30 days into FY19, higher taxes, cost of living taking a bigger bite out of Hoosiers’ paychecks

INDIANAPOLIS – On July 1, Hoosier motorists were greeted by higher prices at the pump thanks to another tax hike with orgins at the Indiana Statehouse. While the one-penny increase might not seem egregious, coupled with last year’s increases, Indiana is home to some of the highest state gasoline taxes in the nation. This isn’t new and working families aren’t just feeling it at the gas station. Between 2005 and 2016, the cost of living increased 60 percent while wages rose just 9 percent. It’s an economy that’s rapidly leaving some Hoosiers behind.

The rising cost of living has hit Hoosier families from all angles. The cost of child care in Indiana increased $1,000 between 2010 and 2016. Families who rely on summer child care are getting hit in the wallet as Indiana is the 7th most expensive state in the nation for that service. Hoosiers are set to face higher premiums on health care next year due largely to efforts Republicans have taken to sabotage the nation’s health care marketplace, last month’s insurance filings show.

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody lamented Indiana Republicans’ failure to grasp just how much pressure their inaction on kitchen table issues has put on working families.

“The cost of living keeps rising and Hoosiers’ wages just haven’t kept up,” said Zody. “The last thing working Hoosiers need is another tax hike from politicians in Indianapolis. After nearly a decade in complete control, Statehouse Republicans appear to have forgotten what it’s like to have to choose between paying the bills and putting food on the table.”

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