Indiana hemp drug ban, early voting restrictions, tort reform die at House deadline
Several bills met their end Monday after Indiana House lawmakers declined to call them down ahead of a second reading deadline.
Several bills met their end Monday after Indiana House lawmakers declined to call them down ahead of a second reading deadline.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, vice chair of the National Governors Association, said Democratic governors were able to express “how problematic” actions by immigration enforcement officials have been.
The court’s opinion was issued days after Waltz lost an appeal of his federal prison sentence related to a 2016 campaign finance scandal.
Senators adopted two amendments that stripped out provisions dealing with qualified settlement offers and attorney fee awards — and instead created a tort reform task force.
Supporters frame as compassionate approach, while opponents say lack of resources could lead to jail time and fines.
One bill moving through the Indiana Statehouse would require foreign agents that receive funding or are owned by adversary nations, including Russia and China, to register with the attorney general.
The proposal for fewer early voting days was added Monday by the Senate Elections Committee through an amendment; no public testimony was allowed.
Substantial revisions are expected to the bill, which could cost the state millions.
Both measures now head to the full House after getting reworks in the Education Committee.
Republican lawmakers are divided over limiting disease spread versus arguments of enabling drug abuse.
Some House Democrats initially opposed House Bill 1249 over concerns that it would take away judges’ discretion in youth handgun cases.
New data show the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received 29,635 cyber tips in 2025 — a 38% increase over the prior year — and has already logged nearly 3,000 tips in early 2026.
After hours of emotional testimony from frustrated parents and school leaders, an Indiana House committee is weighing whether to revive youth social media restrictions inside a wide-ranging education agency bill.
A bill advancing in the state Senate would increase disclosure requirements to legislators and news media.
Uber has faced criticism for its safety record, much of it spanning from thousands of incidents of sexual assault reported by both passengers and drivers, including cases in Indiana.
The proposal, named for a Fishers teen found dead after a weekslong disappearance, would create a new “pink alert” system that could be used when a child goes missing and there is evidence of grooming or coercive communication that led to the disappearance.
The National Association of Attorneys General said that doxxing and swatting — or reporting false emergencies to trigger an armed response from law enforcement, which happened to several Indiana lawmakers last year — are closely related but different actions.
The legislation would block government bodies and public universities from enacting any policies that limit cooperation — including of their employees — with federal immigration authorities or laws.
The tort bill’s author, Rep. Matt Lehman, R-Berne, said House Bill 1417 is a “very watered-down version” of the legislation he originally filed.
At least three bills this state legislative session stem from conversations previously had at the city level that didn’t work out the way stakeholders and the council’s super-minority GOP caucus wanted.