Indiana lawmakers weigh ‘opt-in’ requirement for sex ed
Conservative groups urged Indiana lawmakers Thursday to pass a bill that would require parents to “opt in” in order for their children to take sex education classes in public schools.
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Sunday sales bill passes House committee
An amended version of Sunday alcohol sales legislation in Indiana would allow Hoosiers to purchase alcohol for carryout on Sundays as soon as the bill is signed, rather than waiting until the traditional legislative effective date of July.
7th Circuit to hear arguments over Indiana’s abortion law
Indiana’s controversial law that limits a woman’s ability to obtain an abortion will be argued before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday morning. The 2016 law that was barred from taking effect by a federal judge in Indianapolis will be the subject of oral arguments in an appeal brought by the state.
Indiana Senate GOP leader retiring from Legislature
The Republican leader of the Indiana Senate said Tuesday that he will step down from the Legislature later this year, making him the third high-profile GOP lawmaker to announce their departure from the chamber over the last year.
Senate panel advances bill to narrowly define out-of-state felonies
A bill that would more narrowly define how out-of-state felonies are treated in Indiana sentencing matters passed its first hurdle in the Indiana Senate.
Indiana legislative session at halftime: what lives or died
Indiana lawmakers have reached halftime in this year’s legislative session, which has been marked more by plans deferred and legislation killed than major accomplishments.
Senate backs bill to improve handling of rape evidence
A bill aimed at improving the way authorities handle sexual assault evidence has won Indiana Senate approval after an audit found more than 2,500 untested rape kits across the state.
Indiana House passes bill to overhaul high school diplomas
The Indiana House on Monday approved a bill that would overhaul the types of high school diplomas offered to students.
Civil forfeiture reform advances, but concerns remain
The Indiana Senate has approved a bill that would reform many aspects of Indiana’s civil forfeiture framework, a move local attorneys who practice such cases say is a step in the right direction. However, concerns remain about whether the legislation provides criminal defendants sufficient due process.
‘End of life options’ a nonstarter at Statehouse
For the second year in a row, a legislative push for an End of Life Options Act failed to gain traction in the Indiana Legislature, disheartening advocates. Opponents argue such legislation would create a slippery slope toward euthanasia.
Senate Republicans split as hate crime bill yanked from vote
Fourteen days after rallying on the third floor of the Indiana Statehouse to cheer, applaud and push the Legislature into passing a hate crime bill this session, advocates were stunned the measure failed last week to even get a committee vote.
Gerrymandering challenges keep rising
Attorneys at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP are part of the legal team representing Michigan voters who filed a complaint in December over partisan gerrymandering. The suit brought to seven the number of such challenges filed since 2016 and fueled hope that the U.S. Supreme Court will rule the practice unconstitutional and offer guidance for how to draw district lines.
IndyBar: Weekly Bill Watch Reports — Keep up with Legislation that Matters to You
The IndyBar Legislative Committee, co-chaired this year by Lawren Mills of Ice Miller LLP and Mindy Westrick of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, provides weekly Bill Watch reports throughout the session, which highlight progress and recent actions taken on bills being monitored by the association.
Senate advances CBD legalization bill
Hoosiers are one step closer to having unrestricted access to cannabidiol, or CBD, oil after the Indiana Senate passed a bill that would allow CBD use by all Indiana residents, not just those with certain illnesses.
Indiana House approves bill to fix rifle hunting mistake
A mistake included in a law approved last year prohibiting deer hunters from using rifles on public property would be fixed under a bill approved by the Indiana House.
Indiana House backs bill eliminating handgun licensing fee
The fees for Indiana’s lifetime handgun permits would be eliminated under a proposal endorsed by the Indiana House.
Senate joins House in passing Indiana cannabis oil bill
The Indiana Legislature is poised to allow anyone to purchase and use a cannabis-derived extract believed to have therapeutic benefits, following a key vote by the state Senate on Monday.
Township merger bill fails without legislative vote
A proposal that would have forced government mergers on about 300 small Indiana townships has died in the Legislature without a vote.
Push for merging small Indiana townships nears House vote
Hundreds of Indiana’s least-populated townships face forced mergers with their neighbors in what would be the most significant overhaul of the local governments since a gubernatorial commission called for their elimination a decade ago.
Senate panel advances bill allowing more guns in church
An Indiana Senate panel has advanced a bill that would allow churches to let people to carry guns in more circumstances. The measure by Republican Sen. Jack Sandlin of Indianapolis was approved 5-2 Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.