Indianapolis-area state senators target criminal justice system with new bills
Republican legislators on Thursday introduced a spate of new bills targeting the criminal justice system in the Indianapolis area and across Indiana.
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GIPC forms working group to provide legal services, make policing recommendations
The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee on Thursday announced the creation of a working group to look at ways to tackle racism and bias in Indianapolis.
Survey: Nearly two-thirds of Hoosiers say plenty of jobs available
Ball State University’s annual Hoosier Survey, released Tuesday, also asked about abortion and gun control—two issues that regularly come up at the Indiana Statehouse during the legislative session.
Merritt won’t walk in Indy Pride Parade, pledges LGBTQ protections if elected
Indianapolis Republican Mayoral candidate Jim Merritt on Thursday said he regretted his Senate vote for the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015 and pledged to support the LGBTQ community if elected mayor.
Top Indiana companies are increasingly weighing in on the key issues of the day
In recent years, some of Indiana’s biggest companies and trade organizations, including the Indiana Chamber and the Indy Chamber, have publicly voiced opinions on a variety of social issues, including pre-kindergarten funding, gay rights, mass transportation and higher cigarette taxes.
Indy programs tackling homelessness awarded record federal funding
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded nearly $5.6 million to Indianapolis Continuum of Care organizations—a group of social service agencies and not-for-profits that work together to tackle homelessness,
Political upstarts like Indiana’s Buttigieg getting serious look in age of Trump
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is barely old enough to run for president, but he and other young potential candidates are finding encouragement at a time when conventional election wisdom has been upended.
Indiana fiscal policy think tank finds new leader
The institute, which studies how Indiana collects and spends taxpayer money, has been without a president since late 2017.
Trump administration moves to ban bump stocks
Bump stocks became a focal point of the national gun control debate after they were used in October 2017 when a man opened fire from his Las Vegas hotel suite into a crowd at a country music concert below, killing 58 people.
Hunger, food insecurity continue to vex Indiana residents
In Indiana, one million people face food insecurity, and in Indianapolis the number is approaching nearly 175,000—or more than 18 percent of the population.
Q&A: Driven by curiosity, Zachary Baiel pushes for open records
Zachary Baiel attends countless public meetings every year and spends hours listening online to the ones he missed. That passion led him to join the Indiana Coalition for Open Government in 2015 and become its president last year.
Indiana residents’ ‘real’ personal income sees growth—but still below national average
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released updated data Thursday on the measure, which is considered important because it accounts for regional price parities and cost of living.
Council votes to prohibit new jail from being privatized
The Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday night approved an ordinance that restricts the city’s new jail and criminal justice center from being run by a private operator once it eventually opens.
Hogsett proposes ‘cap and trade’ system allowing electronic billboards
Under the proposal, sign owners could convert existing billboards to electronic ones, as long as twice that amount of signage space is removed from the city’s urban core.
House changes approach on software taxation legislation
Both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly and Gov. Eric Holcomb are back on the same page when it comes to advancing a bill this session regarding the taxation of cloud- or subscription-based software.
Eliminating handgun permit fee could shrink state revenue by $11M
Some Republicans have sought a full repeal of Indiana’s handgun permit law. Legislators compromised by proposing to eliminate the permit fee starting in July 2019.
Senate panel backs legalization of CBD oil with small amount of THC
A bill that would legalize the sale and use of cannabidiol oil passed the Indiana Senate’s Corrections and Criminal Law Committee 7-2.
Bill to regulate autonomous vehicle use moves forward
House Bill 1341 allows people to operate automated vehicles on public highways but only under certain conditions. Critics, including auto manufacturers, said the bill would stifle innovation.
Tax, education, broadband bills top legislative priorities for tech industry
Gov. Eric Holcomb is asking lawmakers to clarify that the state’s sales tax doesn’t apply to software provided on the cloud. But that’s not the only tech-related legislation introduced at the General Assembly.
Bill seeks tax credits for boosting minimum-wage worker pay
State Sen. John Ruckelshaus has introduced a bill that would provide a state tax credit to employers that give minimum-wage workers a pay raise after they complete a training program.