21st Century Scholar enrollment, military tax exemption bills head to governor
Lawmakers are still hashing out other proposals to require financial literacy education and decrease health care costs
Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle
Articles
Former Rep. Marlin Stutzman plans new bid for old House seat
The seat in Indiana’s 3rd District is up for grabs after GOP incumbent Rep. Jim Banks announced earlier this year that he would instead run for a U.S. Senate seat in 2024.
Committee deadline fatal for many bills in Indiana Statehouse
Legislation related to Kratom, picketing, birth control and speed limits appear to be among the casualties of this session, although some of the language could be revived in so-called “zombie bills.”
Indiana lawmakers debate bill allowing parents to challenge ‘obscene and harmful’ library materials
A bill that seeks to ban materials deemed “harmful to minors” in school and public libraries drew sharp debate Wednesday at the Indiana Statehouse, especially from librarians, who argued that such a policy would open them up to criminal charges.
Indiana Senate advances license plate speed camera pilot despite pushback
Republican state lawmakers were divided over the measure, however, with some arguing that such “Big Brother” technology amounts to government overreach and could lead to later legislation allowing for other types of camera surveillance.
Four attorneys assigned to abortion-related litigation resign from Indiana AG’s office
With key hearings scheduled in licensing and civil litigation against Indianapolis OB-GYN Dr. Caitlin Bernard this month, the Indiana Attorney General’s Office will be down four attorneys who worked on the case but have now resigned.
GOP plan to boost Indiana pre-grad training facing pushback
House Bill 1002, a priority bill for the House GOP caucus and the leading high school reform measure moving through the legislature, seeks to expand work-based learning in Indiana high schools, like apprenticeships and internships.
Indiana’s ‘$1 Law’ to expire under amended charter school bill
In addition to providing Indiana charter schools with access to more state and local funding, the bill would sunset a law that requires public school districts to sell or lease vacant or unused instructional buildings for a single dollar to public charter schools.
House bill would let property owners ‘supersede’ Indiana health officials over septic systems
Critics say the bill breeds conflicts of interest and argue that decisions regarding septic systems should remain in the hands of public health professionals.
Bill advancing Indiana’s carbon sequestration projects moves forward
Senate Bill 451 is part of a years-long effort to move forward the construction of carbon capture and sequestration projects, while also giving special privileges to an Indiana company that is preparing to undertake the nation’s largest carbon dioxide storage project.
Lawmakers say Indiana bill to monitor early coal plant closures would ensure reliability
Supporters maintain the bill will keep Indiana from relying too heavily on natural gas. Some energy advocates are more hesitant, however, expressing concern that the measure could slow the state’s transition to cleaner energy sources.
Indiana bill seeks to separate school transcripts, vaccination records
Current state law permits schools to include a student’s immunization information with their high school transcript, but some say that violates students’ privacy rights.
Indiana school choice advocates turn up lobbying efforts for more private-school funding
The latest push includes a statewide poll and multiple local advocacy events intended to sway the state’s budget writers.
Indiana’s third-party testing on toxic train-derailment waste comes back clear
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb ordered continued third-party dioxin testing of any and all subsequent loads of soil coming to Indiana from the East Palestine, Ohio, train crash site.
Charter schools make big gains in proposed Indiana budget amid public advocacy campaign
A new funding stream carved into the House Republican budget would mandate the amount of funds every public school district and charter school receives for operations, which are collected through local property taxes.
Walgreens says it won’t sell abortion pills in Indiana, even though it remains legal
The decision comes after Attorney General Todd Rokita and 19 other attorneys general threatened legal action if the pharmacy company sells the pills by mail.
Indiana schools still on hook for curricular fees under House budget plan
Indiana House Republicans said their budget plan would eliminate textbook and curricular fees for kids in K-12 public schools. But budget writers did not specifically appropriate state dollars to cover the cost
Senators debate ban on ‘inappropriate’ library materials for minors
Democrats and a handful of GOP lawmakers pushed back, arguing that the bill could lead to the removal of anything a parent deems to be unsuitable.
Effort to make Indiana school board elections politically partisan dies in House
That means school board races will stay non-partisan—at least for now. Language from the bill could still crop up in others before the end of the current legislative session.
Herbal painkiller kratom could become legal again in Indiana
Kratom was legal in Indiana until 2014, when state lawmakers banned the substance in anticipation of similar action at the federal level. But the FDA has failed to outlaw kratom, despite numerous attempts.