Bills on underused school buildings, cursive writing advance
Meanwhile, Hoosiers have their first new law for the year—and it’s a retroactive business tax deduction in time for tax season.
Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle
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Indiana bill to criminalize nefarious GPS tracking advances to Senate
Although the proposal advanced 8-0, lawmakers cautioned that the bill still needs more work. More amendments are expected in the full chamber.
What is a Hoosier? Indiana bill with origin theory dies in committee.
House Bill 1143, which sought to establish “The Hoosier State” as Indiana’s official nickname, died in a House government committee Tuesday after historians raised questions about the “Hoosier” origin story outlined within the proposal.
Lawmakers advance bill banning education on ‘human sexuality’ through 3rd grade
The latest draft of the proposal also targets transgender students by prohibiting school employees from using a name or pronoun that is inconsistent with a student’s sex without a parent’s written consent.
Catholic Diocese refutes state senator’s concerns about private Indiana high school
The Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is defending a private high school in northern Indiana after a top Republican lawmaker admonished the school for “disgusting” behavior.
House Republican plan would speed up Indiana tax cuts, boost vouchers
The spending plan also falls short of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s recommendations for public health funding,
Indiana House Republicans ‘committed’ to voucher school expansion
Indiana House Republicans will seek to expand the state’s “school choice” program despite a top GOP senator’s call for more voucher school reforms.
Speed-limit proposal for trucks in Indiana clears first hurdle
A bill that would raise the speed limit for trucks on certain Indiana roadways advanced to the full Senate on Tuesday despite opposition from the state’s largest truck drivers group.
Committee advances changes to Indiana carbon sequestration pilot project
The proposal seeks to advance the construction of carbon capture and sequestration projects, while also giving special privileges to a company preparing to undertake the nation’s largest carbon dioxide storage project.
Top Indiana senator rebukes voucher school program in new letter
A top Republican lawmaker threatened to hold up new state spending for Indiana’s voucher school program after he claimed to have witnessed “disgusting” behavior at a private Catholic school in Indiana.
Rokita under investigation by disciplinary commission for statements about Indiana doctor
The proceedings stem from an ongoing legal saga between Rokita and Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis OBGYN.
House committee advances Indiana property tax relief bill—with major changes
The measure would provide multiple remedies to temporarily drop tax bills, including through a short-term property tax cap and an increase in state income tax deductions. It would also curb how much local units can raise their tax levies.
Lawmakers advance bill to let utilities charge consumers earlier for new building projects
Indiana House lawmakers advanced a bill Monday that could encourage more natural gas in the state and allow utilities to charge ratepayers for a plant before it ever goes online.
Indiana residential property tax relief bill draws opposition from schools, local officials
Taxable residential assessed values shot up 15% in Indiana from 2021 to 2022—even after tax abatements, deductions and credits—according to data from the Association of Indiana Counties.
Education bills seeking to overhaul school curriculum advance in Indiana legislature
State lawmakers in House and Senate education committees collectively took up more than a dozen bills on Wednesday. Most of those measures advanced or are scheduled for committee votes next week.
Indiana lawmakers reluctant to enact policy for surveillance technology
State lawmakers are prioritizing multiple bills in the current legislative session that seek to increase data privacy, but it doesn’t appear that lawmakers have an appetite to regulate common surveillance technology such as license plate readers used by law enforcement.
State lawmakers revive effort to require partisan school board elections
Last year, a similar bill got a hearing in a House committee but never received a vote. Nearly two dozen education advocates testified against the previous bill and no one spoke in favor.
Indiana tax cap proposal would help homeowners but hurt schools, local government
A new study projects homeowners’ bills payable this year could increase as much as 15%. That’s more than double what previous reports estimated for the upcoming bills.
Throwing stars, EMS services, food and beverage tax bills moving through Indiana legislature
Dozens of bills are already advancing through committees and legislative chambers halfway through the third week of Indiana’s 2023 session.
Indiana bills backed by national pet store chain draw pushback from animal advocates
A national pet brand chain is a driving force behind two Indiana bills that would block local communities from enforcing outright bans on the retail sale of pets. Such ordinances already exist in cities like Bloomington and Carmel