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.
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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.
High court tells Santa Clara it can’t bar in-person worship
The Supreme Court is telling California’s Santa Clara County it can’t enforce a ban on indoor religious worship services put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump calls for GOP unity, repeats false claims about election loss
Taking the stage for the first time since leaving office, former President Donald Trump called for GOP unity, even as he exacerbated intraparty divisions by attacking fellow Republicans and promoted false claims about the election in a speech that made clear he intends to remain a dominant political force.
Democrats launch sweeping bid to overhaul US election laws
Stacey Abrams, whose voting rights work helped make Georgia into a swing state, exhorted Congress on Thursday to reject “outright lies” that have historically restricted access to the ballot as Democrats began their push for a sweeping overhaul of election and ethics laws.
House votes to expand legal safeguards for LGBTQ people
The Democratic-led House passed a bill Thursday that would enshrine LGBTQ protections in the nation’s labor and civil rights laws, a top priority of President Joe Biden, though the legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate.
Restaurant, bar capacity limits in Marion County to increase March 1
More people will be allowed into Marion County restaurants, bars and gyms starting March 1, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday morning, citing improving local COVID-19 pandemic conditions.
GOP rallies solidly against Democrats’ virus relief package
Republicans rallied solidly against Democrats’ proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill as lawmakers awaited a decision by the Senate’s parliamentarian that could bolster or potentially kill a pivotal provision hiking the federal minimum wage.
House poised to vote on legal safeguards for LGBTQ people
The Democratic-led House is poised to pass a bill that would enshrine LGBTQ protections in the nation’s labor and civil rights laws, a top priority of President Joe Biden, though the legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate.
Juvenile justice reform bill heads to House with bipartisan support
The Indiana Senate passed a bill Wednesday that could save the state nearly $1 million in federal funding by prohibiting juveniles charged with crimes from being held in adult jails.
Senate OKs bill to limit governor’s emergency orders to 60 days
The Indiana Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would put a 60-day limit on emergency orders issued by the governor unless the Legislature weighs in. The proposal is substantially different from a bill restricting the governor’s emergency powers that previously passed the House.
Judge bans enforcement of Biden’s 100-day deportation pause
A federal judge late Tuesday indefinitely banned President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations. Texas argued the moratorium violated federal law and risked imposing additional costs on the state.
Indiana House backs ending gun permits, tighter abortion law
Republicans pushed bills through the Indiana House on Monday that would repeal the state’s permit requirement for carrying a handgun in public and further tighten the state’s abortion laws, joining movements in several other GOP-controlled states.
High court to take up Trump immigration, abortion referral rules
The United States Supreme Court said Monday it will take up challenges to controversial Trump administration policies affecting family-planning clinics and immigrants, even though the Biden administration has announced it is reviewing them.
Black caucus calls for reprimands, implicit bias training after House altercations
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus is calling for lawmaker reprimands, implicit bias training and member safety measures in response to a heated Indiana House session last week that featured allegations of racism, on-the-floor boos and lawmaker confrontations in the halls and a restroom.
Finalists for St. Joseph Superior Court resubmitted to Holcomb
Gov. Eric Holcomb has been presented a second time with the same slate of nominees to fill a vacancy on the St. Joseph Superior Court, potentially curing an injunction that had blocked the governor’s appointment after a local commission member sued, claiming two fellow members were ineligible.
Frost Brown Todd opens office in D.C. market
Frost Brown Todd is opening a new office in Washington, D.C., consolidating the firm’s federal public policy and regulatory practices into the new location and drawing upon the expertise of attorneys throughout the firm’s other nine offices, including Indianapolis.
Tinder, Williams support Garland’s nomination for AG
A coalition of former federal judges, including two from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, is urging the U.S. Senate to confirm Judge Merrick Garland as the U.S. Attorney General, describing him as having a “strong moral compass and abiding integrity.”
US lets in asylum-seekers stuck in Mexico, ends Trump policy
After waiting months and sometimes years in Mexico, people seeking asylum in the United States are being allowed into the country starting Friday as they wait for courts to decide on their cases, unwinding one of the Trump administration’s signature immigration policies that President Joe Biden vowed to end.
Indiana voucher plan could take one-third of school funding boost
More than one-third of the proposed state funding hike for Indiana schools could go toward the state’s private school voucher program under a Republican-backed plan that could boost the program’s cost by nearly 50% over the next two years.