Indiana program has yet to pay those exonerated
An Indiana program aimed at compensating those who have been wrongly convicted of crimes hasn’t yet paid out any money since it was created last year.
Indiana General Assembly
Articles
Indiana lawmakers plan session shifts amid virus worries
Indiana lawmakers are preparing to move much of their 2021 legislative session activity out of the Statehouse over coronavirus concerns.
Merritt resigning after 30 years in state Senate
A longtime Republican state lawmaker who was unsuccessful last year in his bid to become mayor of Indianapolis is stepping down from his seat in November.
Indiana alters student count to maintain school funding
The Indiana State Board of Education approved a method to maintain funding for schools reopening virtually this fall after warnings of possible cuts from lawmakers last month.
Indiana moves student count to delay school funding question
The Indiana State Board of Education approved a method to maintain funding for schools reopening virtually this fall after warnings from lawmakers last month of possible cuts.
Farm feud: CAFO challenge turns to U.S. Supreme Court
Hendricks County families who live with the odor from a nearby 8,000-hog farm for years have lost their nuisance, negligence and trespass claims against the concentrated animal feeding operation. After unsuccessfully seeking relief from the Indiana Court of Appeals and a divided Indiana Supreme Court, they are now turning to the U.S. Supreme Court.
IndyBar: Bosma’s Retirement from the Indiana General Assembly Significant for Local Government Issues
Many House members on both sides of the aisle are familiar with local government issues. But Brian Bosma’s exit from lawmaking is significant in terms of the loss of institutional knowledge and history of those issues from the General Assembly’s leadership.
Indiana again asks full 7th Circuit to hear parental-notice abortion case
Indiana has once again asked that the full U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals consider and uphold the Hoosier state’s requirement that parents be notified when their minor children seek abortions, Attorney General Curtis Hill announced Wednesday.
Federal rulings block Indiana voter roll purge, absentee ballot signature match law
Finding Indiana’s process for matching signatures on absentee ballots is unconstitutional, a federal judge has permanently enjoined the Secretary of State and other election officials from rejecting any mail-in ballot on the basis of a signature mismatch without providing adequate notice to the voter.
State, Planned Parenthood agree to delay enforcement of 18-hour abortion ultrasound law
The battle over an enjoined Indiana law requiring women to obtain an ultrasound 18 hours before an abortion has taken a new turn, with the parties entering an agreement that would vacate the injunction in the new year.
Unexpected lessons in getting back to class
This back-to-school season is like no other. What was expected in March to be a temporary closure due to COVID-19 has spilled into August, leaving teachers, administrators, students and parents at a loss for what to expect.
States look to ‘salary history bans’ to increase pay equity
Using what’s known as “salary history bans,” governments at the state and local level are limiting employers’ ability to consider a candidate’s previous wages when making an employment decision. The breadth of these bans varies by jurisdiction, but the concept remains the same: under a salary history ban, an employer cannot explicitly ask a prospective employee what they earned in a previous job.
Policing the police: Indiana Black Legislative Caucus counting on public advocacy to push policy changes
Following the growing awareness of police brutality across the country, the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus is leading the call for policing reform with the group’s chair believing if the General Assembly does not act during the 2021 session, the opportunity for meaningful change will have been lost.
AG Hill presses Holcomb to call special session focused on COVID-19
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is urging Gov. Eric Holcomb to call a special session of the Indiana General Assembly to focus on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Hill joins legislative Democrats who have also called for a special session to address the pandemic and potentially other issues.
Indiana Black Caucus pushes for more police accountability
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus on Thursday called for state lawmakers to increase accountability and transparency for the state’s police officers.
Holcomb backs delay to possible Indiana school funding cuts
Indiana’s public schools would be assured of full state funding for the rest of this year under a plan announced by the governor Wednesday to sidestep a warning from a top fellow Republican that schools could face a 15% cut if they didn’t hold in-person classes.
State officials pressured to set school-shutdown benchmarks
With at least 31 positive cases of the coronavirus reported in Indiana schools since buildings began reopening in late July, district leaders, teachers and parents are pressuring state officials to identify benchmarks for what would require schools to go back online as confirmed cases of the virus increase.
Rape convictions affirmed but probation condition ruled unconstitutional
An appeals court Monday upheld an aggregate 24-year sentence for a man convicted of three counts of rape, but it also found a condition of probation that barred him from visiting “businesses that sell sexual devices or aids” was unconstitutionally broad.
Ex-fertility doctor who used own sperm must face civil lawsuit, COA affirms
A former Indianapolis fertility doctor who used his own sperm to impregnate dozens of women through artificial insemination must face a negligence complaint brought against him by the son of one of his patients, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Wednesday.
Weinzapfel calls out Rokita for ‘purposely muddled’ response to mask mandate
Controversy over Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s statewide mask mandate has spilled over into the race for attorney general, with Democratic candidate Jonathan Weinzapfel accusing Republican candidateTodd Rokita of purposefully declining to stand with the governor.