Indiana lawmakers require civics class for middle schoolers
A bill incorporating civics education into Hoosier students’ middle school curriculum is headed to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk after House lawmakers voted Thursday to pass the measure.
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Indianapolis keeping mask mandate, virus precautions for now
Indianapolis is keeping its mask mandate and other coronavirus precautions in place for now despite Gov. Eric Holcomb’s decision this week to end Indiana’s statewide mask mandate in early April, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday.
Mass shooters exploited gun laws, loopholes before carnage
The suspect in the shooting at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket was convicted of assaulting a high school classmate but still got a gun. The man accused of opening fire on three massage businesses in the Atlanta area bought his gun just hours before the attack — no waiting required. They are the latest suspected U.S. mass shooters to obtain guns because of limited firearms laws, background check lapses or law enforcement’s failure to heed warnings of concerning behavior.
SCOTUS leans toward tribal police in traffic stop, search of non-Indian
The Supreme Court of the United States seemed likely Tuesday to allow tribal police officers to stop and search non-Indians on tribal lands over concerns that drunk drivers or even violent criminals might otherwise elude authorities.
Indiana Gaming Commission fines Spectacle $530K for slow removal of CEO
The Indiana Gaming Commission has fined Spectacle Entertainment more than a half-million dollars for not initially complying with an order to remove its former CEO and chairman from any ownership or oversight of the company.
State to open vaccines to all adults March 31, nix mask mandate April 6
Indiana will open COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all Hoosiers ages 16 and older on March 31, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Tuesday. He also said the statewide mask mandate will be lifted early next month.
ALJ attorney fees bill heading into opposition at Senate hearing
After sailing through the House without a single vote in opposition, a bill that would enable individuals to recoup attorney fees from state agencies could hit a stiff wind Wednesday as public interest organizations are aligning to try to block the legislation from moving any further through the Statehouse.
Hoosiers older than 40 eligible for vaccine starting Monday
Indiana authorities are adding residents between the ages of 40 and 44 to those eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday.
Zionsville mayor files suit, seeks to clear up her power to demote department heads
Zionsville Mayor Emily Styron filed a lawsuit Tuesday that should determine whether the town’s council can keep her from demoting the fire department’s chief.
Rokita’s AG office defends governor’s mask order power in restaurant suit
Indiana’s attorney general’s office vigorously defended Gov. Eric Holcomb’s emergency powers in response to a restaurant’s lawsuit challenging his order that masks must be worn inside restaurants to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Trump’s taxes in hand, Manhattan DA’s probe heats up
With former President Donald Trump’s tax returns finally in hand, a team of New York prosecutors led by a newly hired former mob-buster is sending out fresh subpoenas and meeting face-to-face with key witnesses, scrutinizing Trump’s business practices in granular detail.
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.
Police reform bill heads to governor’s desk after 49-0 Senate vote
A significant law enforcement reform bill is headed to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb for his signature. The bill largely bans chokeholds and adds several measures addressing police accountability.
DNR studying coyote killing laws
A prominent animal welfare group is calling for more regulation – and even a ban – on wildlife killing contests in the state of Indiana.
Holcomb names Indiana Rep. Holli Sullivan as secretary of state
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has named state Rep. Holli Sullivan as the next secretary of state. Sullivan, who represents a district in southwestern Indiana and is currently vice chair of the state Republican Party, will replace Connie Lawson, who is resigning as Indiana’s longest-serving secretary of state.
Indiana makes COVID-19 vaccine available to those 45 and up
State health officials opened up COVID-19 vaccination eligibility on Tuesday to all Indiana residents 45 and older.
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.
Indiana could see $5.8 billion in new COVID relief money
Indiana officials have yet to describe any big plans for the influx of federal money expected from the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that Congress approved this week.
Holcomb administration disagrees with lawmakers on how to handle emergency powers
Indiana lawmakers on Thursday listened to four hours of testimony on how the governor’s powers should — or should not — be restricted during public emergencies and whether or not the approach they are taking is constitutional.
Biden aims for quicker shots, ‘independence from this virus’
One year after the nation was brought to a near-standstill by the coronavirus, President Joe Biden pledged in his first prime-time address to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1 and raised the possibility of beginning to “mark our independence from this virus” by the Fourth of July. He offered Americans fresh hope and appealed anew for their help.