Senate committee splits over homeless youth bill
A bill that would assist homeless youths in getting access to various documents that could help them find employment passed through a committee Thursday, but not without concerns.
Indiana Senate
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Fertility fraud bill creating felony moves to House
Indiana doctors could face felony deception charges under legislation that follows the case in which a fertility doctor used his own sperm to impregnate perhaps dozens of women.
Indiana man charged in Muslim man’s road rage shooting death
An Indiana man charged in the road rage shooting death of a Muslim man allegedly yelled “go back to your country” and made ethnic and religious insults against the victim before the shooting, according to court documents.
Senate backs study of juvenile justice system
Concerns surrounding the way Indiana adjudicates and rehabilitates its juvenile offenders has resulted in the proposal of a summer interim committee to address how adequately the juvenile justice system is governed.
Lake Michigan shoreline bills advance in Indiana Senate
Two pieces of legislation that would define public and recreational use of Lake Michigan’s shores and give jurisdiction of seawalls, beach grooming and land walls to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources have made advances in the Indiana Senate this week.
Indiana Senate approves stripped-down hate crimes bill
The Republican-dominated Indiana Senate passed a stripped-down hate crimes bill Thursday and sent the measure to the House, where Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and others hope the legislation can still be strengthened. The Senate voted 39-10 in favor of the legislation that was changed two days earlier to remove a list of specifically protected characteristics, including sexual orientation, gender identity and race.
Senate Republicans strip hate crimes bill of victim categories
The Republican-majority Senate stripped a hate crimes bill Tuesday of language that specified the types of crimes it would apply to — those motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, gender and other categories — despite emotional pleas by Democrats to leave the bill as written.
SCOTUS rejects appeal of Lake Michigan public access case
The Supreme Court of the United States will not hear an appeal that sought to restrict public access to the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan. Justices let stand an Indiana Supreme Court decision that found a public access right to the state’s 45 miles of Great Lakes beaches.
Indiana Senate backs tougher law on passing stopped buses
Indiana drivers could face tougher penalties for passing stopped school buses under a bill advancing in the Legislature.
Indiana Senate committee moves bias crimes bill forward
After more than three hours of testimony and discussion on Monday morning, the Senate Public Policy Committee voted to send a bias crimes bill to the full Senate for consideration. Senate Bill 12 would give judges the ability to consider whether a crime was committed out of hate or bias toward specific groups of individuals as an aggravating circumstance at sentencing.
Indiana Senate panel backs hate crimes bill
A proposed Indiana hate crimes law has been endorsed by a state legislative committee. The Senate Public Policy Committee voted 9-1 on Monday to advance the bill to the full Senate after hearing nearly three hours of public testimony from opponents and supporters of the legislation.
Indiana Senate panel hearing state hate crimes bill
Opponents and supporters of a proposed Indiana hate crimes law are arguing their positions before state legislators. A state Senate committee opened a hearing Monday morning on a bill that would create a law specifically against crimes fueled by biases regarding traits such as race, religion and sexual orientation.
Report: Indiana lawmaker may have violated lobbying laws
A former Indiana lawmaker’s contract with the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs may have violated state lobbying laws, according to a newspaper investigation. Allen Paul received more than $150,000 from July 2015 to December 2018 after signing a lobbying contract with the department nine months after the former Republican senator retired in 2014.
Bill sought by child sex abuse survivors rerouted for study
Individuals who were sexually abused as children will have to keep waiting for justice, now that a bill that could potentially give them more time to sue their abusers has been routed for further study.
Lake Michigan public access bill advances; SCOTUS to confer on appeal
A bill that defines the shore of Lake Michigan as belonging to the public and spells out public recreational uses of the shoreline has moved to the full Indiana Senate. Meanwhile, a petition seeking to privatize Indiana’s Great Lakes beaches will be before justices of the Supreme Court of the United States this week.
Indiana Senate panel backs easier ballot access for parties
Smaller political parties would face lower requirements to get their candidates on Indiana's ballot under a bill backed by a legislative panel.
Counties could be required to have paper trail for voting by 2024
A bill that would require counties using electronic voting systems to also maintain a paper trail is moving forward at the Indiana General Assembly.
Senator decides to send child labor law bill to summer committee
A state senator accused of having a conflict of interest over a bill he filed that seeks to eliminate the state’s child labor laws has essentially withdrawn the proposal from consideration this year.
Noblesville school shooter’s parents deny responsibility
The parents of a 13-year-old boy who opened fire in a Noblesville West Middle School classroom last year say they could not foresee his actions and deny any responsibility for them.
Lawmakers considering property tax amnesty period
Indiana legislators are considering creating an amnesty period for homeowners and businesses to pay overdue property taxes without the penalty fees and interest.