Indiana House sees leadership change as session nears end
The top leadership position in the Indiana House changed hands Monday for the first time in a decade in an unusual transition just as this year’s legislative session is about to wrap up.
The top leadership position in the Indiana House changed hands Monday for the first time in a decade in an unusual transition just as this year’s legislative session is about to wrap up.
Indiana’s governor is endorsing a proposal that could force the state’s attorney general from office if his law license is suspended over allegations he drunkenly groped a state legislator and three other women.
The only thing certain in the discipline case against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is uncertainty. That’s the consensus of legislative and political leaders responding to the recommendation that the Republican AG serve a 60-day suspension without automatic reinstatement.
After a federal appellate court stopped Indiana’s process for removing ineligible voters from the registration rolls, the state is still looking for a way to clean its voter lists. But a new system being considered by the Legislature is not gaining support among voting rights groups and could spark more litigation.
From 2017 through 2019, nine legislators exited the Statehouse before their terms expired, requiring the state’s caucus system to ramp up to handle the large number of vacancies and bringing renewed attention to political party processes that choose who will represent voters. At present, 21.3% of Indiana legislators first entered the Statehouse through a caucus election.
Organizations and individuals around Indiana have been pushing for a solution to the lead problem. The toxin is everywhere and exposure, especially in very young children, can cause lifelong cognitive impairment.
The Indiana Senate has approved legislation that would ban drivers from holding cellphones while operating a motor vehicle.
A bill bringing uniformity to indigency determinations is headed for Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk after clearing the Indiana House. The measure sailed through the General Assembly without a vote in opposition.
“How many more victims will there be?” Dawn Price, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, posed that question before the Indiana House Courts and Criminal Code Committee on Wednesday while testifying in support of legislation that would extend the amount of time victims have to prosecute their perpetrators.
Indiana lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow the communities in central Indiana to create a regional development authority, but the framework isn’t exactly what advocates initially proposed.
Legislation designed to bring uniformity to judges’ indigency determinations is continuing to move through the Indiana Statehouse without opposition.
Bills that would allow for summonses to appear instead of arrests in misdemeanor cases and that would raise the small claims filing limit statewide have passed the Indiana House of Representatives.
An Indianapolis area Democrat who at one point had considered making a run for governor will not seek re-election to her Statehouse office. Indiana Rep. Karlee Macer, of Speedway, announced Tuesday that she won’t run for re-election for House District 92 this year.
Indiana lawmakers could make it more difficult for anyone younger than 18 to get married. A bill moving through the General Assembly would increase the current minimum age for matrimony from 15.
Former Indiana House Speaker Patrick Bauer has decided to retire after 50 years in the Legislature, ending the Democrat’s career known for his clashes with former Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels and leading a five-week legislative boycott trying to block passage of a state right-to-work law.
A bill moving through the Indiana General Assembly would ban nontransferable tickets for concerts and other entertainment events.
An Indiana attorney was arrested on drunken driving charges in the southern Indiana community of Newburgh shortly after announcing his candidacy for the state Legislature.
A bill that proponents say would show legislative leadership in efforts to end jail overcrowding by issuing summonses to appear to misdemeanor defendants has advanced out of an Indiana House committee.
A bill that would prevent Indiana utilities from shutting down coal-fired power plants without state permission was approved by a House panel on Wednesday, despite widespread opposition from business, environmental, utility, ratepayer and social justice groups.
Stores across Indiana would face tougher penalties for selling tobacco products to anyone younger than 21 under a bill endorsed Tuesday by the Indiana House.