Despite final pleas from Lake County Democratic lawmakers to kill a controversial judicial selection bill that one said treats their county and St. Joseph County “as stepchildren,” the Indiana House voted Wednesday to agree to Senate amendments, sending House Bill 1453 to Gov. Eric Holcomb.
A parade of attorneys from Lake and St. Joe counties testified against House Bill 1453. Most spoke in disbelief that this was happening without any prior consideration. They explained why they had taken their time and traveled all the way down to Indianapolis, some twice, to tell lawmakers why this is a bad idea and why the current judicial nominating system works. It was enough to give any reasonable person pause. But this is the Indiana Legislature we’re talking about.
Thanks to the help of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, the IndyBar Legislative Committee is currently monitoring various legislation that could impact areas of practice or the practice of law. These reports can be viewed at indybar.org/billwatch.
Adult guardians will soon be part of the statutory scheme for making decisions about disposition of a deceased ward after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill extending their authority.
Described as a “model of the nation,” an Indiana juvenile justice reform bill passed the Indiana House of Representatives with Democrats and Republicans all voting in support of the measure.
A bill to enhance criminal justice reform efforts at the local level is now law in Indiana. Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday signed legislation calling for the creation of county or regional justice reinvestment advisory councils.
Indiana lawmakers won’t be done for the year when their regular legislative session ends later this month. Legislative leaders are laying the groundwork for a return by all 150 lawmakers to Indianapolis months from now to approve new congressional and General Assembly districts based on data from last year’s census.
The Indiana Legislature passed a bill Thursday that allows the state to withhold funding to cities that fail to protect public monuments and memorials from vandalism, part of an attempt by Republican lawmakers to deter protests that have elevated since the death of George Floyd.
The Indiana Senate approved a bill Thursday that designates religious activities as essential services and prohibits any restrictions on them during a declared emergency.
A legislative committee has overhauled a contentious proposal to require Indiana voters to submit identification numbers with mail-in ballot applications.
The South Bend city attorney has been selected to fill a vacancy on the St. Joseph Superior Court. Stephanie Steele will fill the seat vacated by now-Senior Judge Jane Woodward Miller, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Wednesday.
The Indiana House on Tuesday approved two bills giving local and county government officials more say over restrictions imposed during health emergencies and protecting churches from state or local orders more restrictive than those imposed on other essential businesses.
Indiana legislators gave final approval to a bill that won’t require businesses to make accommodations for pregnant workers, despite an appeal from Gov. Eric Holcomb for a law requiring more protections.
Indiana’s Republican-dominated Legislature on Tuesday voted to advance a bill that tightens state abortion laws despite objections that it would force doctors to provide dubious information to their patients.
While the COVID-19 pandemic ruled out the traditional State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly in January, Chief Justice Loretta Rush’s address for 2021 released Wednesday takes the form of a video featuring judges and court officers discussing how the judiciary “adapted and innovated.”
The Republican-dominated Indiana Senate is blocking a bill that would repeal the state’s permit requirement for carrying a handgun in public. The measure previously easily passed the House but was opposed by law enforcement organizations.
Four magistrates and one lawyer have been named as finalists to fill an upcoming vacancy on the St. Joseph Superior Court. The finalists were announced by a judicial selection panel that was reduced to five members after two were disqualified.
Gov. Eric Holcomb will now get the chance to follow through on his pledge to veto a bill that would give state lawmakers the power to call themselves into session during public emergencies. The Indiana House and Senate on Monday gave their final approval to the measure that ultimately may end up in court.
One of Indiana’s most prominent corporations is criticizing an Indiana proposal that opponents maintain will make mail-in voting more difficult by requiring voters to submit identification numbers with their ballot applications.
The Indiana Senate approved a bill reducing local attorney input into who serves on the judicial nominating commissions for Lake and St. Joseph counties Monday despite objections from Democratic senators, one of whom insinuated the changes were triggered by anonymous complaints from candidates who had lost out on judge appointments.