Robing ceremony for Lake Co. Judge Adat-Lopez scheduled for Thursday
A formal robing ceremony will be held Thursday evening for the newest Lake County judge.
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Indiana’s GOP-run Legislature heading into abortion debate
Leaders of Indiana’s Republican-dominated Senate were set to reveal Wednesday how aggressive they want a special legislative session to go in restricting abortions as the state has drawn attention over a 10-year-old who came from Ohio to get an abortion.
House passes same-sex marriage bill in retort to high court
The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday to protect same-sex and interracial marriages amid concerns that the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade could jeopardize other rights criticized by many conservatives.
Web Exclusive: Divided IN Supreme Court again asks for legislative fix to ‘jurisdictional gap’ between juvenile, criminal cases
In the state of Indiana, if an individual commits the act of child molesting before their 18th birthday but charges aren’t filed until after they turn 21, the offender is essentially off the hook. According to the state’s highest court, there’s a “jurisdictional gap” in the law making that possible.
GOP abortion legislation still under wraps as special session looms
With a little more than a week left before the Republican-dominated Indiana Legislature convenes for a special session, not much is known about what its abortion-related legislation will look like, or exactly how soon bills will be filed.
GOP lawmakers remain mum on abortion legislation
Dozens of Republicans who back pro-life issues refused to comment on a possible Indiana abortion ban, leaving a key Right to Life attorney’s proposal as the primary discussion point in the Indiana General Assembly.
Members appointed to new juvenile justice reform committee
The Indiana Supreme Court has named the members of the new Youth Justice Oversight Committee, which will focus on reforming the state’s juvenile justice system to prioritize minors who are at a higher risk of reoffending.
Judge lifts order against Indiana abortion procedure ban
A federal judge is allowing an Indiana law largely banning a second-trimester abortion procedure to take effect following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the constitutional protection for abortion.
Indiana’s abortion laws may tighten before Legislature acts
Indiana’s abortion laws will likely be tightened even before the Legislature is expected to start debating additional abortion restrictions later this month.
Civil legal filing fee extended to 2025
The extra $1 tacked on to the cost of filing civil cases in Indiana state courts will continue to be charged for at least another three years, helping bolster the funds appropriated to provide legal assistance to low-income Hoosiers.
Op-ed: Indiana should be regulating for-profit bail bond companies, not attacking The Bail Project
As an Indiana state senator and attorney, I pride myself on listening to my constituents and making decisions about policy based on evidence and sound reasoning — not political expediency and misleading sound bites. This is why I voted against House Bill 1300, which targeted charitable, not-for-profit organizations that help Hoosiers who cannot afford bail, and why I support The Bail Project and the ACLU of Indiana’s recently filed lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Insurance.
The Bail Project loses bid to stop ‘charitable bail’ bill from taking effect Friday
The Bail Project has failed to convince a federal judge to prevent a new law from going into effect tomorrow that will limit whom it can bail out of jail.
Biden signs landmark gun measure, says ‘lives will be saved’
President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the most sweeping gun violence bill in decades, a bipartisan compromise that seemed unimaginable until a recent series of mass shootings, including the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at a Texas elementary school.
In return to pre-COVID rules, Legislature tackles controversial topics
Following is the complete list of legislation enacted during the 2022 legislative session. Bills take effect July 1 unless otherwise noted.
Homegrown fare: Food security concerns prompt Indiana to ban foreign ownership of agricultural land
Within Senate Enrolled Act 388, the words “food” and “national security” do not appear. Yet the new law that prohibits foreign businesses from buying and owning Hoosier farmland places Indiana among the states that have enacted such statutes to ensure Americans have enough to eat.
Indiana AG defends ‘common sense’ trans athlete law in brief
Calling the American Civil Liberties Union “leftist” and the lawsuit challenging a ban on transgender girls in girls’ sports “nonsensical wokesim,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a brief supporting the new measure restricting K-12 transgender athletes from participating in their gender-identifying sport.
In a boost, McConnell backs Senate bipartisan gun deal
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his support Tuesday for his chamber’s emerging bipartisan gun agreement, boosting momentum for modest but notable election-year action by Congress on an issue that’s deadlocked lawmakers for three decades.
Kavanaugh incident could lead to more security for judges
U.S. Supreme Court justices have not been immune to violent crime. But this past week’s late-night incident at Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s suburban Washington home, where authorities said a man armed with a gun and knife threatened to kill the justice, reflects a heightened level of potential danger not just for members of the nation’s highest court, but all judges.
House panel taking up gun bill in wake of mass shootings
The U.S. House is beginning to put its stamp on gun legislation in response to mass shootings in Texas and New York by 18-year-old assailants who used semi-automatic rifles to kill 31 people, including 19 children.
Senator bucks legislative leadership, announces study of direct representation for kids in CHINS, TPR cases
Although the Legislative Council rejected a request to study the topic of providing attorneys to children in the child welfare system, Indiana state Sen. Jon Ford plans to keep pushing the matter by convening an independent study group to examine the issue.