A pair of bills by a Noblesville lawmaker have advanced to the Indiana Senate for further consideration.
State Rep. Chuck Goodrich, R-Noblesville, authored House Bill 1290 to increase the state’s income tax credit from 10 percent to 12 percent. The legislation would provide additional tax relief to working Hoosiers struggling to make ends meet and is available to low- to moderate-income workers, Goodrich said.
“Increasing this tax credit could be a great benefit for working families around the state and can play a role in combating generational poverty,” Goodrich said. “We want to support those in the workforce, especially as employers continue to experience challenges filling job openings.”
Goodrich said the bill would also couple Indiana to the current federal earned income tax credit. By coupling with the federal tax credit, Goodrich said Hoosiers will benefit from the expanded relief, including families with foster children or more than three children.
A second piece of legislation, House Bill 1382, authored by Goodrich is also under consideration by the Indiana Senate. The bill would expand opportunities for Hoosier students to learn about the growing field of robotics.
Goodrich, who is a member of the House Education Committee, said the legislation would create a grant program for Hoosier schools to establish their own robotics teams.
“Robotics programs are instrumental to the future of STEM education, and can create hands-on, real-world learning experiences,” Goodrich said. “Creating this grant opportunity would allow students in schools large and small to explore the innovative and creative world of robotics.”
Goodrich said the legislation would create a grant fund managed by the Indiana Dept. of Education for K-12 schools to create and develop competitive robotics programs. Grant dollars could be used to pay for a team mentor, supplies, to participate in competitions, and to establish or maintain the team, he added.
Goodrich said the grants would ensure programs provide hands-on learning experiences, foster community partnerships and highlight career opportunities through the use of adult mentors, which he noted would prioritize a connection to manufacturing and machinery skills.
