Lawmakers study Indiana’s sexual assault response
A committee met in House chambers Tuesday to hear testimony on the topic — the first hearing of the summer as legislators prepare for next year’s budget session.
Laws
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Measures address homelessness, violent crime, court records and immigration
Some laws that passed during the Legislature’s spring session have already been active for months, but others will take effect next week and mean changes for courts, lawyers and communities.
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Closing the gap?: New law clears up ‘black hole’ between adult, juvenile courts
A new law should erase a “jurisdictional gap” that has allowed people who commit offenses before their 18th birthday to essentially avoid legal consequences as long as charges weren’t filed until after they turned 21.
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Addressing gun violence: Debates over firearms restrictions reignite with recent mass shootings in Texas, New York
Recent mass shootings have reignited debate over gun control laws across the country, including in Indiana, which is set to have a permitless handgun law go into effect July 1 despite public condemnation by law enforcement leaders and public safety groups.
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COVID-19 religious exemption concerns on shaky ground
Attorneys representing employers and employees alike have seen swells and lulls in incoming calls concerned about COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
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Articles
Parents are being held responsible for their kids’ crimes under new laws
Every state has some form of parental responsibility law. But there is little empirical evidence showing that the laws actually reduce youth crime.
Federal judge clears way for Indiana’s immigration law, at least for now
Southern District of Indiana Judge James Hanlon noted in the Thursday order that the lack of federal jurisdiction does not necessarily mean Monroe Sheriff Ruben Marté can’t raise his dispute in state courts.
List of new Indiana laws approved this year
Here’s a list of bills passed during the 2025 legislative session and signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike Braun.
Gov. Mike Braun praises new public safety laws
One measure increases the penalties for crimes involving fentanyl and says a court must consider requiring a person charged with domestic violence to wear a monitoring device as a condition of bail.
Strategic legislative revisions aid renewed Indiana drive for tolling
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun’s administration is getting serious about tolling to make up for falling fuel tax revenue and upgrade aging highways — eight years after former Gov. Eric Holcomb’s administration backed away from the prospect.
Under new law, state needs to create high school workforce credential framework
In legislation newly signed into law, the state will bolster its efforts to build tailored career development pathways by creating a short-term credential framework to offer hands-on workforce opportunities.
Governor signs 10 more bills into Indiana law
Gov. Mike Braun signed 10 bills—technically enrolled acts—into law on Tuesday, including a contentious parental rights proposal and one adding requirements for developers of long-haul water pipelines.
New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns
Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another.
Congress limps toward the end of a disappointing session, with just 78 laws to show
The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government.
Hoosier HIV anti-donation law used 18 times since 2000, report says
Since 2000, Indiana has arrested 18 Hoosiers with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on charges of donating plasma, according to a report released this week. None were charged under provisions penalizing actual transmission.
Former state legislator Eberhart sentenced to prison in casino fraud case
Sean Eberhart, a former state representative from Shelbyville, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison Wednesday after admitting to advocating for legislation in exchange for a lucrative position at a casino.
House backs bills to roll back energy efficiency standards for refrigerators, dishwashers
House Republicans on Tuesday approved two bills rolling back Energy Department efficiency standards on refrigerators and dishwashers.
More than 500 people have been charged with federal crimes under the gun safety law Biden signed
More than 500 people — some linked to transnational cartels and organized crime rings — have been charged with gun trafficking and other crimes under the landmark gun safety legislation President Joe Biden signed two years ago Tuesday.
The Supreme Court upholds a gun control law intended to protect domestic violence victims
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal gun control law that is intended to protect victims of domestic violence.
New law requires all Louisiana public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments
Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom, the latest move from a GOP-dominated Legislature pushing a conservative agenda under a new governor.
Many of the 171 new state laws signed this year take effect July 1
Some of the initiatives are aimed at improving third-grade reading skills, increasing “intellectual diversity” at publicly funded colleges and allowing the return of happy hours at bars.
Biden administration unveils new rule on nursing home staffing levels
The Biden administration has introduced a controversial set of new regulations intended to increase staffing levels and improve patient care in nursing homes.
Nassar assault victims reach $100M deal with Justice Department, source says
An internal investigation found that FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations by women more than a year before Larry Nassar, a former doctor at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, was arrested in 2016.
FBI opens criminal investigation into Baltimore bridge collapse, AP source says
The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation into the deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge that is focused on the circumstances leading up to it and whether all federal laws were followed, according to a person familiar with the matter.