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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 […]
After passing gas tax increase, lawmakers to tackle long-term road funding
Indiana’s gas tax will continue to rise with inflation — up to one penny a year — while key figures gather for a long-term look at how the state funds its roads: inflation, electric vehicles, local road woes and all. The three-year extension of the annual tax hike, inserted into the state budget, comes alongside […]
Former budget chief Bob Meeks dies at 89
Longtime former lawmaker and law enforcement officer Bob Meeks — who became known for warning his colleagues, “There is no money” during budget discussions — died Wednesday. He was 89. Meeks, a Republican, served in Indiana’s Senate for two decades beginning in 1988. As chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, he was a key architect […]
The big wins — and some losses — of Indiana’s 2023 legislative session
Of the 1,154 bills filed, Indiana lawmakers approved 252 of those in the 2023 legislative session, with many still waiting for a final signature from the governor. The Republican-controlled General Assembly convened for 110 days, during which education, health care and taxes dominated much of the discourse. The highlight, however, was the passage of Indiana’s […]
Legislature backtracks, offers some property tax relief
Indiana’s Senate stripped out the House’s solution to high property tax bills more than two weeks ago. But on Thursday, lawmakers reversed course, offering up what they said was more than $100 million worth of property tax relief in compromise provisions. They also — late Thursday and early into Friday — finalized several more proposals: […]
“Not a solution”: Lawmakers finalize state-funded teacher gun training bill
Both chambers of Indiana’s General Assembly voted to accept the final version of a state-funded teacher firearms training proposal on Wednesday, along with an omnibus health bill featuring some significant provisions. Several key measures await action Thursday, the last day of session. They include movement on alcohol rules, library materials, public health and property taxes. […]