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Rokita now backing Trump in Mar-a-Lago case
Every time Attorney General Todd Rokita signs Indiana onto a lawsuit somewhere in the country or files a brief in a case that doesn’t involve Hoosiers, emails and messages clog my inbox. They are from citizens who want to know what this is costing taxpayers — to play legal games on issues that don’t directly […]
Online gambling is the next frontier for Indiana
My husband is addicted to this slot-machine game on his phone. Every day he makes sure to retrieve his bonuses and build the fake stack of coins, even though his wins have no real consequences. Can you imagine if it was real gambling? That might be where Indiana is headed. The Indiana Gaming Commission hired […]
Privacy at heart of many state, federal laws
The underlying fight on abortion is about privacy, and specifically whether a woman can make private medical decisions that the government shouldn’t be part of. I am not a lawyer, but what I can say is that while the word “privacy” isn’t explicitly in the Constitution, state and federal lawmakers pass laws based on the […]
Can RFRA take down Indiana’s new abortion law?
It is the height of irony that the new GOP-backed abortion restrictions could be undone by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. RFRA caused massive controversy in 2015 because conservative groups and some Hoosiers wanted to use it to justify discrimination, specifically against gay and lesbian Hoosiers who they disagreed with based on religious beliefs. Think […]
Is Young in trouble? Probably not, but one poll is making waves
Could U.S. Sen. Todd Young be in trouble in his re-election bid? If so, it would be one of the biggest political upsets Indiana has ever seen. Two major political prognosticators – Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball – have called the seat uncompetitive and labeled it either a solid or safe Republican win. […]
Should Indiana move on from the death penalty?
Indiana is at a crossroads with the death penalty. No one has been executed in 13 years – with at least four men on death row having exhausted all appeals years ago. The problem is the Indiana Department of Correction doesn’t have the medications needed to carry out an execution. And it’s unclear if they […]
Accessibility is missing in today’s election battles
When a new Frugal Hoosiers political action committee was recently formed, it brought back a flood of memories covering Mitch Daniels’ first campaign in 2003 and 2004. And with it came the realization that candidate accessibility is long gone. And not only for reporters but also for voters. Candidates nowadays regularly refuse to participate in […]
Punishing abortion doctors in new law
Imagine you commit a crime. But you have no criminal history; you fess up immediately and show remorse. The judge would like to give you probation. But Indiana legislators stepped in and said you “shall” receive a sentence of three years in prison. That’s kind of what lawmakers did in a small section of the […]
Textbook fees, complexity need state investment
There was lots of talk during special session on how to get money in Hoosiers’ hands from the state’s unprecedented $6.1 billion surplus. Cutting gas taxes, suspending utility taxes and sending refund checks were just a few. Ultimately lawmakers settled for a $1 billion rebate. The problem is millions of Hoosiers are still waiting for […]
Holcomb doesn’t seem to care about enormous policy debate on abortion
Indiana is in the throes of one of the most important policy debates the state has ever seen —do women control their bodies or do lawmakers? And depending on the answer, where is the line drawn? Republican legislators are fractured – a more moderate group clashing with ultra-conservatives who want nothing but a full ban […]
State’s largest employers sitting out the abortion debate
The furor that enveloped Indiana in 2015 after passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was swift and effective. And that’s because the state’s major employers stepped in to demand action. Their silence during the ongoing abortion debate is deafening. While hundreds of smaller businesses have signed onto letters, attended press conferences and testified in […]
Federal judge rules in favor of transgender girl
A federal judge on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction in favor of a transgender girl who would be blocked from playing girls’ sports under the state’s new ban. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sued Indianapolis Public Schools on behalf of a 10-year-old girl who will no longer be able to play softball on […]