Common Cause Indiana and a group of registered voters in St. Joseph County are challenging the process Indiana uses to validate absentee ballots, calling it constitutionally flawed and asking a federal court to prohibit the state from rejecting absentee ballots based solely on perceived signature mismatches.
The leader of the Indiana House is skipping votes on a major gambling-related bill after a casino owner helped arrange a local government contract with his law firm.
An Indiana bill that would change the state’s redistricting rules doesn’t do enough to end gerrymandering, critics say. The bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Greg Walker of Columbus would allow lawmakers to continue drawing the state’s legislative and congressional district maps for the foreseeable future.
Much like similar language adopted by the Senate Ethics Committee, a proposed amendment to the Indiana House Code of Ethics would explicitly prohibit sexual harassment by lawmakers and sexual relationships between lawmakers and their interns.
Opposition is rising to embattled Attorney General Curtis Hill’s move to block expanded early voting in Marion County, with Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson calling Hill’s action “reckless” and urging him to drop the matter. Under state law, Lawson’s office is responsible for election oversight, and she said Hill did not consult her before going to court.
Voters in Marion County will have more options starting with the 2019 elections due to long-debated changes approved Wednesday that expand early voting and create vote centers in the county.
Despite public concerns that a bill for choosing Indianapolis judges would reduce diversity on the bench, deprive Marion County residents of the right to directly elect jurists and elevate political considerations, a House committee Wednesday advanced a merit-selection measure supported by lawyers, judges and the business community.
Common Cause Indiana stepped into Sen. Joe Donnelly’s Indianapolis office Tuesday afternoon and turned over a petition with more than 4,000 signatures opposed to the nomination of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for U.S. Attorney General.