Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kevin Brinegar said there's no reason for legislators to be hesitant in increasing taxes on smoking.

The House Republican budget included a 50 cent hike. But Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) said his caucus isn't prepared to do even that.

Indiana House Republicans want to spend at least $65 million less on traditional K-12 schools in their state budget plan than Gov. Eric Holcomb proposed.

A House committee made significant changes Thursday to the way Indiana would spend proceeds from a proposal to hike the state's cigarette tax for the first time in more than a decade and impose a new state tax on vaping liquids.

A House committee pulled back from a vote Monday on a bill to raise the state cigarette tax by $1 per pack.

Lawmakers have debated an increase in the cigarette tax for half a decade. Its even passed one chamber the House multiple times but never reached the finish line.

Businesses could stand to lose billions of dollars from lawsuits related to COVID-19. The Indiana Chamber's top priority for the upcoming legislative session will be to provide businesses some protections.

An effort to raise Indianas tobacco tax failed during this years legislative session as well as other attempts to reduce smoking in the Hoosier state.

People from around Indiana met at the Statehouse Tuesday to push lawmakers to raise the cigarette tax. The rally focused on the health benefits of such a measure.

Renewed attempts in Indiana to increase the taxes paid by cigarette smokers and legalize at least some marijuana use face cloudy futures with state lawmakers.