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Bills target Hoosiers with little income, farming and speed cameras
Hoosiers with a low or moderate income were the focus of several bills in the Statehouse on Monday, including tweaks to the state’s earned income tax credit, supplemental food benefits and preschool vouchers. Additionally, legislators moved bills related to cataloging state farmland and permitting speed cameras – though lawmakers still have reservations about the latter. […]
New statewide poll shows most Indiana parents ‘satisfied’ with schools, classroom curricula
Results from a new statewide poll show that most Indiana parents are happy with the education their kids get at school. The revelation comes as state lawmakers debate how to revamp K-12 instruction and increase funding to schools. It also appears to conflict with rhetoric at the Statehouse suggesting widespread parental disapproval of topics taught […]
Indiana residential property tax relief bill draws opposition from schools, local officials
What could be Hoosiers’ best bet at property tax relief was met with opposition Thursday from education advocates and local government officials who maintained they would take a financial hit if lawmakers approve the proposal. The bill would temporarily provide a supplemental homestead credit and lower the 1% cap on residential property taxes. It was […]
Education bills seeking to overhaul school curriculum advance in Indiana legislature
Broad career readiness initiatives, changes to K-12 literacy curriculum and incentives for up-and-coming teachers are at the heart of multiple education bills advancing through the Indiana legislature. State lawmakers in House and Senate education committees collectively took up more than a dozen bills on Wednesday. Most of those measures advanced or are scheduled for committee […]
Indiana lawmakers want to crack down on data privacy. What about license plate readers?
State lawmakers are prioritizing multiple bills in the current legislative session that seek to increase data privacy and give Hoosiers more say over how their personal information is stored. But Republican legislators remain reluctant to enact policy around increasingly common surveillance technology like license plate readers used by law enforcement. The Indiana State Police (ISP) […]
Hoosiers with college debt could regain access to transcripts under new bill
A bill under consideration in the Indiana General Assembly would enable thousands of Hoosiers students to re-enroll at a postsecondary institution and complete unfinished degree work by helping them regain access to their college transcripts. The measure, authored by Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, would prohibit universities from withholding a transcript if the student pays […]
Republican lawmakers revive bill to require partisan school board elections in Indiana
Indiana lawmakers are trying again to pass a Republican-backed proposal to make school board elections partisan despite opposition from school board members and education advocates from across the state. Candidates running for school boards would be required to identify as a Republican, Democrat or Independent, according to the legislation. Currently, Indiana is among 41 states […]
Indiana tax cap proposal would help homeowners but hurt school corporations
Property owners could get temporary tax relief under a top Indiana lawmaker’s bill that seeks to stymie the impacts of high assessments last spring. A new study projects homeowners’ bills payable this year could increase as much as 15%. That’s more than double what previous reports estimated for the upcoming bills. Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, […]
Indiana lawmakers roll back school choice bill, advance student literacy initiatives
Indiana lawmakers on Wednesday approved a bill that would further expand school choice for Hoosiers but rolled back certain provisions that would have made the program universally accessible. The bill to widen eligibility for the state’s education scholarship accounts advanced 8-5 from the Senate Education Committee. Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, joined Democrats in voting against […]
Throwing stars, EMS services, food and beverage tax bills moving through Indiana legislature
Dozens of bills are already advancing through committees and legislative chambers halfway through the third week of Indiana’s 2023 session. The General Assembly’s focus is largely centered around the crafting of the state’s next two-year budget. Multiple bills relating to health care, education, fiscal policy and public safety are also top-of list for the Republican-dominated […]
Indiana bills backed by national pet store chain draw pushback from animal advocates
A national pet brand chain is a driving force behind two Indiana bills that would block local communities from enforcing outright bans on the retail sale of pets, drawing pushback from animal advocates. Such ordinances already exist in cities like Bloomington and Carmel. Pet stores in those municipalities are currently barred from selling cats or […]
Indiana lawmakers gear up for debate over bill to repeal certain floodplain requirements
Property owners and environmental advocates are clashing over an Indiana bill that would repeal a requirement for local administrators to use the latest statewide floodplain maps when deciding new construction projects. Authored by Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, the bill seeks to nix a provision in current state law that requires floodplain administrators to use the […]