December 2007

Bayh Presses Forward with
Property Tax Relief Plan

Senator Evan Bayh has enlisted the support of 15 Senate colleagues to join his call to provide property tax relief to 32 million homeowners across the country who do not itemize their federal tax returns by allowing them to deduct their state and local property taxes. The Bayh legislation would provide relief to the nearly one million Hoosier homeowners who do not itemize their deductions on their federal tax returns.

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Congress Passes Bayh Legislation to Improve Care for Wounded Soldiers

The House and Senate passed legislation authored by Senator Bayh requiring the military to develop new policies to prevent lapses in care for wounded soldiers that were exposed by the tragic death of Indiana National Guardsman Sgt. Gerald Joseph Cassidy, who died while under the Army’s care in September.

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Lugar-Bayh Initiative
Included in Defense Bill

Congress authorized $50 million for the creation of a nuclear fuel bank, which Senators Lugar and Bayh proposed earlier this year. The funding was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and will be used to develop a bilateral and multilateral nuclear fuel supply, under the International Atomic Energy Agency. The creating of the bank, which would make nuclear fuel available to nations for peaceful energy purposes, is a step toward eliminating the need for individual countries to enrich nuclear fuel on their own.

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Bayh Calls on Fed Chair to Take Critical Steps
to Address Predatory Lending, Subprime Crisis

Senator Bayh called on the Federal Reserve to establish specific rules to combat predatory lending practices that have contributed to the nation’s subprime mortgage crisis. In a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Bayh and 16 of his Senate colleagues outlined four steps the Federal Reserve should take to end the abusive practices that have undermined the subprime mortgage market and created a significant drag on the nation's economy.

[ read more | read the letter ]

Bayh Urges Senate Judiciary Committee
to Strengthen Federal IP Enforcement

Senator Bayh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee urging them to send the Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Act, which he sponsored, to the floor for consideration, saying a stronger and more effective approach is needed to prevent the United States from losing its competitive advantage in the global marketplace. He pointed out that U.S. companies lose more than $250 billion each year and more than 750,000 jobs have been lost due to counterfeiting and piracy of American products by competitors in countries like China.

[ read more | listen to highlights ]

Bayh Proposes Tax Relief for Teachers Who Go Extra Mile

Indiana teachers who purchase school supplies for their students out of their own pockets would receive nearly $10 million in new tax relief under legislation co-sponsored by Senator Bayh. The average teacher spends $450 annually on classroom expenses, such as school supplies, but currently only $250 of that can be deducted on federal income taxes. The proposed legislation would increase that amount to $400.

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Bayh Pushes Bill to Increase Internet Safety
Programs to Protect Kids from Online Predators

Senator Bayh is pushing for more resources to help parents and teachers educate kids on how to protect themselves from online predators. Senator Bayh is cosponsoring a bill that would provide $10 million in grants for national, state and local community programs to implement and expand Internet education programs that would be free for parents and teachers.

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Bayh, Senate Colleagues Urge
Review of Video Game Rating System

Citing concerns over the rating given to a recently released video game, Senator Bayh and three of his Senate colleagues are urging the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) to revise or enhance its current rating system. The game, Manhunt 2, which allows players to simulate torture and murder, has now been given a rating of “Mature” rather than “Adults Only” by the ESRB, which means it may be more accessible to teens.

[ read more | read the letter ]

Bayh Alerts Hoosier Taxpayers to Claim
Undelivered IRS Tax Refund Checks

Senator Bayh announced that more than 1,600 Hoosiers have undelivered tax refund checks from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) totaling more than $1.2 million. In Indiana, 1,628 Hoosiers have undelivered refunds, averaging $764 per taxpayer. Taxpayers can receive their refund by updating their address with the agency.

[ read more | see the list ]

Bayh, Graham Introduce Legislation to Make
Illegal Alien Smuggling a Felony Offense

Smuggling illegal aliens across the U.S. border would become a felony offense punishable by five years in prison under legislation introduced today by Senators Evan Bayh and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Each year, between 700,000 to 800,000 people enter the United States illegally, according to the Pew Research Center.

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Bayh in the News

» Senator Bayh discusses Iran, CIA tapes scandal on CNN's Late Edition
CNN (transcript)

» Senators back Bayh's push for property tax deduction
Associated Press