Could 2022 be the year for marijuana legalization in Indiana?
Eyes will once again be on Indiana next year to see if lawmakers will loosen the state’s marijuana laws as neighboring states continue to cash in on legal weed.
proposed legislation
Articles
‘A blaring siren’ for Democrats after ruling halts DACA
Immigrants and advocates are urging Democrats and President Joe Biden to quickly act on legislation to protect young immigrants after a federal judge in Texas on Friday ruled illegal an Obama-era program that prevents the deportation of thousands of them brought into the U.S. as children.
DOJ offers states model for crafting ‘red flag’ legislation
In an effort to take control of the country’s gun violence problem, the U.S. Department of Justice has proposed a model for how states can craft “red flag” legislation to temporarily keep firearms out of the hands of people believed to be a danger to themselves or others.
Law enforcement struggles to recruit since killing of Floyd
Law enforcement agencies across the country experienced a wave of retirements and departures and are struggling to recruit the next generation of police officers in the year since George Floyd was killed by a cop.
Families urge legal changes to prevent more police killings
Parents and siblings of Black men killed by police urged people during a discussion in the city where George Floyd was killed a year ago to join them in pursuing legal changes they say can make similar deaths less likely in the future.
Census Bureau: 70% of voters cast ballots early or by mail
More than two-thirds of all U.S. citizens of the voting age population participated in the 2020 presidential election, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, and 69% of those cast ballots by mail or early in-person voting — methods that Republicans in some states are curtailing.
Biden’s declaration: America’s democracy ‘is rising anew’
President Joe Biden declared that “America is rising anew” as he called for an expansion of federal programs to drive the economy past the coronavirus pandemic and broadly extend the social safety net on a scale not seen in decades.
Red flags on Indiana’s red flag law
A mass shooting at an Indianapolis FedEx Ground facility earlier this month that killed eight employees and wounded five raised questions about whether more could have been done under Indiana’s red flag law to prevent the gunman from obtaining additional weapons after he had a firearm removed from his possession just over a year before.
Last-minute Statehouse gun reform efforts fail
With the Republicans having a supermajority, the Legislature has been consistent in passing bills that weaken restrictions on firearms. Legislation that Moms Demand Action and other organizations consider common sense, such as universal background checks and safe storage, face an uphill battle in the Indiana Statehouse.
Congressional panel votes to advance bill on slavery reparations
A United States House panel advanced a decades-long effort to pay reparations to the descendants of slaves by approving legislation Wednesday that would create a commission to study the issue.
Indiana House sends Lake, St. Joe judicial selection bill to Holcomb
Despite final pleas from Lake County Democratic lawmakers to kill a controversial judicial selection bill that one said treats their county and St. Joseph County “as stepchildren,” the Indiana House voted Wednesday to agree to Senate amendments, sending House Bill 1453 to Gov. Eric Holcomb.
IndyBar: Bill Watch Report for April 9 Now Available
Thanks to the help of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, the IndyBar Legislative Committee is currently monitoring various legislation that could impact areas of practice or the practice of law. These reports can be viewed at indybar.org/billwatch.
Indiana Legislature OKs religious activities as essential
The Indiana Senate approved a bill Thursday that designates religious activities as essential services and prohibits any restrictions on them during a declared emergency.
Indiana panel drops contentious requirement from voting bill
A legislative committee has overhauled a contentious proposal to require Indiana voters to submit identification numbers with mail-in ballot applications.
Amid accusations, Lake, St. Joseph judicial nominating bill passes Senate
The Indiana Senate approved a bill reducing local attorney input into who serves on the judicial nominating commissions for Lake and St. Joseph counties Monday despite objections from Democratic senators, one of whom insinuated the changes were triggered by anonymous complaints from candidates who had lost out on judge appointments.
Corporations gave over $50M to voting restriction backers
State legislators across the country who have pushed for new voting restrictions, and also seized on former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, have reaped more than $50 million in corporate donations in recent years, according to a new report.
Lake, St. Joseph judicial selection bill advances with amendment
Legislation that would eliminate attorney input and increase the role of the governor and county officials in appointing commission members who nominate candidates for the trial court benches in Lake and St. Joseph counties continues to advance in the Indiana General Assembly despite vocal opposition from lawyers, judges and bar associations.
Intentional misclassification of construction workers causing concern
Workers on construction sites across Indiana can be found nailing plywall from atop scaffolds, scaling roofs or painting newly built homes. But what isn’t evident is whether those workers are part of a shady trend construction industry experts say is a serious concern — payroll tax fraud.
State Senate passes legislation to create new emergency session
The Indiana Senate has passed legislation that would give lawmakers the power to convene at any time during a statewide public emergency and more oversight over federal stimulus dollars.
Senate panel narrowly advances Lake, St. Joe judicial nominating bill
A bill that would change how superior court judges are nominated in Lake and St. Joseph counties was uniformly opposed by lawyers and judges from those counties in a Senate hearing Wednesday but narrowly advanced on a 5-4 vote.