Millions enrolled in new student loan repayment program
More than 4 million federal student loan borrowers are enrolled in the Biden administration’s new repayment program, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education.
Indiana Capital Chronicle
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Delta-8 in dispute: Following attorney general’s guidance, industry files suit
When Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita issued the opinion in January this year declaring that delta-8 and hemp-derived products are illegal, law enforcement around the state took note — and some members of the hemp industry promptly filed suit.
Utility regulator staffer leaving to work as industry lobbyist
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission’s chief of staff will soon leave the agency to lobby for an electric utility group.
Groundbreaking official for big improvements to Indiana Law Enforcement Academy
Tuesday marked another major groundbreaking in Indiana — this time for an overhaul of the state’s law enforcement training academy.
After a year of permitless carry in Indiana, handgun licenses and related misdemeanors drop
One year after Indiana removed the permit requirement to legally carry a handgun, applications for firearm licenses have dwindled — and so has the number of misdemeanors filed for unlawful carry.
Indiana has paid out $1 million in restitution to 8 wrongfully incarcerated people
Harold Buntin spent 13 years in prison for a rape and robbery he didn’t commit. In February — 37 years after his false conviction — the state of Indiana agreed to pay him more than half a million dollars in restitution for his trouble.
Indiana attorney general seeks info about gender-affirming care with subpoena-like demands
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office has issued at least three civil investigative demands to medical providers as he continues to seek out information regarding gender-affirming care practices across the state.
One year of 988: Indiana reports high in-state response rate, but progress ongoing
The relaunching and rebranding of the nationwide suicide prevention line as 988 — designed to be a mental health counterpart to 911 emergency services — arrived amid a year of record-high suicide deaths, according to provisional federal data.
More than 744k Hoosiers on Medicaid affected in software breach
The names, addresses, case numbers and Medicaid numbers of more than 744,000 Hoosiers on Medicaid were exposed in a contractor’s late May security breach, Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration announced Friday.
From prayer to books, Rokita updates ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita released a fourth edition of his “Parents’ Bill of Rights” document Tuesday, outlining what Hoosier parents can do to “oversee and participate in the part of our children’s education that occurs outside of the home.”
DOC plans to close Indiana State Prison as part of new Westville project — which now tops $1.2B
The Indiana Department of Correction plans to close the state prison in Michigan City after a new, $1.2 billion prison facility was approved last week by budget regulators. That’s a change from the DOC’s previous plan to keep both prison sites open.
States seek to let teens as young as 14 serve booze in restaurants
There’s a growing trend among states to propose and enact legislation allowing teens — as young as 14 — to serve alcohol in restaurants, among laws rolling back other child labor limits.
Pence criticizes Trump, ‘crackpot lawyers’ at Indiana State Fair campaign stop
Speaking at an Indianapolis campaign stop Wednesday, former Vice President Mike Pence further distanced himself from his previous boss, Donald Trump, as tensions continue to flare on the nomination trail.
Indiana Medical Licensing Board finalizes ruling that Bernard violated patient privacy laws
The Indiana Medical Licensing Board has finalized administrative charges against Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who board members determined violated state and federal patient privacy laws when she publicly discussed a 10-year-old rape victim seeking an abortion.
Indiana lawmakers could further dilute state wetlands protections following SCOTUS decision
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling from earlier this year will effectively remove federal protections for most of Indiana’s wetlands — and enable Hoosier lawmakers to repeal already-weakened state protections for those areas.
GOP Rep. Jim Lucas kept off interim committees after DUI crash
Republican State Rep. Jim Lucas is effectively in timeout after he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in connection with his May arrest for driving under the influence.
Dentists and state regulators at odds over compliance fund spending
Indiana dentists and hygienists have for a decade paid a $20 compliance fee every other year as part of license renewals. But that changes this year, after a long-simmering dispute between dentists and state regulators boiled over.
Settlement reached in Sen. Tyler Johnson malpractice case
An Indiana senator’s medical malpractice case involving the 2018 death of a young woman has reached an “agreed resolution,” according to court records.
Gubernatorial candidate Curtis Hill talks race, education, scandal
Last week, former Attorney General Curtis Hill threw his hat into the ring to succeed Gov. Eric Holcomb. The social conservative is well-recognized around the state, complicating the calculus of candidates vying for the same electorate in the 2024 primary.
Top GOP gubernatorial contenders haul in donations
Three top GOP candidates for Indiana governor far out-raised their fellow hopefuls in semi-annual campaign finance reports released Monday, with U.S. Sen. Mike Braun recording the largest haul.