Government & Politics
Rep. Jim Lucas jailed on OWI, leaving scene after crash in Jackson County
Republican state Rep. Jim Lucas was arrested and held in the Jackson County Jail Wednesday morning after police said he drove while intoxicated and left the scene of a crash. Lucas crashed his vehicle on Interstate 65, just north of Seymour, around midnight, an Indiana State Police spokesperson told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Police said […]
Hoosier Medicaid recipients report higher program dissatisfaction than peers
Satisfaction rates for Hoosier Medicaid recipients trail behind the national average, with many delaying necessary medical care as low reimbursement rates disincentivize providers from accepting the coverage. The findings come from a new national ‘Medicaid Matters’ report shared with the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Over two-thirds, 71.8%, of national respondents were mostly or completely satisfied with […]
Black lawmakers caucus to host town halls statewide
Indiana’s 15-member Black Legislative Caucus will hold a six-part town hall series in municipalities across the state, the group announced Friday. It billed the events as opportunities for Hoosiers to learn more about legislation passed in the most recent session, which ended in April, and speak ahead of next year’s session. Caucus members plan stops […]
Advisory opinion calls on Indiana officials, private attorneys to avoid conflicts of interest
In a recent advisory opinion, the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission doubled down on expectations that public officials and government lawyers avoid potential conflicts when moving between public and private service, or when moving from one government agency to another. Up for interpretation is Indiana Professional Conduct Rules as they apply to former government employees […]
GOP-led states plan new voter data systems to replace one they rejected. Good luck with that.
So far this year, seven states, all Republican-led, have left the Electronic Registration Information Center, an interstate compact for sharing voter registration data, and more could follow. Amid the exodus, some states, including Texas and Virginia, have said they plan to create their own data-sharing networks to replace ERIC. Pledging to build a new system […]
Gambling investigators hope changes aid in animal fighting crackdown
Indiana’s gambling investigators regularly bust illegal animal fighting rings, but caring for the evidence — dozens or hundreds of dogs and chickens — as cases wind through the legal system is expensive and intensive. Regulators hope forthcoming legal changes will ease the strain for the groups that pitch in: specifying that bond should include the […]
Biden, McCarthy say they have brokered a debt limit deal to avert U.S. default
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced a deal in principle Saturday night that would stave off a first-ever default on the nation’s debt as long as it can clear both chambers of Congress before June 5. The agreement would address the nation’s debt limit and include a “historic” reduction in spending, McCarthy said, though […]
Reaction to Bernard hearing swift and divergent
Advocates on both sides of Thursday’s contentious licensing hearing declared victory Friday after the regulatory panel sanctioned Dr. Caitlin Bernard for privacy violations related to a 10-year-old girl’s 2022 abortion but cleared her of other serious reporting charges. The Indiana Medical Licensing Board heard 14 hours of testimony and argument before issuing a letter of […]
Indiana Medical Licensing Board rules Bernard violated patient privacy laws
The Indiana Medical Licensing Board ruled Thursday that Indianapolis OB-GYN Dr. Caitlin Bernard violated state and federal patient privacy laws when she publicly discussed a 10-year-old rape victim seeking an abortion in Indiana. The licensing board deemed Bernard did not improperly report child abuse, however, and is fit to practice medicine. Ultimately she was given […]
Spanish now an option at BMV’s self-service kiosks
Hoosiers can now register a vehicle, renew a license or more in Spanish at more than 50 self-service kiosks across the state, Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles announced Wednesday. “The BMV continues to expand available services and we are excited to offer this option to Spanish-speaking Hoosiers,” Commissioner Joe Hoage said in a news release. […]
Statehouse postman Jose Webb reflects on three decades of service
One letter at a time, Jose Webb has been delivering mail to Indiana legislators and staff for nearly three decades — always with a smile. His official title is postmaster for the House of Representatives, and he’ll serve his final day on the job Thursday. Amid the flurries of new legislation, partisan divisions and rapid […]
DNR law enforcement K-9 program hits 100 dog graduations
The Indiana Department of Natural Resource’s law enforcement wing graduated seven canine-handler teams on Thursday, hitting 100 dog graduates across the K-9 conservation program’s 25-year history. Dogs pulled excitedly at their leashes as their handlers loped across the Statehouse’s South Lawn to collect a certificate, a handshake and a celebratory photograph. DNR officials outfitted the canine […]