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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. […]
Anti-ESG pension bill could drop state pension returns $6.7 billion in next decade
A bill mandating that Indiana’s public pension system divest from firms or funds that use certain non-financial investment criteria — a flashpoint in the state’s culture wars — could slash the system’s returns by nearly $7 billion over the next decade, according to a revised fiscal analysis. Author Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Logansport, and supporters say […]
Spartz won’t take on Senate run — or any campaign — in 2024
Not only will U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana forego a run for an open Senate seat, but she’ll also leave office completely in 2024, she said Friday. Spartz was one of several politicians said to be considering a run for Sen. Mike Braun’s seat, who’s now running for Indiana governor. U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, […]
Bill requiring public retirement system to divest from ESG-following firms passes committee
A House committee on Thursday approved a bill requiring the state’s public pension system to divest from and terminate business relationships with firms or funds that use non-financial “ESG” factors in decisions, such boycotting gun manufacturers and fossil fuel companies. The prohibition is part of a GOP effort to crack down on the environmental, social […]
Bad landlords measure gets unanimous Senate committee support
A measure allowing utility companies to ask courts to appoint receivers over certain landlords behind on their utility bills passed unanimously out of a Senate committee Thursday. Senate Bill 114 stems from shutoffs to hundreds of residents at several Indianapolis complexes last year after the landlord failed to pay its bills. “A lot of litigation […]
Centene to pay $66.5 million in Indiana Medicaid drug pricing settlement
Health care services company Centene Corp. will pay Indiana nearly $66.5 million to resolve allegations that it overcharged the state’s Medicaid program for pharmacy services, Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office announced Wednesday. Centene admitted no liability or law-breaking in the settlement. “Companies must be held accountable for their actions,” Rokita said in a news release. […]
Mental health help clears House; throwing stars legalized for recreation in Senate
The Indiana House on Tuesday unanimously approved a major mental health proposal to ensure people experiencing mental health crises get treatment in local hospitals, not prisons or jails. Several other key bills also passed, clearing a major hurdle, and now move to the opposite chamber. Jails and correctional facilities have long been the state’s largest […]
Lawmakers move bill tracking farmland lost — but say it’s not anti-development
Lawmakers on Monday unanimously advanced a proposal tasking the Indiana State Department of Agriculture with creation of an inventory of farmland lost in the last decade — whether to industry, housing, renewable energy or otherwise. Bill author Rep. Kendall Culp, R-Rensselaer, said the detailed data would serve as a foundation for future efforts to preserve […]
Bills on state energy policy, floodplains and TANF advance
A flurry of bills have passed their respective chambers, kickstarting the process for that bill on the other side of the Statehouse. The following bills still have a long path ahead of them but passed a major hurdle on Monday. The Indiana House on Monday approved a new state energy policy, in a proposal that […]
Bill seeks to prevent federal takeover of Indiana air pollution program
Indiana’s air pollution permitting program is low on money, edging toward violation of the federal Clean Air Act — and a potential U.S. Environmental Protection Agency takeover. And it’s because air pollution is decreasing. Lawmakers hope to head EPA action off with a bill allowing the state agency responsible to raise its fees. But Senate […]
Indiana Senate approves bail denial constitution change
Indiana’s Senate on Thursday approved a constitutional change that would let judges deny bail to anyone they deem “a substantial risk to the public,” as long “the proof is evident, or the presumption strong.” Currently, people accused of all offenses except murder and treason have a right to bail. Proponents — some prosecutors and Republicans […]
Committee affirms anti-ESG, anti-China pension investing bills
Indiana senators on Wednesday said the state’s pension system should prioritize return on investment in one bill — not environmental and social concerns — even as they advanced another bill requiring the system to divest from China-related investments. Senate Bill 292 would require the Indiana Public Retirement System to make investment decisions for its 500,000 […]