Author

Leslie Bonilla Muñiz

Leslie Bonilla Muñiz

Leslie joins the Indiana Capital Chronicle after covering city government and urban affairs for the Indianapolis Business Journal for more than a year. She graduated from Northwestern University in March 2021, and has reported for the Chicago Tribune, Voice of America and student publications in Evanston, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and Doha, Qatar.

bills session

Former Colts punter Hunter Smith launches Statehouse bid

By: - December 4, 2023

Hunter Smith, an Indianapolis Colts punter turned farmer, is running for an open Statehouse seat as a Republican. Current Rep. Donna Schaibley, R-Carmel, announced in October that she would not seek reelection in 2024. House District 24 includes parts of Boone and Hamilton counties. Smith played for the Colts from 1999 to 2008, then played an […]

With gambling legislation on pause, some push for reform

By: - December 1, 2023

The leaders of the Statehouse’s dual Republican supermajorities have been clear:  after recent gambling industry scandals involving former lawmakers, next year’s legislative session will include no expansion. That’s prompted a divided response over what to do instead. It’s a chance for reform, some government transparency and ethics advocates say. But others — industry leaders, experts […]

Lottery Commission approves $50k payout to man with torn-up winning ticket

By: - November 29, 2023

Two recent lottery winners got differing results from Tuesday’s Hoosier Lottery Commission meeting — one reaped thousands while another received nothing. Paul Marshall had a winning $50,000 Powerball ticket. Hoosier Lottery participating retailers can’t pay tickets of more than $600, so when Marshall took his to a retailer, a machine spat out written instructions to […]

Holcomb releases five-dozen videos promoting Hoosier attractions

By: - November 27, 2023

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Imagine Indiana — a nonprofit that promotes Indiana — recently released 62 videos touting the state’s top attractions. Dubbed, “All Around Indiana,” the project features a buffalo preserve, caves, parks, racing, sandhill crane migration and more — plus, a variety of industries. Holcomb narrates the videos. The project, Holcomb said, is […]

Indiana abortions drop steeply after ban goes into effect — but don’t hit zero

By: - November 22, 2023

Indiana abortions plummeted to low double-digits after a near-total ban went into effect over the summer, according to data from the state’s health department. Abortion clinics stopped providing the procedures August 1, although the ban officially took hold on August 21. The law, which strips clinics of their licenses, includes several narrow exceptions: for the […]

Lawmakers to revisit reading proficiency, holding back third-graders

By: and - November 22, 2023

Too many Hoosier third-graders can’t read at an appropriate skill level — and some shouldn’t be going on to fourth grade, Indiana lawmakers said Tuesday during the ceremonial start to the legislative session. They’re also planning to tackle student truancy, antisemitism and more during the non-budget session, which will begin in earnest Jan. 8 and […]

Less ‘aggressive’ legislative session coming, Statehouse leaders say

By: - November 21, 2023

Moderate your expectations for the next legislative session, say Indiana’s lawmaking leaders: more tweaks and fine-tuning, and fewer overhauls. They’re not taking on gambling expansions, water fights or costly initiatives during the shorter non-budget session, which begins in January and must end by mid-March. “We’ve had three aggressive sessions — three years, in which we’ve […]

Democrat Destiny Wells launches attorney general bid

By: - November 20, 2023

Democrat Destiny Wells on Monday announced that she’s running for Indiana attorney general. It’s the party executive, lawyer and veteran’s second bid for public office; she lost a 2022 race for secretary of state. Wells said incumbent Republican Todd Rokita has used his powers “in an abusive way” — and said that as attorney general, […]

FSSA extends applications for employer-sponsored child care grants

By: - November 17, 2023

Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) on Friday announced it will extend the application period for its employer-sponsored child care grants by adding a second window. The $25 million program offers employers seed funding for child care initiatives using some of the state’s remaining pandemic-era federal relief funds. The agency opened the program, which […]

Young to take on alumni, donor college admissions — without stepping on religious toes

By: - November 17, 2023

When the nation’s highest court overturned race-conscious admission decisions, affirmative action supporters and detractors alike set their sights on another controversial admissions practice: the consideration of applicant relationships to alumni and donors. Among them was U.S. Sen. Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana. He called the practice an “impediment to fair admissions standards” and said […]

Holcomb visits Hoosier soldiers in Kenya ahead of Thanksgiving

By: - November 16, 2023

Indiana National Guard members stationed in Kenya — who will miss Thanksgiving at home and likely Christmas — asked Gov. Eric Holcomb only for more ping pong balls and corn hole bags during a visit this week. “I think I can do that,” Holcomb told reporters of the requests. “(The soldiers) just ooze duty, honor, […]

INDOT faces fiscal cliff without road funding changes

By: - November 16, 2023

Indiana’s Department of Transportation (INDOT) expects to lose billions of dollars in revenue in the coming decades as more Hoosiers buy alternative fuel-using and fuel-efficient vehicles. That might mean changes to a popular grant program’s funding mix, and more. “We already see that we’ve got an issue, and if we don’t do something in the […]