Statehouse leaders plan to prioritize balanced budget over policy overhauls
Indiana Statehouse leaders said Monday that their legislative economic and business priorities during the upcoming General Assembly will be fixed on the budget.
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Indiana Republicans reelect legislative leadership following Election Day victories
Indiana Senate Republicans re-elected Sen. Rodric Bray of Martinsville as Senate president pro tempore. Separately, Indiana House Republicans stuck with Rep. Todd Huston of Fishers to serve a second full term as speaker.
Democrat spending on legislative races pales in comparison to Republicans
Republicans are pouring financial resources into a handful of legislative races around the state, recognizing potentially tight margins with an aim to protect the party’s supermajority hold in the General Assembly.
More moms are serving as Indiana legislators — but far fewer than should be, new report says
The number of Indiana lawmakers who are also moms of minor-aged children has boosted significantly since 2022, but family and women’s advocates maintain there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
Statehouse races to watch around Indianapolis, suburbs
A handful of competitive races could change who represents Indianapolis metropolitan residents at the Indiana Statehouse.
Push to end statute of limitations for sex crimes brings support, hesitancy
In Indiana, the majority of sex crimes have a five-year statute of limitation, with exceptions granted for newly discovered DNA evidence, a recording or a confession.
More parents objecting to books in school libraries under new process, librarians say
School librarians say they are facing more community challenges to books in their collections since a new state law that took effect in January required local school systems to set up a process to field such complaints.
‘Delinquent’ public pension stewards present improvement plans to lawmakers
Two units of local government with “delinquent” pension plans told lawmakers Monday that they’d find ways to bridge the shortfalls. The Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corporation, known as Citilink, and Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office both had to state their cases.
FSSA provides update on growing waitlist, hears about provider issues under managed care
Two committees tasked with studying and addressing issues related to aging met Thursday, concluding that Medicaid waitlist progress was “barely treading water” and dissecting ongoing provider issues with the transition to managed care.
Interim panel hears testimony on signal jammers with ‘terrorism’ potential
Until June, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson hadn’t considered the kind of havoc signal jammers could wreak upon law enforcement operations.
13th checks distributed to more than 160,000 public retirees
The Indiana Public Retirement System last week finished disbursing almost $60 million to more than 160,000 retired former public employees.
ACLU files new lawsuit over SEA 202, citing policies at Purdue, IU
The ACLU of Indiana filed a new lawsuit over SEA 202, a law requiring professors to be disciplined for not fostering “a culture of free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity,” citing policies recently enacted at Purdue University and Indiana University.
U.S. District Court dismisses ACLU lawsuit over new tenure law
The U.S. District Court for Southern Indiana granted a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the trustees of Purdue University and Indiana University over a new law requiring trustees to implement policies regarding faculty tenure.
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.
Public colleges preparing for new state law that calls for ‘intellectual diversity’
Under the new law, faculty members at public universities will be required to teach scholarly works “from a variety of political or ideological frameworks” within the faculty member’s purview of instruction.
State senator’s letter critical of hospital association casts shadow on 2025 health care discussions
Sen. Chris Garten, a Republican from Charlestown, wrote that some legislators had described the Indiana Hospital Association as “arrogant” and “disingenuous.”
DNC awards $70,000 to Indiana Democratic Party in down-ballot ‘boost’
The Indiana Democratic Party hopes to break GOP supermajorities in the Legislature. The funds will go toward hiring organizers and improving data capabilities, according to a news release.
After legislative changes earlier this year, what’s next for Indy’s downtown tax district?
Although Majority Republicans in the Indiana Legislature didn’t kill a taxing district meant to help the city of Indianapolis and the not-for-profit Downtown Indy Inc. enhance public safety, beautification and homeless services downtown, the changes they made to the law that authorized it have sent local architects of the district back to the drawing board.
Recount Commission to release some ballots impounded in contested races
The Indiana Recount Commission is moving forward with two recounts in state legislative races despite large margins of victory.
Softer federal stance on marijuana could boost legalization efforts in Indiana
With the federal government’s recent announcement that it intends to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug with potential medical benefits, some advocates wonder if that could be the game changer that opens the floodgates for legalization in Indiana’s 2025 legislative session.