Jury selection set in ex-Portage mayor’s bribery retrial
Jury selection is set to begin Monday in a former northwestern Indiana mayor’s long-delayed retrial on a federal charge alleging that he solicited a bribe from two businessmen.
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Plans curbing Indiana governor’s emergency power face doubts
Indiana lawmakers have advanced bills that would curb a governor’s authority to impose emergency restrictions such as mask rules and business closures, although Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and a former state Supreme Court justice, among others, question whether those proposals written by members of Holcomb’s own party are allowed under the state Constitution.
Biden marks ‘Bloody Sunday’ by signing voting rights order
A new executive order from President Joe Biden directs federal agencies to take a series of steps to promote voting access, a move that comes as congressional Democrats press for a sweeping voting and elections bill to counter efforts to restrict voting access.
Biden, Dems prevail as Senate OKs $1.9T virus relief bill
An exhausted Senate narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill Saturday as President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies notched a victory they called crucial for hoisting the country out of the pandemic and economic doldrums.
Attorney General Rokita gives up private-sector job after scrutiny
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who drew scrutiny last month over his decision to retain employment with a health care benefits business while serving in his elected position, says he has given up the private-sector job.
Advocates ask U.S. Supreme Court to review Indiana absentee voting laws
Hoosiers who unsuccessfully pushed for no-excuse absentee voting in Indiana during the 2020 election are turning to the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming the constitutional arguments they raised will become even more pertinent as some state legislatures are already trying to restrict mail-in balloting.
Democrats trim jobless benefits, Senate debates virus relief bill
Democrats agreed Friday to pare back emergency jobless benefits but extend them for an extra month, bidding to solidify support as the Senate approached a voting marathon on a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.
With Biden’s backing, Democrats revive bill to overhaul policing
Cheered on by President Joe Biden, House Democrats hustled to pass the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing nationwide, able to avoid clashing with moderates in their own party who are wary of reigniting a debate they say hurt them during last fall’s election.
Takeaways: What hearings have revealed about Jan. 6 failures
Many questions remain unanswered about the failure to prevent the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. But after six congressional hearings, it’s clear that the Capitol Police were unprepared and overwhelmed as hundreds of Donald Trump’s supporters laid siege to the building. It’s also clear that no one wants to take responsibility for it.
Dems tighten relief benefits, firm up support for virus bill
President Joe Biden and Democrats agreed to tighten eligibility limits for stimulus checks, bowing to party moderates as leaders prepared to move their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill through the Senate.
Supreme Court likely to uphold Arizona voting restrictions
The Supreme Court appeared ready Tuesday to uphold voting restrictions in Arizona in a key case that could make it harder to challenge a raft of other voting measures Republicans have proposed following last year’s elections.
Biden urges Senate Democrats to rally behind $1.9T virus bill
President Joe Biden urged Senate Democrats to rally behind a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and stood by his proposed $1,400 payments to individuals, even as some party moderates sought to dial back parts of the package.
Casino exec Ratcliff permanently banned from Indiana gambling industry
Longtime Indiana casino executive Rod Ratcliff has been permanently banned from the state’s gambling industry. Ratcliff, who previously served as chairman and CEO of Centaur Gaming and as CEO and chairman of Spectacle Entertainment, has been entangled in a battle with the Indiana Gaming Commission for months, as the state agency has been investigating Ratcliff and his companies.
Stafford: A veteran of Indiana GOP politics looks on, shakes his head
I asked former three-term Indiana Attorney General Linley Pearson, if you were a younger person today, would you run for office? He didn’t hesitate. “There’s no question today I could not be in politics,” he said. “It’s just totally changed, and it’s not very attractive to me. … If you want to exaggerate or malign a person, you could always do that, but do you want to do that?”
Frost Brown Todd moves into D.C., ready to compete
Frost Brown Todd is muscling into the Washington, D.C., market, opening a new office in the nation’s capital and consolidating the firm’s federal public and regulatory practices into the new location.
Todd Young announces Senate reelection bid
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana, has announced his reelection campaign.
Holcomb joins 21 governors in opposing state-allocation formula in stimulus package
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has joined 21 other governors in opposing how proposed pandemic relief aid would be allocated to states under President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan.
Democratic voting bill would make biggest changes in decades
As Congress begins debate this week on sweeping voting and ethics legislation, Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing: If signed into law, it would usher in the biggest overhaul of U.S. elections law in at least a generation.
Finding consensus, struggling with conflict at legislative halfway mark
As Indiana lawmakers prepare for the second half of the session, several key issues are awaiting further review.
Supreme Court could put new limits on voting rights lawsuits
Eight years after carving the heart out of a landmark voting rights law, the Supreme Court is looking at putting new limits on efforts to combat racial discrimination in voting.