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Pro- or anti-capitalism? Lawmakers finalize anti-ESG pension investing bill
Indiana’s House on Monday signed off on the final version of a controversial proposal cracking down on the state’s pension investment managers — which its author said would “preserve” a free market while Democrats called it the “opposite of capitalism.” House Bill 1008 is a response to the popularity of “ESG” investing, when environmental, social […]
Major health, education and property tax proposals unclear as lawmakers enter last week of session
Indiana’s lawmakers are nearing the end of a grueling nearly four-month legislative session, but three of their biggest priorities — aside from the budget — remain unresolved. Legislators promised to push care-boosting, cost-cutting health initiatives, expand “school choice” options, and fight high property tax bills with relief. Plenty could change in the session’s final days, […]
IEDC battles $3 million mask lawsuit involving federal sting operation
Employees at a New York company thought they were arranging a $2.95 million face mask delivery — of what they claimed to be 1 million authentic masks — to Indiana’s Economic Development Corporation at the height of the pandemic. But the quasi-government agency was working behind the scenes on its own plans: helping federal agents […]
Democrats laud gun safety groups on heels of NRA honoring, convention
Indiana Senate Democrats honored two gun safety groups on the chamber’s floor Wednesday, less than a week after their Republican counterparts honored the National Rifle Association — and days after the controversial organization’s annual convention in Indianapolis. Democrats lauded Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, organizations that organize to end gun violence. Shannon Watts […]
Senate spars over state-funded teacher gun training
Indiana’s Senate on Tuesday — after vivid and emotional arguments — approved legislation creating a state-funded gun training program for school staff. Lawmakers gave school districts the authority to let their employees carry firearms at school a decade ago, but offered no training protocols. Legislators have repeatedly tried to mandate gun training, but have failed […]
Big bills boosting mental, public health advance
Indiana’s lawmakers on Monday stayed well into the evening to approve multiple priority health bills as they sought to meet critical deadlines: in the House, a deadline for final passage, and in the Senate, for chamber-wide amendments. Legislators sought to bolster mental health and public health infrastructure while chipping away at the state’s persistently high […]
Donor privacy or secrecy? Nonprofit disclosure bill nears law
Indiana’s state and local governments wouldn’t be able to require or publicly disclose nonprofit donor data under a proposal that is nearing law. Lawmakers and philanthropic organizations have said it protects donor privacy, which can be critical in securing donations. But transparency groups say it could obfuscate the role big donors play in politics and […]
Committee deadline fatal for many bills
Indiana’s House and Senate both face committee deadlines this week, so any bill that doesn’t advance to the respective chamber is dead for the year. The House committee deadline passed on Tuesday, meaning that several Senate bills didn’t get the green light from the House this year. The Senate committee deadline is Thursday but, according […]
Lawmakers strip key bill of most property tax relief
House legislation tackling high property tax bills lost the majority of those provisions during a Senate committee meeting Tuesday, with senators saying “permanent” relief could come in the future after Indiana reduces pension liabilities. Republicans instead inserted three food and beverage tax bills into the proposal, wading into a local dispute. “It looked like we […]
Senate passes bill requiring schools notify parents of transgender student requests
Indiana senators on Monday approved a controversial bill mandating that schools notify parents when a student asks for name or pronoun changes, as well as banning human sexuality instruction to the youngest students. The chamber also signed off on House edits to several other proposals, sending them to the governor’s desk. Supporters have argued that […]
Doctor non-competes, anti-union bills failed to clear committee; back on calendars
A supermajority doesn’t automatically ensure success. Case in point, two GOP bills — one a Senate priority — failed to get through committee this week. Legislation banning restrictive agreements between doctors and their employers — part of a push to lower Indiana’s high health care costs — hit a roadblock Thursday. A separate bill restricting […]
Lawmakers rewrite, advance anti-ESG pension investment bill
Lawmakers on Wednesday stripped long sections out of a controversial bill cracking down on the state’s pension investment managers, inserting a simplified structure that would reduce the fiscal impact to zero, according to the proposal’s author. A Senate committee then handily moved the bill forward along party lines. “The primary goal, of course, of House […]