2026 legislative recap: What passed and what didn’t
Efforts to attract the Bears across the Illinois border received widespread, bipartisan support. But other items lawmakers tackled were contentious.
Government & Economic Development
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Q&A: Urban designer says city planning is overcomplicated, squeezes out creativity
Jeffery Tompkins spoke to IBJ about his philosophy on urban design and planning and what Indianapolis and the field of urban planning get wrong.
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Legislation seeks speedier path to home building
House Bill 1001 would allow single-family houses and duplexes to be approved without a hearing in areas that are zoned residential.
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The Chicago Bears, Indiana and the math behind NFL stadium deals
Professional sports experts say past NFL stadium deals might offer Indiana lawmakers a few clues to what a Lake County deal could mean for both the team and the state.
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Commerce secretary wants to turn the IEDC inside out
In some ways, social media platforms are unlike traditional media platforms, such as radio and television. In other ways, they are very similar.
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Articles
Elevate Ventures says it’s proceeding with launch of long-planned growth fund
The Indianapolis-based nonprofit wants to invest $150 million in young Indiana companies who need help to scale their businesses.
What’s next for women’s prison? Historic property offers possibilities
City leaders and stakeholders have begun soliciting input and considering options but recognize that years of planning lie ahead.
Lawmaker kills Indy billboard legislation
Lobbyists for billboard companies have recently sought to deregulate the space through state legislation, rather than fighting with local officials who have so far been unwilling to give in to their requests. The debate has spanned several years.
Indiana House adds $50M in regional tax credits to IEDC bill
The bill requires the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to set aside $50 million in tax credits — out of the agency’s total allotment of $300 million — for specific regional items. It also establishes rules for the state’s new drone-testing site.
Bill would give local governments slice of data centers’ tax break
House Bill 1333 would require data center developers that receive sales tax exemptions to give 1% of the abatement to local governments.
Indiana will likely finally consolidate townships. But how?
Critics say the township model is outdated and inefficient and adds an unnecessary layer of government. Legislation from both chambers of the Indiana Statehouse would pare down township government.
Frustrations remain for forest alliance even after shifting strategies
The group wants the city to dedicate funding to buy forested areas, to protect them from private development.
Does Indiana’s environmental reform bill streamline standards or make unnecessary cuts?
Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order for state agencies to keep businesses in mind when setting environmental rules. That directive could soon materialize in changes to rules governing the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
New City-County Council leaders want to leave 2025 drama behind
New Democratic leaders say they want to concentrate on policymaking, collaboration and transparency.
Indianapolis finds energy-use benchmarking policy is a tall order
It’s been almost five years since the city joined sustainability-minded municipalities in passing an ordinance that requires owners of large buildings to report their annual utility use. Today, most building owners aren’t complying.
Trump seeks to quell rebellion over data centers
Trump is attempting to ease voters’ concern over the AI build-out as the politics of data centers is rapidly shifting against Silicon Valley and lawmakers who support its push to quickly build hulking structures nationwide.
State health insurance plan changes reflect Braun’s vision
For 2026, the plan features significantly lower out-of-pocket costs for members who use the plan’s “narrow network” that limits choice.
Braun push to reduce utility rates could be blocked by mandates in laws
Gov. Mike Braun has made energy a centerpiece of his first year, but his focus isn’t only about generating more electricity to feed growing demand from economic development. He also wants to lower the price of power for business and residential consumers.
City taps new firm for Indiana Avenue strategy
A year after a $450,000 contract intended to help shape development for historic Indiana Avenue expired with no published results or recommendations, the city of Indianapolis has hired a new contractor.
Downtown post office property once again stirs what-ifs
For 20 years, every mayoral administration has explored taking over or facilitating the sale of the post office directly east of Lucas Oil Stadium—with each attempt failing to gain traction.
City’s roster of cultural districts spikes from seven to 19
The move nearly triples the number of highlighted areas and recasts perceptions of what areas are worthy of recommending to visitors.
3 counties put moratoriums on data center projects
The potential conflict between the state’s data infrastructure goals and local reluctance to house data centers is the newest chapter in the debate between municipalities and the Statehouse about home-rule matters.
Labor Department won’t release full October jobs report, a casualty of the 43-day federal shutdown
Wednesday’s announcement means the September jobs numbers will likely get extra scrutiny Thursday.
City-County Council encounters obstacles to HR reform
Nearly six months ago, a Chicago law firm made a series of recommendations to the council aimed at making the city of Indianapolis a safer and better operation for its employees. Few of those recommendations have been implemented.