Indiana lawmakers agree on tougher tobacco sales penalties
Indiana lawmakers are poised to double the fines stores could face for selling smoking or vaping products to anyone younger than 21 years old.
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Right to Farm case ends with denial from Indiana Supreme Court
In ultimately denying transfer, a divided Indiana Supreme Court ended a dispute that pitted neighbor against neighbor and raised questions about whether the state’s Right to Farm Act was meant to cover an 8,000-head hog operation in Hendricks County.
Indiana Senate passes ban on holding cellphones while driving
The Indiana Senate has approved legislation that would ban drivers from holding cellphones while operating a motor vehicle.
Some doctors worried by Indiana ‘surprise’ billing proposal
Some Indiana doctors are raising fears about possible loss of emergency services under a plan to limit “surprise” medical bills that can plague patients who have been unknowingly treated by providers from outside their insurance networks.
Bill to standardize indigency determinations heads to Holcomb
A bill bringing uniformity to indigency determinations is headed for Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk after clearing the Indiana House. The measure sailed through the General Assembly without a vote in opposition.
Indiana teacher gun training plan failing amid opposition
A legislative proposal for requiring annual training for teachers who carry guns inside Indiana schools was scuttled amid a disagreement over whether it infringed on gun rights. The legislation also was opposed by groups advocating for gun control.
Fetal remains bill heading to House floor
The Indiana House of Representatives was scheduled to hear a bill Monday that deals with the disposal of fetal remains, building on a similar provision in an abortion law the state passed in 2016 and was subsequently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bill extending sex crimes statute of limitations advances to full House
“How many more victims will there be?” Dawn Price, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, posed that question before the Indiana House Courts and Criminal Code Committee on Wednesday while testifying in support of legislation that would extend the amount of time victims have to prosecute their perpetrators.
Expungement wait-time case sparks confusion during oral argument
Questions about whether minor felonies reduced to misdemeanor convictions should trigger new five-year waiting periods for people seeking a criminal expungement caused confusion Thursday among some members of the Indiana Supreme Court.
Lawmakers considering central Indiana regionalism legislation
Indiana lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow the communities in central Indiana to create a regional development authority, but the framework isn’t exactly what advocates initially proposed.
Indiana panel backs ban on drivers using handheld phones
A proposal to ban drivers from using handheld cellphones on Indiana roads is advancing in the state Legislature after testimony from people who have been injured or lost loved ones in traffic crashes caused by distracted drivers.
Lake Michigan shore fight continues in court, Legislature
The years-long struggle between public and private rights along Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline continues in the Indiana Statehouse and in federal court, even as the state marks the two-year anniversary of a landmark Indiana Supreme Court decision that ruled in the public’s favor.
IndyBar: Hear from Indiana General Assembly Key Players on Feb. 25
As we prepare to enter the final month of 2020’s shorter (but nonetheless exciting) legislative session, the IndyBar is excited to host again one of our most engaging and important networking events of the year: the Lawyer-Legislator Luncheon on Feb. 25!
Controlling costly care: Lawmakers weigh surprise billing, transparency legislation
The idea of increasing health care affordability and cost transparency has received bipartisan support, but the devil has been in the details. Even so, federal lawmakers feel confident Congress will enact legislation to end surprise billing this year, while Indiana lawmakers say they’re committed to creating state solutions to drive down Hoosier health care costs.
Audit: 2 Indiana online schools misspent nearly $86 million
Two Indiana online charter schools that have been under federal investigation over allegations of padding their enrollments inappropriately paid nearly $86 million to companies linked to the schools’ founder or his associates, according to a new state audit report.
Holcomb signs bill delaying school, teacher penalties from ILEARN exam
Indiana schools and teachers won’t face penalties from lower student scores on the state’s new ILEARN standardized exam under legislation the governor signed Wednesday.
Indigency uniformity bill advances to full House
Legislation designed to bring uniformity to judges’ indigency determinations is continuing to move through the Indiana Statehouse without opposition.
Holcomb says he’ll keep up workplace pregnancy protection bid
Indiana’s governor said Tuesday he would keep pushing for a law requiring more businesses to provide workplace accommodations for pregnant women, even though the state Senate rebuffed his proposal last week.
Cellphone ban, pregnancy accommodations among issues facing Statehouse debate
Indiana lawmakers returned to the Statehouse this week after deadlines last week on advancing bills for action during the second half of this year’s legislative session.
Web Exclusive: Senate passes bill extending sex crimes statute of limitations
A bill that would have done away with the statute of limitations for certain child sex abuse crimes is making headway in the 2020 Indiana General Assembly. But some advocates are disappointed in how the bill has panned out.