Indiana Legislature OKs religious activities as essential
The Indiana Senate approved a bill Thursday that designates religious activities as essential services and prohibits any restrictions on them during a declared emergency.
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Indiana panel drops contentious requirement from voting bill
A legislative committee has overhauled a contentious proposal to require Indiana voters to submit identification numbers with mail-in ballot applications.
Amid accusations, Lake, St. Joseph judicial nominating bill passes Senate
The Indiana Senate approved a bill reducing local attorney input into who serves on the judicial nominating commissions for Lake and St. Joseph counties Monday despite objections from Democratic senators, one of whom insinuated the changes were triggered by anonymous complaints from candidates who had lost out on judge appointments.
Corporations gave over $50M to voting restriction backers
State legislators across the country who have pushed for new voting restrictions, and also seized on former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, have reaped more than $50 million in corporate donations in recent years, according to a new report.
Lake, St. Joseph judicial selection bill advances with amendment
Legislation that would eliminate attorney input and increase the role of the governor and county officials in appointing commission members who nominate candidates for the trial court benches in Lake and St. Joseph counties continues to advance in the Indiana General Assembly despite vocal opposition from lawyers, judges and bar associations.
Intentional misclassification of construction workers causing concern
Workers on construction sites across Indiana can be found nailing plywall from atop scaffolds, scaling roofs or painting newly built homes. But what isn’t evident is whether those workers are part of a shady trend construction industry experts say is a serious concern — payroll tax fraud.
State Senate passes legislation to create new emergency session
The Indiana Senate has passed legislation that would give lawmakers the power to convene at any time during a statewide public emergency and more oversight over federal stimulus dollars.
Senate panel narrowly advances Lake, St. Joe judicial nominating bill
A bill that would change how superior court judges are nominated in Lake and St. Joseph counties was uniformly opposed by lawyers and judges from those counties in a Senate hearing Wednesday but narrowly advanced on a 5-4 vote.
Lake, St. Joseph judicial selection bill set for hearing Wednesday
Legislation that has drawn fire from bar associations and members of the legal community who say proposed changes to judicial appointments would politicize the trial court benches in Lake and St. Joseph counties will be heard Wednesday by a Senate committee.
House passes immigration bills for farmworkers, ‘Dreamers’
The House has voted to unlatch a gateway to citizenship for young “Dreamers,” migrant farm workers and immigrants who have fled war or natural disasters, giving Democrats wins in the year’s first votes on an issue that faces an uphill climb in the Senate.
Rokita joins Republican AGs questioning stimulus barring tax cuts
Republican attorneys general from 21 states, including Indiana, are questioning a provision in the $1.9 trillion pandemic rescue plan that bars states from using its funds to offset tax cuts.
Biden backs changes to filibuster; GOP vows ‘scorched earth’
President Joe Biden is calling for changes to the filibuster to require lawmakers to speak on the floor of the Senate to hold up a bill, while the chamber’s Republican leader warns of “scorched-earth” tactics if Democrats use their new majority to bring an end to the legislative roadblock entirely.
Letter to the editor: Proposed changes to merit selection may prove judicious
Your publication recently printed an article discussing the Indiana State Bar Association’s objections to Indiana Senate Joint Resolution 16. The bar association’s complaint about SJR 16, and the slant of the article, is that the resolution proposes to “strip” Hoosier voters of the power to retain Indiana appellate court judges and Supreme Court justices. I do not believe that complaint is well-founded.
Election bills tweaking Indiana voting laws
Compared to the battles surrounding voting bills in states such as Iowa and Georgia, the six bills that are moving through the Indiana General Assembly appear to be making rather mild tweaks to Hoosier election laws rather than attempting a controversial overhaul.
With athlete name, image, likeness reform in limbo, NCAA heads toward busy June
The Indianapolis-based NCAA’s efforts to allow athletes to earn money from personal endorsement and sponsorship deals are stuck in limbo, and June is shaping up to be a potentially busy and important month for college sports.
Democratic voting bill would make biggest changes in decades
As Congress begins debate this week on sweeping voting and ethics legislation, Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing: If signed into law, it would usher in the biggest overhaul of U.S. elections law in at least a generation.
Finding consensus, struggling with conflict at legislative halfway mark
As Indiana lawmakers prepare for the second half of the session, several key issues are awaiting further review.
Finalists for St. Joseph Superior Court resubmitted to Holcomb
Gov. Eric Holcomb has been presented a second time with the same slate of nominees to fill a vacancy on the St. Joseph Superior Court, potentially curing an injunction that had blocked the governor’s appointment after a local commission member sued, claiming two fellow members were ineligible.
Indiana panels back tighter abortion law, ending gun permits
Indiana legislators advanced two measures Monday that join Republican-led drives across the country to tighten abortion laws and loosen gun restrictions.
Taft builds new lobby group with Ice Miller transplants
Taft Stettinius & Hollister is making a big push into public affairs and lobbying in both Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., and has nabbed seven attorneys and non-lawyer professionals — including several big names in Indiana politics — from rival Ice Miller to do it.