Articles

Immigration committee hopeful Congress will act

During the final meeting of the Indiana Senate Select Committee on Immigration Issues Thursday, the senators said they were frustrated that states do not have more power to address illegal immigration and believe the new administration and Congress will undertake reform.

Read More

DNA-collection bills to be introduced in 2017 Legislature

After introducing DNA-collection legislation that failed to even get a committee hearing in the two previous General Assembly sessions, Rep. B. Patrick Bauer will be getting boost in the upcoming session from a Republican Senator offering a companion bill in the upper chamber.

Read More

Vaping bill sponsor admits ‘it did’ put people out of business

Indiana State Sen. Ron Alting, the Lafayette lawmaker who sponsored the controversial vaping law that essentially put a single private security firm—located in his town and run by his high school classmate—in charge of selecting winners and losers in the e-liquid manufacturing industry, is now admitting the law created an unfair playing field.

Read More

Necessary judicial appointments may come at other courts’ expense

The short-staffing illustrated in the largest and most thorough weighted caseload study of the state’s trial courts may be met in the future, but not likely without cuts elsewhere. Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Danville, told a legislative study committee Sept. 22 that appointment of new state-paid judicial officers should be tied to reducing numbers of officers where they are underutilized.

Read More

Both sides remain divided on LGBT rights ahead of session

Advocates on both sides of Indiana's debate over the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents remained divided and were unable to make recommendations Tuesday to a committee of lawmakers considering the topic ahead of the upcoming legislative session.

Read More