Author
Black lawmakers caucus to host town halls statewide
Indiana’s 15-member Black Legislative Caucus will hold a six-part town hall series in municipalities across the state, the group announced Friday. It billed the events as opportunities for Hoosiers to learn more about legislation passed in the most recent session, which ended in April, and speak ahead of next year’s session. Caucus members plan stops […]
Gambling investigators hope changes aid in animal fighting crackdown
Indiana’s gambling investigators regularly bust illegal animal fighting rings, but caring for the evidence — dozens or hundreds of dogs and chickens — as cases wind through the legal system is expensive and intensive. Regulators hope forthcoming legal changes will ease the strain for the groups that pitch in: specifying that bond should include the […]
Spanish now an option at BMV’s self-service kiosks
Hoosiers can now register a vehicle, renew a license or more in Spanish at more than 50 self-service kiosks across the state, Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles announced Wednesday. “The BMV continues to expand available services and we are excited to offer this option to Spanish-speaking Hoosiers,” Commissioner Joe Hoage said in a news release. […]
DNR law enforcement K-9 program hits 100 dog graduations
The Indiana Department of Natural Resource’s law enforcement wing graduated seven canine-handler teams on Thursday, hitting 100 dog graduates across the K-9 conservation program’s 25-year history. Dogs pulled excitedly at their leashes as their handlers loped across the Statehouse’s South Lawn to collect a certificate, a handshake and a celebratory photograph. DNR officials outfitted the canine […]
Indiana Lottery to send expected $362 million surplus back to state
Indiana’s lottery expects to send a whopping $361.7 million to state coffers, up 4% from last year’s payout but down from a pandemic-era record-high. “As proven across multiple years, we will work hard to maximize revenue returns to the state and support our shared mission,” said Donald Redic, interim chief operating officer for services provider […]
Draft EPA rule could impact nearly 50 Indiana coal ash dumps
Draft federal regulations for toxic coal byproducts could cover nearly 50 exempted dumps spread across 14 locations in Indiana. The Environmental Protection Agency’s rule — released last week — would extend monitoring, closure, and cleanup provisions to certain landfills, ponds and other sites for the first time. “Coal ash,” the catch-all term for particulate matter […]
Students behind revived LGBTQ+ play invite governor, state lawmakers
Fort Wayne high schoolers — readying their own production of a cancelled play with LGBTQ+ themes — on Wednesday invited Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and the state’s 150 lawmakers to the one and only performance. “Being exposed to stories that acknowledge the LGBTQ experience isn’t something we need to ‘protect’ people from,” four students wrote […]
State mailing voters for registration list ‘cleaning’
Did you find an unexpected postcard in your mailbox recently? Hoosier voters are receiving the tidy black-and-white registration mailers as part of routine voter list “maintenance,” according to Secretary of State Diego Morales’ office. “One of my top priorities is to clean the voter rolls,” Morales said in a news release Tuesday. “These postcards help […]
Utilities notch legislative wins
Indiana’s powerful electric utility companies exited the state’s recent legislative session wielding key legislative victories though it might take years to know the ultimate ramifications. New laws are set to let the state’s existing utilities get first dibs on a billion-dollar slate of new transmission projects, put natural gas plant costs into rates before construction […]
U.S. Rep. Pence endorses Crouch for governor
GOP U.S. Rep. Greg Pence on Tuesday threw his support behind Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch in her bid for governor, calling her a “proven conservative.” In a statement, Pence said Crouch “will protect Hoosier values, stand up for families, faith, life and will always support law enforcement.” “I am proud to offer her my […]
Secretary Diego Morales speaks at anti-‘woke’ conference in Hungary
Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales jetted to Hungary last week to speak at a right-wing conference, but it wasn’t on the state dime, according to his office. The Conservative Political Action Coalition has hosted annual conferences in the United States for decades, but went global last year with a Hungarian edition — and continued […]
Budget earmarks top $500 million
Spending on specific local projects climbed to $536 million in Indiana’s newest two-year budget, which Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law Thursday. Such earmarks, routed through the State Budget Agency, have risen steeply in recent budget cycles — up from just $18 million in 2015. The SBA is always allocated money for leases, like for […]