high-paying jobs in Indiana in order to make our state a better place to live and raise a family.”

Sen. Alting represents Senate District 22, which includes a portion of Tippecanoe County.