Zoeller appoints Washington-based deputy AG
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has named a deputy who will monitor federal legislation and regulations in Washington that could impact the state.
Indiana General Assembly
Articles
House Judiciary, Senate Corrections committees to meet
The House Judiciary Committee this afternoon is conducting hearings on a pair of bills, and the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee will meet Tuesday.
Bill on habitual offender filing deadline moves out of committee
The Senate Committee on Corrections & Criminal Law voted this week to move legislation that will allow an indictment or information to be amended to include a habitual offender charge at any time before trial, as long as the amendment doesn’t prejudice the substantial rights of the defendant.
Indiana authors SCOTUS brief on legislative prayer
Indiana Solicitor General Thomas M. Fisher drafted an amicus brief filed in the Supreme Court of the United States Monday in Town of Greece, N.Y. v. Galloway, 12-696. The brief, joined by 17 other states, asks the nation’s highest court to grant cert petition and issue a ruling clarifying that prayer is permitted before legislative bodies without requiring leaders to screen prayers for sectarian references.
General Assembly begins 2013 session
The Indiana General Assembly convenes for the 2013 legislative session today with a new governor, many first-time legislators and a Republican supermajority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
School safety bill introduced into General Assembly
Calling it a “good first step” for school safety, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller outlined a proposed bill that would create a uniform standard for the school resource officers.
Dickson encourages compromise on House Democrat fines suit
Indiana Chief Justice Brent Dickson implored litigants to resolve a lawsuit over the collection of fines levied on House Democrats who walked out of the Legislature in 2011 and 2012.
New group aims to prevent many from enetering juvenile justice system
A number of federal and state agencies along with nonprofit organizations are working to help regain the youths’ footing after they stumble into trouble. Now, a new nonprofit has been formed with a focus on preventing children and teenagers from entering the juvenile justice system.
Pilot iPad program expanding in Indiana General Assembly
The process of turning a bill into a law requires thousands of pages of paper. Even the bills that do not become laws consume stacks and stacks – literally tons – of paper each year. But the tide may be turning. A pilot project in the Indiana General Assembly is being expanded with the goal of eventually replacing all that paper with electronic copies.
Woman who invited abusive spouse did not violate no-contact protective order
In a case of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled the Indiana General Assembly was deliberate when it did not criminalize the violation of a protective order by the protected person.
Hoosiers want legislators to focus on job creation
A survey released Thursday by the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University shows that 81 percent of residents want job creation to be the main priority for the Indiana General Assembly in 2013. This is the third straight year that Hoosiers said jobs are the No. 1 priority.
Drought fuels renewed drive for a statewide water policy
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is finding that there is nothing quite like a dry, arid, hot summer to spark people’s interest in water.
Lawmakers to look at marijuana penalties
There’s a growing appetite by some in the Legislature for leniency.
Strategic planning needed to improve child services
Justice Loretta Rush says a unified commission on children can bring stakeholders together and improve outcomes.
DCS study committee to hold last meeting Tuesday
The Department of Child Services Interim Study Committee will meet for the last time Tuesday in the Indiana Government Center to consider bill drafts, a final report and “other business,” according to the committee agenda.
Budget session will not prevent state senators from working to improve DCS
The Indiana Department of Child Services will be part of the legislative agenda during the Indiana General Assembly’s 2013 session.
Estate lawyers’ duty of responsibility clarified in proposed legislation
Estate attorneys are hoping the Indiana General Assembly will provide a remedy after a ruling by the Indiana Court of Appeals muddied the waters concerning the scope and duties of a lawyer working on behalf of an estate’s personal representative.
State Senate creates new committee to study civil law
The Indiana Senate has added a new committee to its roster to examine non-criminal legal issues.
Zoeller, Merritt tour campuses, promote Lifeline law
The Indiana state senator who sponsored a law that aims to protect minors from arrest when they seek medical attention for alcohol-related emergencies is joining Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller in spreading the word on college campuses.
Centralized hotline and hiring more workers among issues on DCS study committee agenda
The centralized hotline system is among the topics to be discussed when the Department of Child Services Interim Study Committee meets Nov. 8.