Filter blocked 70,000 emails to Indiana lawmakers on bill
A spam filter blocked as many as 70,000 emails sent to Indiana legislators about a contentious bill that aimed to place restrictions on teaching about racism and political topics.
Indiana General Assembly
Articles
Bill repealing handgun permit requirement awaits decision from Holcomb
A highly contested bill that would allow Hoosiers to carry a handgun in public without a permit is headed to the governor’s desk for final consideration after Republican lawmakers successfully revived the measure in spite of criticism from law enforcement and other stakeholders.
IN GOP lawmakers urge governor to call special session if SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade
Indiana Republican lawmakers have sent a letter requesting that Gov. Eric Holcomb call a special legislative session if the Supreme Court of the United States completely or partially overturns Roe v. Wade with its upcoming ruling in a Mississippi abortion case.
Legislature ends session by cutting income taxes, not business personal property tax
Indiana lawmakers gave final approval early Wednesday morning to a Republican tax-cut package that would gradually reduce state income taxes over the next seven years, but they failed to reach agreement on cutting the business personal property tax.
Obstruction of justice bill signed into law
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has signed into law a bill that aims to foster a more efficient legal process for domestic violence and child abuse cases where witnesses are likely to fail to appear or not testify truthfully.
Indiana senators cheer, laugh for rare unanimous ‘no’ vote against special education bill
An advocate for children with disabilities says she believes Indiana state senators never took seriously a bill they defeated in a rare 0-50 vote that would have changed the handling of special education disputes between families and schools.
Holcomb signs bill to end health emergency, limit vaccine mandates
Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday signed into law legislation to end Indiana’s public health emergency and limit employer vaccine mandates, shortly after state lawmakers sent the measure to his desk.
Indiana school ‘transparency’ bill language likely dead
Language from a contentious bill that sought to place broad restrictions on teaching about racism and political topics in Indiana is unlikely to be revived after the Senate stalled the measure earlier this week.
Bill to end health emergency, limit vaccine mandates heads to governor
The Indiana House voted Thursday to send watered-down legislation to limit employer vaccine mandates to the governor, who is expected to soon sign it into law.
Handgun permit repeal language revived by Republican lawmakers
Indiana lawmakers have revived a bill that would have repealed Indiana’s handgun permit requirement by putting the language into another vehicle, despite continued opposition to the measure.
Indiana bill to close rape law loophole heads to governor
A bill that seeks to redefine rape and consent in Indiana is headed to the governor’s desk after state lawmakers gave it their final approval on Wednesday.
Indiana lawmakers send trans girls sports ban to governor
Indiana lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to a Republican-backed bill that would ban transgender women and girls from participating in school sports that match their gender identity, sending it to the governor to decide whether it will become law.
Child Advocates’ program provides model for direct representation
As the Legislature, agency stakeholders and foster parents restart the conversation about providing attorneys for children in child-in-need-of-services and termination of parental rights proceedings, the Child Advocates Direct Representation Program is an example of how direct representation works and what it can do.
Senate Bill 180 reignites conversation about direct representation for CHINS, TPR proceedings
Indiana is one of just six states that does not require counsel for children in child welfare cases in any situation, according to the National Association of Counsel for Children. Although Indiana Code § 31-32-4-2 does give state court judges the discretion to appoint counsel for children in child welfare cases, stakeholders say the Hoosier State could be forced to implement a direct representation program either through lawsuits filed by national children’s rights organization or federal legislation that Congress is considering.
Bill would require de novo judicial review of environmental agency decisions
A bill proposed in the 2022 Indiana legislative session would have required trial courts to try disputed issues of fact de novo in a judicial review of certain agency actions. Republican Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, said he authored House Bill 1063 in an attempt to even the playing field between decision-making agencies and Hoosiers, and in response to an Indiana Supreme Court decision.
Legal battle brewing over trans athlete bill
In Indiana, a legal battle is already brewing over legislation that would ban transgender female athletes from competing on K-12 girls’ sports teams. Representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana have promised to file a lawsuit while Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has said his office will defend the bill’s constitutionality.
Watered-down vaccine mandate limits clear Senate, return to House for consideration
The Indiana Senate passed a watered-down version of the House Republicans’ bill to limit employer vaccine mandates, sending it back to the House where its future is cloudy.
Bill allowing Level 6 felons to go to DOC headed to governor’s desk
A bill allowing Level 6 felony offenders to serve their sentences in the Indiana Department of Correction for mental health and addiction treatment is headed for the governor’s desk.
Indiana classroom transparency bill stalls in GOP-run Senate
An Indiana education proposal that drew criticism for originally aiming to place broad restrictions on teaching about racism and political topics took a major blow Monday when Republican state senators did not advance the bill.
J&J, distributors finalize $26B landmark opioid settlement
Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors finalized nationwide settlements over their role in the opioid addiction crisis Friday, an announcement that clears the way for $26 billion to flow to nearly every state and local government in the U.S.