‘Who’s going to work there?’: Lawmakers grapple with labor shortages

INDIANAPOLIS — For years, Indiana’s GOP-controlled legislature has focused on creating a business-friendly climate by pushing favorable tax rates and regulations, aiming to foster the creation of good-paying jobs across the state.

The way Republican state Sen. Michael Crider sees it, those moves have worked: Companies such as Amazon and Walmart have built new warehouses and fulfillment centers in his district just east of Indianapolis.

But it didn’t take long for him to realize how all those new private-sector jobs could further strain short-handed local governments.