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Mail-in voter ID bill faces barrage of criticism, vote delayed with changes expected
A bill bringing voter identification requirements to mail-in ballot applications got plenty of flak on Monday for provisions opponents said would disenfranchise elderly and disabled voters while also needlessly complicating procedures for election employees. But the bill’s author — Rep. Tim Wesco, R-Osceola — and supporters say the measure would add more security to Indiana’s […]
Transgender disputes and tax reform dominate first half of the session
While hundreds of bills made it to the half-way point, two major themes rose to the forefront — disputes over transgender and gay youth and a Republican push for tax cuts. LGBTQ+ issues State lawmakers have directed intense legislative focus toward transgender Hoosiers this session — centered on school-age children — with more than two-dozen […]
Two-thirds of filed Senate bills dead: immigrant help and marijuana legalization among casualties
Just one in three of the Indiana Senate’s filed bills — about 160 of 489 total — survived do-or-die deadlines this week. Among the casualties are some bills aimed at helping immigrants residing in Indiana without authorization, a collection of marijuana legalization proposals and even one on craft hemp, plus changes to Airbnbs and seat […]
Townships hope to prove their worth — and get more support — in new report
Indiana’s 1,000-plus townships have largely survived nearly three-dozen legislative attempts to reorganize or extinguish them since 2004 — and they’re hoping to deter future tries with a new, graph-heavy report released late last month. The 108-page document lays out a lengthy list of 27 recommendations to better bolster townships, plus data on township demographics, operations, […]
Lebanon farmer to be state’s new ag chief
A second-generation farmer from Lebanon, Don Lamb, will be the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s next executive director, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Wednesday. He hails from the the site of a proposed innovation district that has some farmers worried. “Don truly cares about the Hoosier ag community and securing Indiana’s place as a global leader […]
Senate passes bill inspired by conversion therapy dispute
Indiana’s Senate plodded through more than two-dozen bills during a marathon eight-hour stretch to meet a Tuesday deadline. The body passed several major measures, including a bill originally intended to prevent communities from banning conversion therapy that has since gone much broader. Proposals cracking down on GPS stalking and hospital costs also made the cut, […]
$5.5 million anti-ESG pensions bill passes House
A controversial proposal cracking down on alleged ESG investing in public pensions — while supporting “discriminated” businesses in contentious industries — passed the House mostly along party lines Monday. It was a redemption for a bill nearly tanked by its own previous price tag. “House Bill 1008 is about freedom and fairness in financial markets,” […]
‘Grossly underpaid’: Hoosiers would earn more for jury duty under proposal
Hoosiers haven’t seen a pay increase for jury duty in at least two decades, but that could change — even double — under a bill advancing steadily through the Statehouse. But corresponding fee increases have sparked debate on how to fund the criminal justice system: as a public service, or through the people using it. […]
Just 25% of House bills have survived session so far. Here’s what didn’t.
House lawmakers filed 673 bills this year – but only about 178 survived key deadlines this week. Some of the bills that aren’t advancing have been woven into the budget instead, like a proposal eliminating public school textbook fees. But the language often looks a little different — the budget simply requires schools to waive […]
House passes bill supporting parents in transgender DCS cases
The Indiana House on Wednesday approved a bill banning courts from removing transgender children from their parents based only on parent refusal to seek gender-affirming care or otherwise support transitions. The legislation centers on one Hoosier family — and its estranged transgender daughter — whose case is still in court. “All’s I’m trying to do […]
Anti-ESG bill clears financial panel with new $5.5 million price tag
A substantially altered bill cracking down on Indiana’s public pensions and external investment managers cleared a key financial panel Tuesday — with a new projected fiscal impact of $5.5 million over the next decade. That’s much less than a previous $6.7 billion estimate, though Democrats still weren’t appeased. House Bill 1008 seeks to block the […]
Commercial dog breeders win out as Senate passes pet store measure
Indiana’s senators approved a bill Wednesday blocking cities and towns from banning the retail sale of dogs by state-approved sellers. It was a win for a frustrated national pet store chain but went against the wishes of animal welfare advocates. The 29-18 vote was close for a chamber that usually has larger margins. Ordinances in […]