Indiana alters student count to maintain school funding
The Indiana State Board of Education approved a method to maintain funding for schools reopening virtually this fall after warnings of possible cuts from lawmakers last month.
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Indiana moves student count to delay school funding question
The Indiana State Board of Education approved a method to maintain funding for schools reopening virtually this fall after warnings from lawmakers last month of possible cuts.
Public defender report underscores need for additional resources
The Indiana Public Defender Commission last month released an analysis of caseloads in Indiana, showing disparities between actual and ideal workloads. That data has led public defense experts to one conclusion: there’s still work to be done to ensure indigent Hoosiers receive quality defense.
Policing the police: Indiana Black Legislative Caucus counting on public advocacy to push policy changes
Following the growing awareness of police brutality across the country, the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus is leading the call for policing reform with the group’s chair believing if the General Assembly does not act during the 2021 session, the opportunity for meaningful change will have been lost.
Indiana Black Caucus pushes for more police accountability
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus on Thursday called for state lawmakers to increase accountability and transparency for the state’s police officers.
Web Exclusive: Legislative study panels may be remote; emergency planning is focus
Changes could be coming to the way Indiana legislators convene this summer, as teleconferencing and virtual meetings become more commonplace in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Southern Indiana District included in request for more judges
The Judicial Conference of the United States is again pleading with Congress to add 65 new judgeships in 24 district courts across the country, including two permanent new judges in the Southern Indiana District Court.
COA upholds escape conviction but encourages Legislature to reconsider statute
Even while the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the two escape convictions of a Shelby County man, the appellate panel noted it was concerned that the defendant who was ultimately found not guilty still has a pair of felonies on his record for “relatively minor violations” of pretrial home detention rules.
Trump, Congress near deal on small business, hospital aid
The Trump administration and Congress are trudging toward an agreement on an aid package of more than $450 billion to boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.
Sen. Rand Paul tests positive for virus, forcing quarantines
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, becoming the first case of COVID-19 in the Senate and raising fears about the further transmission of the virus among Republicans at the Capitol. The deveoplment came as the Senate wrangled overnight Sunday to agree to an emergency economic stimulus package.
After controversy, juvenile justice review effort begins
In the middle of the General Assembly’s 2020 session, as youth advocates were fighting proposed legislation that would have allowed preteens to be charged as adults for certain crimes, the Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana took a step toward comprehensive juvenile justice reform.
Indiana legislators pass bill seeking to deregulate wetlands
Indiana’s protections for certain wetlands would end under legislation state lawmakers approved in the waning hours of their session, even though the state’s own environmental agency joined environmentalists in opposing the measure.
Lead testing bill clears Statehouse
A bill that requires schools across Indiana to test their water for lead contamination has passed the Statehouse and is headed to the governor’s desk.
Tougher Indiana law on under-18 marriages wins approval
Anyone younger than 18 will need a judge’s permission in order to get married in Indiana under a law change approved by state legislators.
Bill that outlined requirement for ousting AG dies in last night of session
Despite a push from Indiana House lawmakers to clarify in state code whether Attorney General Curtis Hill could remain in office if his law license is suspended, state legislators failed to pass a bill before adjourning this year’s session Wednesday night.
AG Hill: State agencies can’t use nonbinary gender marker
Indiana agencies are not allowed to use an “X” gender designation on identification documents for residents who don’t identify as male or female, the state attorney general said.
Indiana governor backs path for forcing out attorney general
Indiana’s governor is endorsing a proposal that could force the state’s attorney general from office if his law license is suspended over allegations he drunkenly groped a state legislator and three other women.
AG Hill’s ethical, political limbo leaves leaders guessing
The only thing certain in the discipline case against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is uncertainty. That’s the consensus of legislative and political leaders responding to the recommendation that the Republican AG serve a 60-day suspension without automatic reinstatement.
Indiana’s ‘IDEA’ touted as replacement for Crosscheck
After a federal appellate court stopped Indiana’s process for removing ineligible voters from the registration rolls, the state is still looking for a way to clean its voter lists. But a new system being considered by the Legislature is not gaining support among voting rights groups and could spark more litigation.
Federal legislation would grow, sustain veterans court programs
As veterans court programs expand nationwide, the federal government is exploring opportunities to provide additional resources to local courts. If enacted, the Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act of 2019 would task the Department of Justice with establishing an office to provide additional funding and technical assistance to veterans courts.