New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns
Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another.
Laws
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Closing the gap?: New law clears up ‘black hole’ between adult, juvenile courts
A new law should erase a “jurisdictional gap” that has allowed people who commit offenses before their 18th birthday to essentially avoid legal consequences as long as charges weren’t filed until after they turned 21.
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Addressing gun violence: Debates over firearms restrictions reignite with recent mass shootings in Texas, New York
Recent mass shootings have reignited debate over gun control laws across the country, including in Indiana, which is set to have a permitless handgun law go into effect July 1 despite public condemnation by law enforcement leaders and public safety groups.
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COVID-19 religious exemption concerns on shaky ground
Attorneys representing employers and employees alike have seen swells and lulls in incoming calls concerned about COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
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Taking a stand for lemonade
A bill in the 2021 Indiana General Assembly would make clear that lemonade stands are legal in the Hoosier state, thanks to two LaPorte boys who wanted to tackle an issue near to their hearts.
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Articles
Congress limps toward the end of a disappointing session, with just 78 laws to show
The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government.
Hoosier HIV anti-donation law used 18 times since 2000, report says
Since 2000, Indiana has arrested 18 Hoosiers with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on charges of donating plasma, according to a report released this week. None were charged under provisions penalizing actual transmission.
Former state legislator Eberhart sentenced to prison in casino fraud case
Sean Eberhart, a former state representative from Shelbyville, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison Wednesday after admitting to advocating for legislation in exchange for a lucrative position at a casino.
House backs bills to roll back energy efficiency standards for refrigerators, dishwashers
House Republicans on Tuesday approved two bills rolling back Energy Department efficiency standards on refrigerators and dishwashers.
More than 500 people have been charged with federal crimes under the gun safety law Biden signed
More than 500 people — some linked to transnational cartels and organized crime rings — have been charged with gun trafficking and other crimes under the landmark gun safety legislation President Joe Biden signed two years ago Tuesday.
The Supreme Court upholds a gun control law intended to protect domestic violence victims
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal gun control law that is intended to protect victims of domestic violence.
New law requires all Louisiana public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments
Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom, the latest move from a GOP-dominated Legislature pushing a conservative agenda under a new governor.
Many of the 171 new state laws signed this year take effect July 1
Some of the initiatives are aimed at improving third-grade reading skills, increasing “intellectual diversity” at publicly funded colleges and allowing the return of happy hours at bars.
Biden administration unveils new rule on nursing home staffing levels
The Biden administration has introduced a controversial set of new regulations intended to increase staffing levels and improve patient care in nursing homes.
Nassar assault victims reach $100M deal with Justice Department, source says
An internal investigation found that FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations by women more than a year before Larry Nassar, a former doctor at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, was arrested in 2016.
FBI opens criminal investigation into Baltimore bridge collapse, AP source says
The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation into the deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge that is focused on the circumstances leading up to it and whether all federal laws were followed, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Cheating on your spouse is a crime in New York. The 1907 law may finally be repealed
Adultery may soon be legal in the Empire State thanks to a bill working its way through the New York Legislature, which would finally repeal the seldom-used law that is punishable by up to three months behind bars.
State asks 7th Circuit to vacate injunction on law banning gender transitions for minors
The state has filed an appellant brief with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and is requesting that the court vacate a district court injunction that preliminarily enjoined a law that would have banned gender transition procedures for Indiana minors.
Need gas after midnight? Don’t stop in Hammond. New law closes stations until 5 a.m.
If you need gas during early morning hours in northwestern Indiana, don’t bother stopping in Hammond come November. A new law will force service stations to close between midnight and 5 a.m.
Indiana abortions drop sharply ahead of state ban possibly taking effect, state reports show
The number of abortions being performed in Indiana has dropped steeply even before a court ruling that has a Republican-backed abortion ban set to potentially take effect in the coming weeks.
In budget year, lawmakers tackle controversial topics
In a budget year that brought in new legislators following last November’s elections, Indiana lawmakers tackled more than one controversial topic in 2023.
A ‘manufacturing process’: SEA 472 paves way for growth of advanced recycling industry in Indiana
One of the new laws to emerge from the state’s 2023 legislative session could attract new advanced recycling companies to Indiana, something industry advocates and lawmakers hope results in less plastic going to landfills and more jobs coming into the state.
SEC lawsuits against cryptocurrency companies raise questions about industry’s future
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed lawsuits last week against the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance and Coinbase, deepening tensions between the government and an industry that has been marred by scandals and market meltdowns.
Indiana machine gun law not unconstitutionally vague, COA affirms in appeal from man who altered pistol with ‘switch’ device
Indiana’s machine gun statute is not unconstitutionally vague, the Court of Appeals ruled in affirming a lower court’s decision in a case involving a man who modified his semi-automatic pistol with a “switch” device to make it function as a fully automatic weapon.