Poll: Support for sales tax hike if property tax drops

INDIANAPOLIS — The majority of Indiana residents support raising the sales tax if it means a decrease in their property taxes, a new statewide poll found.

State lawmakers are considering several options for reducing the state’s reliance on property taxes — including a higher sales tax — but some legislators worry that the public would not support a tax increase of any kind.

However, The Indianapolis Star-WTHR poll published Monday found that 62 percent of adults in the state are willing to pay more sales taxes, while 27 percent oppose a higher sales tax rate and 11 percent are undecided.

The poll of 600 adults also found that Hoosiers are more divided on a proposal to raise the income tax to offset property taxes. About 45 percent said they are willing to pay a higher income tax rate, while 42 percent oppose an increase in the income tax.

State posts online applications ahead of media blitz

INDIANAPOLIS — Low-income adults without health insurance but access to the Internet can download applications for the new Healthy Indiana Plan due to begin Jan. 1.

The Family and Social Services Administration, which posted the application form Monday on the program’s Web site, www.in.gov/fssa/hip, estimates more than 550,000 people are eligible and it will enroll up to 130,000 in the program approved this year by the General Assembly.

Beginning next Monday, FSSA also will make applications available at its local Division of Family Resources offices, at Hoosier Healthwise enrollment centers and at some private social service providers.

The state is making the plan available to uninsured adults ages 18-64 in households earning up to twice the federal poverty level, a sliding scale that varies from $20,420 for a single individual to $41,300 for a family of four.

Ineligible are people whose employers offer health insurance, whether they’re enrolled in those plans or not.

FSSA will begin accepting the completed applications on Dec. 17.

Carson, ill with cancer, won’t seek re-election