Indiana police reform bill sails through Senate committee
A bipartisan bill aimed at increasing police accountability and enacting criminal justice reform advanced with unanimous support from a key Indiana Senate committee Tuesday.
Indiana General Assembly
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Work to keep voters informed continuing even in non-election year
In a year without an election, The Indiana Citizen, a nonprofit focused on increasing voter turnout, is transforming its website into a source of news and information about Hoosier politics, elected officials and civic issues that attorney co-founder Bill Moreau described as “our new venture into accountability journalism.”
Plans curbing Indiana governor’s emergency power face doubts
Indiana lawmakers have advanced bills that would curb a governor’s authority to impose emergency restrictions such as mask rules and business closures, although Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and a former state Supreme Court justice, among others, question whether those proposals written by members of Holcomb’s own party are allowed under the state Constitution.
Protect and serve: Indiana Capitol Police take pride in patrolling Statehouse, Circle City
Indiana Capitol Police say they feel a special sense of pride and honor carrying out their duties of safeguarding the Indiana Statehouse and many other Circle City landmarks. They feel they are doing something especially important for fellow Hoosiers.
Bill aims to prevent ‘social justice prosecuting’
Under a bill in the Statehouse, a prosecutor who establishes a policy of not charging certain offenses would be considered “noncompliant.” But local prosecutors fear changes that would step on their prosecutorial discretion and give the attorney general, a statewide officeholder, a say over her local decisions.
Stafford: A veteran of Indiana GOP politics looks on, shakes his head
I asked former three-term Indiana Attorney General Linley Pearson, if you were a younger person today, would you run for office? He didn’t hesitate. “There’s no question today I could not be in politics,” he said. “It’s just totally changed, and it’s not very attractive to me. … If you want to exaggerate or malign a person, you could always do that, but do you want to do that?”
St. Joseph JNC accepting new applications as lawsuit, legislation persist
As litigation and legislation that could change the structure of judicial selection in St. Joseph County proceeds, the St. Joseph County Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications to fill a vacancy that will occur in the spring.
Finding consensus, struggling with conflict at legislative halfway mark
As Indiana lawmakers prepare for the second half of the session, several key issues are awaiting further review.
Justices split, let stand rulings against DOC over death penalty secrecy
The Indiana Supreme Court has evenly split in a long-running dispute over disclosure of records concerning the state’s lethal injection drugs, clearing the way for disclosure of the records and the payment by the state of more than a half-million dollars in legal fees.
Bills for new judicial resources advance, but bid to cut Delaware Co. court draws ire
A bill to add a court in Hamilton County and judicial officers elsewhere has passed the Indiana Senate, as has a measure to allow city and town courts to keep certain administrative fees. A measure to revoke a county court, however, is drawing pushback.
Juvenile justice reform bill heads to House with bipartisan support
The Indiana Senate passed a bill Wednesday that could save the state nearly $1 million in federal funding by prohibiting juveniles charged with crimes from being held in adult jails.
Parents’ gender-marker change requests for transgender kids splits COA
Two Indiana trial courts must reconsider parents’ requests to change their children’s birth certificate gender markers, a majority of the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday, finding parents have statutory authority to request the changes for their minor transgender children. A dissenting judge, however, opined that Wednesday’s decision was a judicial overreach into legislative powers.
Senate OKs bill to limit governor’s emergency orders to 60 days
The Indiana Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would put a 60-day limit on emergency orders issued by the governor unless the Legislature weighs in. The proposal is substantially different from a bill restricting the governor’s emergency powers that previously passed the House.
Indiana Senate passes police use-of-force bill
Indiana senators advanced a measure Tuesday that would allow police to determine what use of force is reasonable in some cases. The bill is now headed to the House.
Bill challenging ‘noncompliant’ prosecutors clears Indiana Senate
A controversial bill that would allow the Indiana attorney general to request a special prosecutor if elected prosecutors become “noncompliant” passed the Indiana Senate on Tuesday. Senate Bill 200 is now headed to the Indiana House for further consideration.
Indiana House backs ending gun permits, tighter abortion law
Republicans pushed bills through the Indiana House on Monday that would repeal the state’s permit requirement for carrying a handgun in public and further tighten the state’s abortion laws, joining movements in several other GOP-controlled states.
Black caucus calls for reprimands, implicit bias training after House altercations
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus is calling for lawmaker reprimands, implicit bias training and member safety measures in response to a heated Indiana House session last week that featured allegations of racism, on-the-floor boos and lawmaker confrontations in the halls and a restroom.
Finalists for St. Joseph Superior Court resubmitted to Holcomb
Gov. Eric Holcomb has been presented a second time with the same slate of nominees to fill a vacancy on the St. Joseph Superior Court, potentially curing an injunction that had blocked the governor’s appointment after a local commission member sued, claiming two fellow members were ineligible.
Bill giving adult guardians say over final dispositions set for final Senate vote
A bill to give adult guardians authority to oversee the disposition of a ward’s remains is up for a final vote in the Indiana Senate this week, but the version of the bill senators will vote on is markedly different from the introduced legislation.
Advocates, landlords have differing views of housing bill veto override
Legal aid providers are uncertain what will happen now that the Indiana General Assembly has enacted a law that is seen as giving more favor to landlords, but they fear it will exacerbate the growing problem of evictions in Indiana and lead to more families being put on the street.