Holcomb signs 91 more bills, finishes session without veto
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed 91 bills on Thursday, finishing this year’s legislative session without vetoing any of the 252 bills sent to his desk by state lawmakers.
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DCS contract attorney pilot program kicked to study committee
Republican lawmakers have removed a controversial portion of their state budget legislation that would have replaced Indiana Department of Child Services attorneys with contractors in two regions.
House, Senate strike compromise in final budget proposal
Republicans in both chambers appear to have reached a compromise on the state’s two-year budget, earmarking more than $1 billion for school vouchers while maintaining a commitment to pay down the state’s outstanding debt obligations.
Indiana sends state-funded teacher gun training to governor
Indiana state lawmakers have sent the state’s Republican governor a bill that would create a state-funded handgun training program available for teachers, something critics have said could wrongly increase the number of guns in schools.
Sen. Tyler Johnson moves to seal malpractice case from public
A state senator embroiled in a medical malpractice case wants an Allen County judge to block public access to court records and pause proceedings while he finishes the legislative session.
Teacher discussions could be limited under Indiana bill
Indiana Republican state senators signaled their final approval Tuesday of a bill that would remove the requirement for administrators to discuss some topics with a teachers union representative
Indiana lawmakers give approval to anti-ESG investing bill
Indiana Republicans pushed through a proposal Monday taking a stand against socially and environmentally conscious investing although disagreements within their legislative majorities narrowed it from what conservatives first sought.
Physician noncompetes, unlawful tracking heading for governor’s desk
Lawmakers sent several bills to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk on Monday following chamber actions on concurrence votes and conference committees.
Time running out for state lawmakers to deliver on health, education and tax promises
Indiana’s lawmakers are nearing the end of a grueling nearly four-month legislative session, but three of their biggest priorities — aside from the budget — remain unresolved.
More money means more funding decisions for Indiana lawmakers as session nears end
Indiana lawmakers have an extra $1.5 billion in cash to work with as they finalize a two-year state budget, but with more money comes the added responsibility of deciding who gets a share of the windfall.
DCS ‘ambushed’ by GOP senators ahead of proposal to switch to contract attorneys in 2 regions, source says
A Senate Republican plan to switch from in-house attorneys to contractors in two Indiana Department of Child Services regions caught the agency off guard and followed a meeting in which agency executives were “ambushed” by a group of senators.
Indiana Senate approves handgun training fund for teachers
Indiana state Senators advanced a bill Tuesday that would make state funding available for teachers seeking firearms training, a move critics have said could increase the number of guns in school to the detriment of students.
Indiana Senate passes resolution that would limit bail
The Indiana Senate has passed a resolution that would amend the Indiana Constitution to allow denial of bail in certain circumstances.
Senate unveils budget with no expansion for school voucher program
Senate Republicans on Thursday unveiled their two-year spending plan for the state, calling for record increases in education funding but declining to increase eligibility for Indiana’s school voucher program—a priority of House Republicans.
Committee deadline fatal for many bills
Indiana’s House and Senate both face committee deadlines this week, so any bill that doesn’t advance to the respective chamber is dead for the year.
Senate passes bill requiring schools notify parents of transgender student requests
Indiana senators on Monday approved a controversial bill mandating that schools notify parents when a student asks for name or pronoun changes, as well as banning human sexuality instruction to the youngest students.
How will the state pay for 988 services?
Nearly every stakeholder agrees that Indiana needs to improve its mental health supports — as demonstrated by the emotional testimony last week for Senate Bill 1, which seeks to shore up ongoing initiatives and formalize the 988 crisis response system.
Doctor non-competes, anti-union bills failed to clear committee; back on calendars
A supermajority doesn’t automatically ensure success. Case in point, two GOP bills — one a Senate priority — failed to get through committee this week.
Conservative groups push for ‘compassionate release’ of elderly, terminally ill inmates
A House bill that would ease Indiana’s process for the “compassionate release” of inmates with health issues won’t get a hearing in the Senate, according to a crucial committee chair – but advocates say they’re not done pushing the measure.
Senate strikes parental consent requirement from bill targeting student pronouns in schools
A controversial “parental rights” bill was pared down by Indiana senators on Thursday to remove a provision that would have required schools get consent from parents if a student requests to change their name or pronouns.