A state consultant says Indiana's child welfare agency is facing a shortage of mental health and substance abuse treatment services, as well as attorneys. The review continues as lawmakers continue to consider numerous DCS-related bills.
The Indiana Legislature has approved a bill to effectively ban the practice of eyeball tattooing. Under the Indiana proposal, tattooists would be prohibited from coloring the whites of an individual's eyes. The bill imposes a fine of up to $10,000 per violation.
A bill meant to codify longstanding sentencing practices related to modification of plea agreements is headed to the governor after it passed the Indiana House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb made history Wednesday by signing a new law that will legalize the carryout sale of alcohol on Sundays.
A resolution calling for a review of the Indiana Department of Child Services passed the Indiana Senate Committee on Family and Children Services Monday. The study committee would meet for the next two interim sessions starting this year.
Hoosiers are one step closer to having unrestricted access to cannabidiol, or CBD, oil after the Indiana Senate passed a bill that would allow CBD use by all Indiana residents, not just those with certain illnesses.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb pledged in his State of the State address Tuesday night to conduct a “transparent” review of the Department of Child Services, but offered little more than platitudes about an agency that his critics say is enveloped in crisis. “I’ll state right now: There’s no one who cares more about Hoosier children than I do, and I’ll do whatever is necessary to ensure the success of our agency and its mission.”
The departure of Mary Beth Bonaventura as director of the Indiana Department of Child Services surprised several family law attorneys and social service providers. Uniformly, they agreed the former Lake County juvenile judge was a strong advocate for children and brought valuable experience to her tenure. Still, the department has struggled against internal and external challenges.
Statehouse Democrats say they are troubled by Republican “secrecy” as Gov. Eric Holcomb and the GOP-majority scramble to contain fallout from a burgeoning crisis in Indiana’s child welfare agency.
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb has remained largely silent as children’s advocates, including a member of his own Cabinet, say bean counting by his administration has starved Indiana’s child welfare agency amid a soaring number of cases fueled by the opioid epidemic.
Gov. Eric Holcomb issued six pardons on Nov. 20 — twice the absolutions granted by his predecessor, now-Vice President Mike Pence, during his four years as governor.
Gov. Eric Holcomb is joining Indiana University officials to announce a new $50 million effort to reduce opioid abuse.
The Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Inc. is using the state’s opiate plan to fault the 3-year-old criminal code reform which emphasizes treatment over prolonged incarceration.
Vice President Mike Pence has turned over emails from a private AOL.com account he used to conduct official business while he was Indiana's governor.
A complaint filed Friday in Marion County by Citizens Action Coalition alleges that the governor’s office has violated the Indiana Access to Public Records Act by not providing the grass-roots consumer group documents it wants about Vice President and former Gov. Mike Pence’s communications involving Carrier Corp. and United Technologies.
Indiana prosecutors joined Gov. Eric Holcomb Thursday as he signed two bills prosecutors said are essential to law enforcement’s ability to build criminal cases.
The Indiana governor's office faces a backlog of public records requests largely stemming from Vice President Mike Pence's tenure, and the delay has been exacerbated by Pence's refusal to give his successor digital access to his emails, including those sent from a private AOL account he sometimes used to conduct state business.
Lawmakers have voted to send the governor a bill banning so-called sanctuary campuses in Indiana.
An Indiana lawmaker has decided to withdraw his proposal that would have given a big pay increase to the governor and other top elected state officeholders, calling instead for a study of those salaries compared with other states.
Attorneys argue to the Court of Appeals whether the state’s Access to Public Records Act should exempt governor from disclosure.