New laws for 2019
The following enrolled acts, followed in parentheses by their corresponding public law numbers, take effect July 1 unless otherwise noted below.
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Zipping into statutes: Overview of new laws for 2019
Although the $34 billion budget dominated the session, legislators introduced and considered more than 600 bills each in both the Senate and the House. The ones they passed covered a variety of matters, including hate crimes, hemp, gambling, foster parents, electricity generation and, of course, electric scooters.
Introduced, debated but not passed in the General Assembly
Not every bill introduced gains the traction needed to get to the governor’s desk. Many times, a proposed new law fails to get a committee hearing, or it stalls once it reaches the floor. Other times, as a measure progresses through the Statehouse, it ignites disagreements that are ultimately too much to overcome.
After years, administrative law reform clears Statehouse
The idea of revamping the state’s administrative law system has been floating around the Statehouse for years, but during the 2019 session, the reform effort finally gained broad support that has resulted in a new law proponents say will bring independence and transparency to the proceedings.
Report: Indiana opioid prescriptions fell by 35% since 2013
A national report says opioid prescriptions in Indiana have decreased by 35.1 percent over five years. The American Medical Association Opioid Task Force 2019 Progress Report shows Indiana’s reduction in opioid prescriptions from 2013 to 2018 is two percentage points higher than the national average of 33 percent.
New DCS laws bringing changes to agency, foster parent system
Holding her infant foster daughter, attorney Kiamesha Colom explained in simple terms a 13-page bill that revamps parts of Indiana’s foster care system. Come July 1, she and her husband, like other long-term foster parents around the state, will be able to have more of a say in the care and protection of their baby.
Susan Brooks to step down from Congress after fourth term
Indiana Rep. Susan Brooks, a Republican who has represented Indiana’s 5th District since 2013, announced Friday morning that she will not run for a fifth term in Congress.
Anniversary of equality: LGBTQ community reflects 5 years after state legalized same-sex marriage
In the five years since same-sex marriage became legal in Indiana, married same-sex couples say acceptance has grown, but some are concerned about pushback and the potential rollback of hard-won rights.
Lawmaker: Recording at famed Indiana farm politically driven
Video exposing alleged animal abuse at a famous northwestern Indiana dairy farm is politically motivated, said an Indiana lawmaker who drafted legislation in 2013 that would have barred undercover video filming at the state’s agricultural operations.
Illinois poised to be 11th state to allow recreational marijuana
Illinois is likely to become the 11th state to allow small amounts of marijuana for recreational use after the Democratic-controlled House on Friday sent a legalization plan to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The move further isolates Indiana’s criminalization of marijuana nationally and among its neighboring states.
Indiana fetal disposition law upheld by U.S. Supreme Court
Indiana’s law mandating that fetal remains be either buried or cremated has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in a per curiam opinion issued Tuesday that found the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals had “clearly erred” in overturning the law. However, in the same opinion, the Supreme Court let stand a ruling which blocked another Indiana law that would have prevented abortions based on the gender, race or genetic abnormality of the fetus.
Crime sentences, vaping tax up for Indiana lawmaker panels
Indiana lawmakers will be looking at prescription drug prices, crime sentences and taxes on vaping liquids in the coming months. Those are among the more than 40 topics that leaders have assigned to committees ahead of next year’s General Assembly session.
Gary lawsuit against gun makers may proceed, COA rules
A unanimous appellate panel has revived the city of Gary’s lawsuit against 10 handgun manufacturers, enabling the municipality to survive the Indiana General Assembly’s attempt to derail the legal action by amending the state’s Immunity Statute in 2015.
Alabama governor invokes God in banning nearly all abortions
Alabama's Republican governor has signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. The development comes as two Indiana petitions challenging abortion laws linger before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sicuso & Miranda: What the omnibus gaming bill means for Hoosier casinos
Late into the evening on April 24, the Indiana General Assembly voted to approve what may fairly be referred to as the most significant omnibus gaming bill in a decade. Here’s a high-level breakdown of what the final version of HEA 1015 does.
Holcomb signs bill that loosens car dealership rules on document-prep fees
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill this week that loosens the rules under which car dealerships can charge consumers document fees, a practice that a flurry of recent class-action lawsuits have alleged is unfair.
Holcomb signs bill to legalize sports betting, allow Terre Haute casino
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed gambling legislation into law Wednesday — the last day the bill was eligible for action — bringing significant changes to Indiana’s casino industry this year.
What lawmakers did — and didn’t do — in the 2019 session
The 2019 legislative session ended April 24 — five days ahead of the statutory deadline — with hundreds of bills sent to Gov. Eric Holcomb for his consideration. Here’s a look at some of the top issues.
Local car dealers hit with flurry of lawsuits over document-prep fees
Indiana auto dealership owners are being hit with a slew of lawsuits from customers who say they have been charged exorbitant document-preparation fees in the car-buying process just as the rules for charging such fees are poised to loosen under a change in state law.
General Assembly passes DCS reforms
As Senate Enrolled Act 1 was heading for its third and final reading in the Indiana House of Representatives, Rep. Vanessa Summers reminded her colleagues that their work in helping reform the Department of Child Services is not finished.