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Environmentalists, utilities at odds over coal plant protections
A House committee on Tuesday advanced an overhaul of the process that state agencies use to create regulations — including some changes benefiting coal plants. The GOP-dominated committee easily approved an amendment blocking the Indiana Department of Environmental Management from imposing regulations on all coal-powered electricity generators that are stricter than federal requirements. “This language […]
Lawmakers advance ‘buffer zone’ and tax task force bills
The Indiana House on Tuesday approved a bill creating a 25-foot buffer zone around law enforcement officers that bystanders can’t cross. “This is an officer safety measure that will give Indiana police officers the necessary reactionary gap to protect themselves and the public from harm,” author Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, said on the floor. But […]
Committee advances changes to Indiana carbon sequestration pilot project
The GOP-majority on the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee approved a bill 8-3 Monday that makes changes to Indiana’s ongoing carbon sequestration pilot project. The proposal seeks to advance the construction of carbon capture and sequestration projects, while also giving special privileges to an Indiana company that is preparing to undertake the nation’s largest carbon dioxide […]
Renters rally at the Statehouse for further protections from bad landlords
Rhonda Cook was living at an apartment complex in Indianapolis’ Far Eastside neighborhood when it caught fire. She was one unit away from the flames. Cheswick Village Apartments moved her, but the next unit had a mouse infestation and a “busted-out” patio from a break-in. Cook lived behind boarded-up windows for eight months, waiting for […]
Rural hospitals worry as lawmakers move to lower costs for patients
Indiana lawmakers have seized on high health care costs as a priority problem to tackle this legislative session, but rural hospitals with thin profit margins are worried — and want more help from the state. Nearly 20%, 0r 17, of the state’s 92 counties don’t have a single hospital; another 50% have just one, according […]
Anti-ESG pension bill’s high price tag prompts concern for governor, top lawmakers
Indiana’s top government leaders said this week they are concerned about the potential multi-billion-dollar impact of a public pension bill intended to crack down on the environmental, social and governmental framework known as ESG investing. And senators are pointing to their less-stringent alternative as House lawmakers scramble to “tighten it up.” “Intent, and where that […]
Short-term rental inspections bill passes Senate panel, with changes
A Senate committee on Thursday unanimously passed a stripped-down bill letting local units of government charge short-term rental owners $25 annual inspection fees. “There are good [short-term rentals] and bad ones — just like in every other aspect of life,” author Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, told the Senate Local Government Committee. “… If [units] don’t […]
Committee scales down pregnancy child support proposal
House lawmakers on Wednesday approved a scaled-back version of a bill that originally would’ve let expectant mothers claim child support beginning at conception — in the wake of Indiana’s much-litigated abortion ban. Instead, the House Judiciary Committee stripped the bill and replaced it with language allowing courts to make fathers pay for a wider range […]
House panel affirms 25-foot police no-bystanders zone
House lawmakers on Wednesday easily advanced a bill creating a buffer zone around officers conducting arrests — and making it a crime to breach the zone. The smooth proceedings contrasted with contentious discussion on the same topic in an interim study committee. House Bill 1186 says that people who “knowingly or intentionally” get within 25 […]
Senate approves doctor non-compete ban
The Indiana Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a ban on physician non-compete agreements, a top Senate GOP priority and one of several bills meant to lower the cost of health care. But some fear Senate Bill 7 could hurt poorer hospitals. The non-compete agreements bar physicians who leave their jobs from working in similar positions […]
Birth-control and housing bills pass chambers
Welcome to Wednesday’s legislative roundup, with lawmakers approving several key bills Tuesday, from housing and education to contraceptives and taxes. The House kicked it off with a 91-5 vote to advance House Bill 1005, which establishes a revolving loan fund meant to help municipalities cover housing-related development costs. Bill author Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, said […]
Housing, education bills among key measures passed Tuesday
Welcome to Wednesday’s legislative roundup, with lawmakers approving several key bills Tuesday, from housing and education to contraceptives and taxes. The House kicked it off with a 91-5 vote to advance House Bill 1005, which establishes a revolving loan fund meant to help municipalities cover housing-related development costs. Bill author Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, said […]