Indiana governor changes stance on teacher pay action
Indiana’s governor opened the door Monday to potentially boosting school funding and teacher pay after weeks of refuting any plans on such action until next year.
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Redistricting reform advocates pushing for transparency
Redistricting reform advocates are taking a slightly different approach at the Republican-controlled Indiana Legislature this year, as they make more transparency the priority ahead of lines being redrawn in 2021.
Indiana GOP holding off teacher pay action in 2020 session
Members of the Republican-dominated General Assembly return Monday to the Statehouse in Indianapolis for their 2020 session, during which they will face continued calls from teacher unions and Democrats for better teacher pay and less reliance on standardized student test scores for evaluation of schools and educators.
Senator tries again to ban Indiana vouchers over gay firings
A proposal aimed at banning private schools that discriminate against gay employees and students from receiving Indiana voucher program money is being backed by the state’s Republican school superintendent.
Indiana school bus safety program nets nearly 2,700 tickets
Indiana police departments issued nearly 2,700 tickets and 1,400 warnings for unsafe driving around school bus stops and routes during a two-month enforcement program, state officials announced Thursday.
Appeal set on challenge to Indiana religious objections law
Conservative religious groups are planning to appeal an Indiana judge’s ruling that canceled a trial challenging limits on the state’s religious objections law that were signed by then-Gov. Mike Pence.
Illinois sees first legal sales of recreational marijuana
The sale of marijuana for recreational purposes became legal Wednesday in Illinois to the delight of pot fans — many who began lining up hours early at dispensaries. Meanwhile, legislative leaders in Indiana remain opposed to marijuana legalization in the Hoosier state.
What’s next in legal drama over the Affordable Care Act?
The federal appeals court ruling striking down the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that people have health insurance left hanging key questions about what happens to other provisions of the law, like coverage for preexisting conditions. President Barack Obama’s signature health care law remains in legal limbo.
Indiana woman gets 4 years for fatal school bus stop crash
An Indiana woman who plowed her pickup truck into four children, killing three of them, while they crossed a highway to board a school bus was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison.
Vaping crisis could be impetus for Legislature to raise smoking age to 21
Time and again, legislation in Indiana to raise the age to possess or purchase tobacco to 21 has failed. But that could be about to change.
Indiana resisting marijuana trend of neighboring states
Indiana’s Republican Statehouse leaders are firmly against taking any steps toward following neighboring states in legalizing marijuana use during the upcoming legislative session. But they might not be able to avoid talking about it during the 2020 election campaign.
Holcomb backs ban on drivers using handheld phones
Indiana’s governor on Tuesday threw his support behind a statewide ban on drivers using handheld cellphones as well as a plan to raise the minimum age for smoking and vaping to 21. Gov. Eric Holcomb made the proposals central to his 2020 legislative agenda.
‘Children are children’: Coalition forms after legislative attempt to lower waiver age
The Children’s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana and more than 20 nonprofits and community groups have joined together to form the Indiana Coalition for Youth Justice, which advocates for reform in the juvenile justice system so that it offers treatment, programs and interventions that are age-appropriate, fairly applied and result in the best possible outcomes for Indiana children and public safety.
DCS troubles continue with arrest of former caseworker
Despite the attention the Statehouse has given to the Indiana Department of Child Services in the past two years – hiring outside consultants to review the agency and passing numerous laws regarding policies and practices within the department – an arrest of a former caseworker on neglect charges is bringing another call for more changes.
Web Exclusive: Inmates pursue legislative opportunities through public policy course
When a college program was crafted for the Indiana Women’s Prison in 2012, director Kelsey Kauffman knew she wanted to teach women about public policy. But the experience also became a life lesson that gave some of the women a new mission after their lives behind bars.
Panel recommends boosting Indiana’s cigarette age to 21
An Indiana legislative panel is recommending that Indiana’s legal age for buying cigarettes be raised from 18 to 21.
Mobile sports betting will launch Oct. 3
Mobile sports betting will officially launch in Indiana on Oct. 3, enabling Hoosiers to wager through their phones or computers without ever visiting a casino.
NCAA urges California governor not to sign ‘fair pay’ bill
The Indianapolis-based NCAA’s Board of Governors is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom not to sign a California bill that would allow college athletes to receive money for their names, likenesses or images.
Study committee begins summer review of criminal justice reform initiatives
As criminal justice reform efforts continue across the state, members of the Indiana General Assembly are meeting this summer to discuss issues related to pre-trial release, indigency and sentencing, among others.
Ban on Indiana abortion parental notification law upheld
A federal appeals court has upheld an injunction blocking a 2017 Indiana law that would have required parental notification for mature minors seeking an abortion. One member of the three-judge panel dissented, however, and would have allowed the law to take effect.