Study committee supports judicial requests in 6 counties
Courts in six Indiana counties have received a favorable recommendation for additional judicial resources after a unanimous vote by the Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary.
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AG Hill: Holcomb violated constitution with COVID church closures
Gov. Eric Holcomb’s restriction on in-person religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic was a violation of the First Amendment, Attorney General Curtis Hill said in a new advisory opinion. His opinion comes despite recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have upheld state restrictions on churches imposed in response to the pandemic.
Creating a ‘dynasty’: Probate proposal could amend Indiana Rule Against Perpetuities in trust laws
Currently, assets in an Indiana legacy trust must vest within 90 years, covering a few generations of heirs. But a proposal before the Probate Code Study Commission would quadruple that time to 360 years, allowing for the creation of Hoosier “dynasty trusts” for the first time.
IndyBar: Win Tickets to the 2020 Virtual BGD LegCon!
The IndyBar Government Practice Section is pleased to offer two tickets to Bingham Greenebaum Doll’s 29th annual Legislative Conference (LegCon) to section members. LegCon will be completely virtual this year and will take place on Thursday, Dec. 17. Registration, as well as the agenda and speaker lineup, will be available soon.
Ruling affirms 1-year protective order, OKs deviating from statute’s 2-year term
Indiana trial courts are not bound by a two-year term for protective orders found in state law, but they also may not establish a policy setting a standard term for protective orders that substitutes for a different term of duration.
Indiana attorney general candidates split over virus powers
Indiana’s attorney general candidates are divided over how the Republican governor has used the state’s emergency powers law to impose a mask mandate and other coronavirus-related executive orders that have stirred discord among conservative voters.
Barrett opposed ‘abortion on demand,’ raising doubts on Roe
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett signed a 2006 newspaper ad sponsored by an anti-abortion group in which she said she opposed “abortion on demand” and defended “the right to life from fertilization to the end of natural life.”
ISBA section calls for nonviolent sentencing reforms
More than six years after sweeping criminal code reforms were enacted in Indiana, a section of the Indiana State Bar Association is calling for additional sentencing reforms to establish parity with those who received longer sentences before the reforms were enacted.
Indiana still has $1.3 billion in coronavirus relief funds left to spend
The state of Indiana is still sitting on more than $1 billion in federal coronavirus aid with a little more than three months to spend the funds.
Law change from ‘or’ to ‘and’ causes headaches for recorders
While politicians often decry bureaucracy and red tape, a bill passed by Indiana legislators in 2020 changed a single word in a state statute and, as a result, raised an extra hurdle for Hoosiers trying to get a document recorded at their local county recorder’s office.
AG Hill appeals ruling striking ‘abortion complications’ reporting statute
A district court ruling that struck down a Hoosier abortion law requiring the reporting of “abortion complications” has been appealed to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill announced.
Prosecutor Mears backs move to end debt-based driver’s license suspensions
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears on Thursday announced his support for ending debt-based driver’s license suspensions across the state, just ahead of a legislative committee meeting to discuss the issue.
Indiana program has yet to pay those exonerated
An Indiana program aimed at compensating those who have been wrongly convicted of crimes hasn’t yet paid out any money since it was created last year.
Indiana lawmakers plan session shifts amid virus worries
Indiana lawmakers are preparing to move much of their 2021 legislative session activity out of the Statehouse over coronavirus concerns.
Merritt resigning after 30 years in state Senate
A longtime Republican state lawmaker who was unsuccessful last year in his bid to become mayor of Indianapolis is stepping down from his seat in November.
Indiana alters student count to maintain school funding
The Indiana State Board of Education approved a method to maintain funding for schools reopening virtually this fall after warnings of possible cuts from lawmakers last month.
Indiana moves student count to delay school funding question
The Indiana State Board of Education approved a method to maintain funding for schools reopening virtually this fall after warnings from lawmakers last month of possible cuts.
IndyBar: Bosma’s Retirement from the Indiana General Assembly Significant for Local Government Issues
Many House members on both sides of the aisle are familiar with local government issues. But Brian Bosma’s exit from lawmaking is significant in terms of the loss of institutional knowledge and history of those issues from the General Assembly’s leadership.
Indiana again asks full 7th Circuit to hear parental-notice abortion case
Indiana has once again asked that the full U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals consider and uphold the Hoosier state’s requirement that parents be notified when their minor children seek abortions, Attorney General Curtis Hill announced Wednesday.
Federal rulings block Indiana voter roll purge, absentee ballot signature match law
Finding Indiana’s process for matching signatures on absentee ballots is unconstitutional, a federal judge has permanently enjoined the Secretary of State and other election officials from rejecting any mail-in ballot on the basis of a signature mismatch without providing adequate notice to the voter.