Government - The Indiana Lawyer

Updated law provides more protection for abandoned medical records

July 11, 2017

Indiana already had a statute covering abandoned medical records, but Senate Enrolled Act 549, which sailed through the Statehouse during the 2017 session, updated the law. The new provisions expanded the definition of “abandoned,” added language requiring database owners to safeguard the medical information stored in their systems, and gave the Indiana Attorney General the power to recover the costs of protecting the discarded health records.

Hawaii takes another shot at Trump’s travel ban

July 10, 2017

Hawaii has returned to federal court with a new motion in its challenge to Trump administration travel ban rules regarding citizens from six majority Muslim countries.

Indiana prosecutor creates documentary warning of drug use

July 10, 2017

A southern Indiana prosecutor is showing all middle school and high school students in his county a documentary video in an attempt to discourage heroin use among youth.

Indiana prosecutor creates documentary warning of drug use

July 7, 2017

A southern Indiana prosecutor is showing all middle school and high school students in his county a documentary video in an attempt to discourage heroin use among youth.

Indiana joins amicus brief defending Congressional Review Act

July 6, 2017

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has added his name to a list of 14 state attorneys general voicing their support for the Congressional Review Act, saying the act protects the sovereignty of the states and provides them with a mechanism for relief from federal agency overreach.

Lawyer in gay marriage case joins Indiana congressional race

July 6, 2017

An attorney who led the lawsuit that overturned Kentucky's gay marriage ban wants the Democratic nomination to challenge first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth for his southern Indiana seat in 2018.

States sue over EPA’s decision to keep Dow Agro pesticide on market

July 6, 2017

Several states are seeking to join a legal challenge to a Trump administration decision to keep a widely used pesticide sold by Indianapolis-based Dow AgroSciences on the market, despite studies showing it can harm children's brains.

Influential lawmaker Kenley retiring from Indiana Senate

July 5, 2017

State Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, on Wednesday announced that he will retire on Sept. 30 after serving Senate District 20 since 1992.

Sheriff starts group to deal with overcrowded county jails

July 5, 2017

An Indiana sheriff says state lawmakers must address the issue of overcrowded and understaffed county jails.

Indiana will likely go to court over online sales tax

July 5, 2017

Indiana lawmakers passed a law this spring claiming the state has a right to collect sales taxes from companies using only online transactions. But a 25-year-old U.S. Supreme Court case prohibits states from collecting sales tax from businesses unless they've got a physical presence in the state.

Monarch loses federal challenge seeking to wholesale liquor

July 5, 2017

Indianapolis-based Monarch Beverage Co.’s attempt to obtain a wholesale liquor permit rests with the Indiana Supreme Court after its federal challenge to Indiana law was rejected by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Friday.

More court challenges expected for Trump’s new travel ban

June 30, 2017

A scaled-back version of President Donald Trump's travel ban is now in force, stripped of provisions that brought protests and chaos at airports worldwide in January yet still likely to generate a new round of court fights.

Justice Department gives up Washington Redskins name fight

June 30, 2017

The Justice Department is giving up the legal fight over the name of the Washington Redskins.

Trump commission on voting fraud asks states for voter data

June 30, 2017

President Donald Trump's commission investigating alleged voter fraud in the 2016 elections has asked states for a list of the names, party affiliations, addresses and voting histories of all voters, if state law allows it to be public. Indiana and several other states have said they won't give data to the panel.

Citizens Action Coalition sues for state records on Carrier deal

June 30, 2017

A complaint filed Friday in Marion County by Citizens Action Coalition alleges that the governor’s office has violated the Indiana Access to Public Records Act by not providing the grass-roots consumer group documents it wants about Vice President and former Gov. Mike Pence’s communications involving Carrier Corp. and United Technologies.

Holcomb bars criminal history question for most state job applicants

June 29, 2017

Applicants for state jobs in the executive branch will no longer be asked if they have ever been arrested or convicted of a crime.

7th Circuit: Nightingale must defend Medicare restitution claims

June 28, 2017

A Carmel-based home health care company stripped of its certification to receive Medicare funding in Indiana will return to the district court in Indianapolis to defend against government claims seeking nearly $5 million in restitution.

Hamilton County Jail adds re-entry, jobs program

June 28, 2017

The jail’s five-week Transitioning Opportunities for Work, Education, and Reality program, known as TOWER, began in April as a partnership with a state WorkOne Center to provide resources for soon-to-be-released inmates. The goal is to reduce the rate of inmates’ returning to the county jail.

Legal fight over Indiana’s anti-political robocall law ends

June 28, 2017

A Chicago-based veterans advocacy group's seven-year struggle to strike down Indiana's ban on political robocalls has ended with the U.S. Supreme Court declining to review a lower-court ruling upholding the law.

New laws for 2017

June 27, 2017

Indiana’s legislators passed more than250 new laws on topics including e-liquid reform, inheritance tax repeals, and overhaul of uniform business organization laws.

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