At its monthly meeting Thursday, the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority board heard how items passed during Indiana’s legislative session will affect the region’s tourism.
“More questions came out of this session than answers,” said Andrew Miller, managing principal for Bose Public Affairs, which prepared the presentation Thursday.
Miller and Phil Siscuso, principal for Bose Public Affairs, highlighted four items that were part of Gov. Mike Braun’s agenda during the legislative session: tax reform, government efficiencies, economic growth and health care.
Government efficiencies take a business-like approach to government, Miller said, and he believes the Braun administration made that a priority. During the Indiana General Assembly, Miller said officials focused on how to prepare for a “data center economy” and energy costs.
“Data centers are huge consumers of energy,” Miller said. “Is Indiana prepared for that?”
Energy conversations also tie in with economic growth, Miller said.
Miller and Siscuso also highlighted the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission, which was created this legislative session as part of House Enrolled Act 1292, written by Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago.
The commission will be tasked with exploring and implementing strategies to attract sports franchises to the region.
According to Post-Tribune archives, the commission would have 17 members, including mayors from East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Michigan City, LaPorte, Portage and South Bend, while the remaining members would be appointed by various people, including the executive director of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, and Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph county leaders.
Both Miller and Siscuso said the commission will be beneficial for Northwest Indiana.
Miller also mentioned Senate Enrolled Act 1, which creates property tax reform in Indiana. The effects of Senate Enrolled Act 1 are still yet to be fully known statewide.
The group highlighted economic growth and government efficiency because this legislative session fell during a budget year, Siscuso said. The Indiana General Assembly creates a two-year budget every other year.
“One thing that came at the end of session that’s more evident was that we’re running a bit lower on tax revenues than the state had anticipated, and government efficiency took over the statehouse for the last two weeks,” Siscuso said.
This year, the Indiana Destination Development Corporation’s budget was cut to $3 million from $20 million, he added. The IDDC is Indiana’s state tourism organization.
Phil Taillon, president and CEO of the SSCVA, said it’s more important than ever that the organization is more efficient with money from its innkeepers tax.
Nicole Wolverton, chief financial officer, said Thursday that the reported innkeepers tax for April — which reflects February’s numbers — was more than $50,000 less than it was in 2024.
The SSCVA also received about $23,000 less in gross payments, bringing the organization more than $70,000 down from what was collected in 2024.
In January and February, Wolverton shared that numbers decreased for the final two months of 2024 as well.
Although innkeepers tax numbers decreased, Wolverton said the organization is still on track for appropriations.
When Braun was in Munster for a chamber of commerce luncheon, Taillon said they talked about tourism in Northwest Indiana.
“I told him that we’re really focused on how we get dollars from Chicago to Northwest Indiana,” Taillon said. “Tourism dollars are so important for driving and growing communities or regions, and (Braun) feels the same way.”
At the SSCVA’s March meeting, the board reduced funding for Festival of the Lakes in Hammond and Pierogi Fest in Whiting, according to Post-Tribune archives. The board approved a $15,000 sponsorship of Festival of the Lakes when they usually pay $20,000.
The reduced funding came as result of a lawsuit with former President and CEO Speros Batistatos.
The organization has spent almost a quarter of a million dollars in the ongoing legal battle, which only covers one law firm involved, Barnes and Thornberg, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Batistatos sued the SSCVA one month after it fired him, alleging the organization violated the law while handling his contract renegotiations due to his age and misspent federal Payroll Protection Plan funds in violation of the CARES Act, which the board disputes.
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com