IPL to pay $1.5M fine to settle Petersburg pollution issues
Indianapolis Power & Light Co. has agreed to pay about $1.5 million in penalties to settle longstanding pollution issues at its huge Petersburg Generating Station.
State agencies
Articles
Indiana forecasts 10-fold jump for mail-in voting
Indiana election officials are bracing for perhaps 10 times more mail-in ballots for this fall’s election than four years ago. The forecast comes as litigation over efforts to expand mail-in voting continue to play out in federal court.
Holcomb extends Stage 4.5 of Indiana’s recovery plan through Sept. 25
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Wednesday said he would issue an executive order to keep the state in Stage 4.5 of its pandemic recovery plan through Sept. 25.
Court ruling against Indiana no-excuse absentee voting appealed
A federal appeals court is being asked to take an expedited appeal of a ruling against no-excuse absentee voting in Indiana’s Nov. 3 general election, or to enter an immediate injunction that would permit all Hoosiers to vote by mail due to the pandemic.
Divided appeals panel upholds termination of dad’s parental rights
A father who disregarded court-mandated drug screens, left his child with a relative and refused to participate in services lost his termination of parental rights appeal Tuesday. One judge, however, would have reversed based on the facts of a case that began with the child’s removal due to mother’s drug use and what the dissenting judge saw as “an effort to punish Father.”
Former IU athletic director Glass joining Taft law firm
Former Indiana University Director of Athletics Fred Glass plans to resume his law career in October, joining the Indianapolis office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP as a partner.
NY AG probes if Trump pumped up value of estate, assets
New York’s attorney general asked a court Monday to compel some of President Donald Trump’s business associates, including his son, Eric, to testify and turn over documents as part of her investigation into whether the president’s company lied about the value of its assets in order to get loans or tax benefits.
Indiana’s limits on absentee balloting upheld by federal court
An attempt to allow all eligible Hoosiers to vote by mail in the November general election has been thwarted by a federal judge who ruled the limits on absentee balloting do not deny state residents their fundamental right to vote.
Federal rulings block Indiana voter roll purge, absentee ballot signature match law
Finding Indiana’s process for matching signatures on absentee ballots is unconstitutional, a federal judge has permanently enjoined the Secretary of State and other election officials from rejecting any mail-in ballot on the basis of a signature mismatch without providing adequate notice to the voter.
More than 30,000 Hoosiers apply for state rental assistance
More than 30,000 Hoosiers who have fallen behind on rent because of the COVID-19 pandemic have applied for financial assistance from the state — nearly triple the amount Indiana officials originally expected.
Indiana expects to begin offering $300 unemployment bonuses next month
Indiana has applied for the federal government’s Lost Wages Assistance program and hopes to begin delivering the $300 supplemental weekly payments to most people receiving unemployment benefits in the next month or so.
COA narrows claims against Bayer in Essure birth control defect case
A panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals narrowed the claims of women who sued pharmaceutical giant Bayer claiming alleged defects in the permanent birth control device Essure. The ruling Wednesday came after the Indiana Supreme Court remanded the case for the appeals court to address the viability of plaintiffs’ claims.
Unexpected lessons in getting back to class
This back-to-school season is like no other. What was expected in March to be a temporary closure due to COVID-19 has spilled into August, leaving teachers, administrators, students and parents at a loss for what to expect.
States look to ‘salary history bans’ to increase pay equity
Using what’s known as “salary history bans,” governments at the state and local level are limiting employers’ ability to consider a candidate’s previous wages when making an employment decision. The breadth of these bans varies by jurisdiction, but the concept remains the same: under a salary history ban, an employer cannot explicitly ask a prospective employee what they earned in a previous job.
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.
IU McKinney professors contribute to assessment of U.S. response to COVID-19
United States policy response to COVID-19 has been dangerously lacking, according to a recent report authored partially by two Indianapolis law professors. The new report recommends steps to safeguard health as well as civil and human rights.
Holcomb unveils plan to equip state police with body cameras, create cabinet position
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Tuesday announced plans to equip Indiana State Police troopers with body cameras by next spring and create a new cabinet-level position in his administration to focus on equity and inclusion.
Indiana Election Commission rejects expanding voting by mail to all
The Indiana Election Commission on Friday voted against a proposal to expand absentee voting by mail to all voters for the November election. The 2-2 deadlock comes as lawsuits seek to expand mail-in voting with COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in the Hoosier State.
High court permits expansion of mail-in voting for 1 state
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday left in place an agreement that allows Rhode Island residents to vote by mail through November’s general election without getting signatures from two witnesses or a notary. The order was immediately cited in a lawsuit seeking to expand mail-in voting in Indiana.
New Indiana COVID-19 cases top 1,000 again as testing surges
The Indiana State Department of Health on Thursday reported 1,046 new COVID-19 case, the fifth time in the last eight days that new cases have exceeded 1,000.