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The NCAA’s decision to allow fans to attend March Madness could mean thousands more people in central Indiana. The addition of limited fans at the Men’s Division I basketball championship next month is welcome news for Indiana’s hospitality industry.
Hotels and restaurants were already preparing to host 68 teams consisting of athletes, coaches, staff and family members. The latest decision allowing up to 25 percent capacity at each venue will increase the number of people coming to Indiana.
This follows the Super Bowl earlier this month where the number of fans was capped at 25,000. Lucas Oil Stadium could have up to 17,500 people including fans, teams and family members of participants.
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Jan 20, 2021 / 11:13 AM EST
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) President-Elect Joe Biden has proposed the federal minimum wage be raised from $7.25 per hour to $15 per hour.
That increase would pay raise comes with a catch: cutting tip wages.
Meanwhile, Indiana Democrats have come up with a similar proposal to increase Indiana’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $10 per hour in 2022, and then by $1 each year until it reaches $15 an hour. That proposal faces slim prospects in the Republican supermajority of the Indiana General Assembly.
Rob Strong, owner of downtown Indianapolis Stadium Tavern, said, for most bar and restaurant owners, the toughest part of the coronavirus pandemic was cutting staff and shortening their hours, something he fears could happen again if the minimum wage increases and the tip wages go away.
For Indiana businesses big and small, a top priority this year is protection from something that hasnât happened yet: lawsuits from people who claim to have contracted coronavirus at a store or company.
âWe want to be proactive against damaging lawsuits,â said Mark Fisher, chief policy director for the Indy Chamber. âDo you want to wait for the problem to arise to address it?â
Despite widespread concern about such lawsuits financially crippling businesses, there have been no known cases in Indiana. Still, businesses that spent the last year reacting to the unprecedented effects and regulations of the pandemic are trying to get ahead of what they, at least, anticipate will be a serious problem. Advocates for this protection say itâs critical to the industryâs financial recovery.