Councilman to replace outgoing Indiana Senate leader
An Allen County councilman has been selected to fill the seat of the outgoing Republican leader of the Indiana Senate, President Pro Tem David Long, also of Fort Wayne.
Indiana General Assembly
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Many Indiana counties face jail crowding with inmate shift
Taxpayers in dozens of Indiana counties will be paying for new jail beds years after sweeping state criminal code changes began sending more low-level offenders into local jails instead of state prisons. At least 40 jails in Indiana are over capacity, and a recent state survey found that almost half of all jail inmates are Level 6 felons, the lowest-level felons.
Counties ask study committee for more judicial help, courts
Rising caseloads and crowded jails are prompting five Indiana counties, to date, to request more magistrates and courts.
Legal aid groups cast wider net to diversify funding
The Indiana Supreme Court is preparing to ask for an increase in civil legal aid funding when the Indiana General Assembly convenes for the 2019 session. The request will come as legal aid nonprofits try to diversify their donor base while looking for new ways to help the steady flow of people in need.
Public Defender Commission announces legislative priorities
The Indiana Public Defender Commission has announced plans to begin a legislative effort intended to stir statewide public defense reform, a decision that comes on the heels of a task force report that highlighted shortcomings in the Hoosier indigent defense system.
House Ways & Means chairman still in critical but stable condition
The chairman of the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee remains in critical but stable condition in Ann Arbor, Michigan, according to the House Speaker’s office.
Sheriffs, public defense task force shine spotlight on jail overcrowding
The work of law enforcement has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. But in Indiana, one aspect of local law enforcement has not: the per diem local jails receive to house, feed and transport inmates. Currently the state allocates a $35 per day, but the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association has announced plans to advocate for raising that amount to $55.
House speaker: Top GOP lawmaker in critical condition
Indiana’s House speaker said Thursday a top-ranking Republican lawmaker is in critical condition after a motorcycle accident in Michigan. Rep. Tim Brown had been placed in a medically induced coma after the crash.
House Ways and Means chairman in coma after motorcycle crash
A top Indiana lawmaker was in a medically induced coma Wednesday after being involved in a motorcycle accident in northern Michigan, his traveling companion told Indianapolis Business Journal.
Proposal to decriminalize marijuana in Gary fails by 1 vote
A proposal to decriminalize marijuana in Gary fell one vote short of passage amid concerns that it would overstep Indiana law. Councilwoman Lavetta Sparks-Wade said she abstained from voting because the council’s attorney advised the council that it would circumvent state law.
Study committee to return spotlight to DCS
While the firestorm over the Indiana Department of Child Services has died down, the Indiana General Assembly is preparing to begin its examination of the agency and possibly make recommendations for action during the 2019 legislative session. The Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Room 431 of the Statehouse to review a host of issues related to DCS.
Indiana’s sheriffs push for more funding to house felons
Indiana’s sheriffs say they need more state money to cover the costs of holding low-level nonviolent felons in county jails. Indiana’s county jails currently get a $35 per-day payment for every Level 6 felon they house. But it’s been at least 30 years since that amount changed, according to the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association.
Indiana’s election security plans don’t include new machines
Indiana’s top elections official is planning to use more than $7.5 million in federal funding to improve the state’s election security, but not to upgrade its voting machines. Indiana was among the states and territories to receive money from the $380 million approved by Congress amid ongoing threats from Russia and others.
Prosecutors cite ethics rules to Hill in abortion lawsuit
Three Indiana prosecutors are renewing their calls for Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill to concede on their behalf the merits of lawsuit that blocked a 2018 abortion law and told the AG's staff in an email that Hill is obligated under the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct to follow their directive as his clients. Hill, however, maintains he is authorized to defend the statute on behalf of his "ultimate client:" the people of Indiana.
Legislative panel focuses on idle alcohol permits
When the Indiana Alcohol Code Revision Commission heard public testimony for the first time ahead of the 2019 legislative session on Friday, members of the Indiana legal and business community came forward to discuss the topic that has emerged as one of the most important for the commission to grapple with: how long alcohol permits can be held in escrow before being revoked.
Heroin overdose sufficient for possession conviction, COA rules
A man who argued public policy should disfavor criminally charging people who have overdosed on heroin lost Wednesday, as the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed his felony possession conviction.
Indiana lawmakers consider expanding industrial hemp market
Indiana lawmakers are considering allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp. Members of the Interim Study Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources heard from farmers and state leaders in support of the new crop during a committee meeting on Monday.
Legal defense fund for AG Hill raises questions
The formation of a 501(c)3 to collect contributions to provide for Attorney General Curtis Hill’s legal defense against sexual misconduct allegations brought a fresh round of inquiry. Nonprofit law attorneys questioned the legality of starting a charity to raise money for one specific person and how the fund would be monitored in Indiana.
New Indiana law could help hold down prescription drug costs
An Indiana lawmaker says a new state law promises to be an important step toward helping hold down Hoosiers’ prescription drug costs.
Despite Holcomb’s support, hate crimes bill lacks unity
Even as Indiana lawmakers from both parties continue to echo Gov. Eric Holcomb’s call for hate crime legislation, the deep divisions that foiled previous attempts to pass a bias-motivated crime bill appear to still be entrenched.