Indiana legislative committee weighs cannabis legalization but fails to make recommendations
Could Indiana be moving toward less stringent marijuana laws, or even total cannabis legalization?
proposed legislation
Articles
Lawmakers grapple with legal, educational implications of AI
Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize how people work, and nearly every aspect of life could be transformed — prompting lawmakers in an interim commerce committee to scrutinize the new technology and how to best regulate it.
Farm bill stalled amid U.S. House speaker battle, delay of spending bills
As Congress faces another pressing deadline to fund the government and the U.S. House grinds to a halt without a speaker, the reauthorization of the nation’s agriculture and hunger programs has taken a back seat.
Millions more workers would receive overtime pay under proposed Biden administration rule
Salaried workers who have been ineligible for overtime pay would benefit from a proposed Biden administration regulation.
GOP support for gun restrictions slips a year after Congress passed firearms law
Republican support for gun restrictions is slipping a year after Congress passed the most comprehensive firearms control legislation in decades with bipartisan support, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Medicine without doctors? State laws are changing who treats patients
Florida and Georgia are two of many states contending with how much independence to give nurse practitioners and other medical professionals. It’s a question that has become emotional for medical providers and time-consuming for many state and federal groups.
California’s historic work on possible Black reparations moves to the Legislature
Members of California’s Black reparations task force handed off their historic two-year report to state lawmakers Thursday, beginning the next chapter in the long struggle to compensate the descendants of slavery.
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.
Ban on gender-affirming care halted
A law that would have banned gender transition procedures for Indiana minors has been preliminarily enjoined by a federal judge, just two days after hearing oral arguments and shortly before the law was scheduled to take effect July 1.
New voting districts could change again in some states before the 2024 elections
The 2022 elections marked the first using new voting districts drawn from updated census data. Those districts typically last for a decade, but they could be short-lived in some states.
Indiana Lottery to send expected $362 million surplus back to state
Indiana’s lottery expects to send a whopping $361.7 million to state coffers, up 4% from last year’s payout but down from a pandemic-era record-high.
Time running out for state lawmakers to deliver on health, education and tax promises
Indiana’s lawmakers are nearing the end of a grueling nearly four-month legislative session, but three of their biggest priorities — aside from the budget — remain unresolved.
Senate unveils budget with no expansion for school voucher program
Senate Republicans on Thursday unveiled their two-year spending plan for the state, calling for record increases in education funding but declining to increase eligibility for Indiana’s school voucher program—a priority of House Republicans.
Senate passes bill requiring schools notify parents of transgender student requests
Indiana senators on Monday approved a controversial bill mandating that schools notify parents when a student asks for name or pronoun changes, as well as banning human sexuality instruction to the youngest students.
How will the state pay for 988 services?
Nearly every stakeholder agrees that Indiana needs to improve its mental health supports — as demonstrated by the emotional testimony last week for Senate Bill 1, which seeks to shore up ongoing initiatives and formalize the 988 crisis response system.
Bill targeting ‘noncompliant’ prosecutors appears dead for 2023 session
Indiana legislation aimed at preventing county prosecutors from refusing to enforce certain laws appears to be dead for this year.
Doctor non-competes, anti-union bills failed to clear committee; back on calendars
A supermajority doesn’t automatically ensure success. Case in point, two GOP bills — one a Senate priority — failed to get through committee this week.
Conservative groups push for ‘compassionate release’ of elderly, terminally ill inmates
A House bill that would ease Indiana’s process for the “compassionate release” of inmates with health issues won’t get a hearing in the Senate, according to a crucial committee chair – but advocates say they’re not done pushing the measure.
Senate strikes parental consent requirement from bill targeting student pronouns in schools
A controversial “parental rights” bill was pared down by Indiana senators on Thursday to remove a provision that would have required schools get consent from parents if a student requests to change their name or pronouns.
Biden to push clean energy, economic agenda in Minneapolis
President Joe Biden is set to tour a clean energy technology manufacturer in suburban Minneapolis on Monday as part of his effort to highlight his investment agenda ahead of an expected reelection campaign.