A look at key issues during Indiana’s legislative session
The Indiana General Assembly concluded the year’s regular session early Friday. Here are some key issues debated during the nearly four-month session.
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Indiana bill could make book banning in schools easier
Indiana lawmakers on Thursday gave their final approval to a bill that could make it easier to ban books from public school libraries.
School funding worries lead to late Indiana budget boost
Republican legislators pushed through a new state budget plan early Friday that greatly expands eligibility for Indiana’s private school voucher program after they added money for traditional schools.
DCS contract attorney pilot program kicked to study committee
Republican lawmakers have removed a controversial portion of their state budget legislation that would have replaced Indiana Department of Child Services attorneys with contractors in two regions.
House, Senate strike compromise in final budget proposal
Republicans in both chambers appear to have reached a compromise on the state’s two-year budget, earmarking more than $1 billion for school vouchers while maintaining a commitment to pay down the state’s outstanding debt obligations.
Indiana sends state-funded teacher gun training to governor
Indiana state lawmakers have sent the state’s Republican governor a bill that would create a state-funded handgun training program available for teachers, something critics have said could wrongly increase the number of guns in schools.
U.S. House GOP plan would expand work requirements for food aid for older adults
Hundreds of thousands of low-income Americans could face higher barriers to food assistance under the U.S. House Republican plan to cut spending while temporarily lifting the debt limit, advocates say.
Teacher discussions could be limited under Indiana bill
Indiana Republican state senators signaled their final approval Tuesday of a bill that would remove the requirement for administrators to discuss some topics with a teachers union representative
Law and legislation in a post-Roe world: A look at abortion, 10 months after Dobbs
It’s been just shy of one year since Dobbs was handed down — 10 months, to be exact — and much has changed in the abortion landscape, both nationally and statewide. Here’s an overview of the current state of abortion across Indiana.
Indiana lawmakers give approval to anti-ESG investing bill
Indiana Republicans pushed through a proposal Monday taking a stand against socially and environmentally conscious investing although disagreements within their legislative majorities narrowed it from what conservatives first sought.
Physician noncompetes, unlawful tracking heading for governor’s desk
Lawmakers sent several bills to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk on Monday following chamber actions on concurrence votes and conference committees.
Indiana Senate approves handgun training fund for teachers
Indiana state Senators advanced a bill Tuesday that would make state funding available for teachers seeking firearms training, a move critics have said could increase the number of guns in school to the detriment of students.
Bill tightening limits on depositions of alleged child victims reaches governor’s desk
A bill further restricting depositions of alleged victims of child sex abuse has officially made it to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk.
Committee deadline fatal for many bills
Indiana’s House and Senate both face committee deadlines this week, so any bill that doesn’t advance to the respective chamber is dead for the year.
IU McKinney students talk abortion during panel discussion
Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law students hosted a panel discussion Tuesday called “Can We Talk? Women, Life and the Law,” giving students the opportunity to ask questions about abortion-related issues.
Indiana birth control bills move with abortion ban in flux
Indiana residents could have over-the-counter birth control access under a bill state lawmakers sent to the governor Tuesday, a move proponents say will prevent unwanted pregnancies in a state that passed an abortion ban last summer.
Indiana lawmakers approve tighter mail-in voting rules
Indiana lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to a Republican-backed proposal that would require voters to submit more identification information to obtain mail-in ballots.
Resolution to limit bail passes out of Indiana House
The Indiana House has passed a resolution that would further limit the constitutional right to bail, sending the measure back to the Senate to review House amendments.
Lawmakers rewrite, advance anti-ESG pension investment bill
Lawmakers on Wednesday stripped long sections out of a controversial bill cracking down on the state’s pension investment managers, inserting a simplified structure that would reduce the fiscal impact to zero, according to the proposal’s author.
ACLU sues to enjoin bill banning gender-affirming care for minors
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit challenging legislation banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, roughly one hour after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill into law.