House OKs high-fence hunting bill, but fate murky
Supporters of the bill say it is needed to resolve an eight-year-old lawsuit over attempts by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to shut down the existing deer preserves.
Government & Economic Development
Articles
Lower tuition OK’d for some illegal immigrants
Persons who entered the country illegally and were attending Indiana public colleges when a state immigration law passed two years ago would again be eligible for in-state tuition rates under a bill approved by the Indiana House.
House OKs IMS bill, despite dispute over funding source
A bill to help pay for $100 million in improvements at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway passed the House on Monday—but only on its second try, as some lawmakers expressed frustration about tapping horse racing money for the projects.
State legislator defends supporting daughter’s client
A powerful Indiana House Republican on Monday defended his decision to support a Utah company his daughter represents as a Statehouse lobbyist, one week after Gov. Mike Pence placed a hold on state aid to a company run by the lawmaker's son.
Stripped-down school safety bill passes Indiana House
Representatives voted 86-6 Monday in favor of the bill after provisions that would've required all public schools to have gun-carrying employees during school hours were pulled from it last week.
Passage to India: Ballard leading weeklong trade trip
The Indianapolis delegation will hit the cities of Hyderabad and New Delhi. Visits will focus on information technology, life sciences, and research groups, organizers said.
Indiana Career Council gets final legislative nod
Gov. Mike Pence will lead the 16-member panel, which is supposed to prepare a plan for matching Indiana's workforce training programs and available jobs.
Indiana House turns aside school guns proposal
The Indiana House on Thursday pulled a proposal to have the state's public schools consider having employees, including teachers and principals, carry guns during school hours.
FEIGENBAUM: GOP stranglehold hasn’t squelched debate
For a Legislature dominated by a Republican super-majority and with a Republican governor doing more now than just watching from the cheap seats, you should be surprised by the uncertainty over the shape—and even the fate—of several significant bills this late in the process.
Greenwood’s Old Town revival targets sidewalks, traffic flow
Greenwood city officials are in the early stages of a downtown revitalization plan that would begin with an investment of up to $9 million designed to make Old Town more appealing to both vehicle and foot traffic.
Indiana pension shifts to international bonds
The Indiana Public Retirement System recently issued a request for proposals from international fixed-income managers and received 16 responses by the April 5 deadline. The $27.1 billion retirement system will hire two managers to oversee $900 million.
Food trucks find patchwork of rules in northern suburbs
As the food truck industry heats up in Indianapolis, leaders of its fast-growing northern suburbs are starting to rewrite the rules of the road.
Fiscal tug-of-war stalls Indiana voucher expansion
A plan to make vouchers more widely available to families has met a roadblock: So despite the momentum, lawmakers say they want more time to look at the voucher program approved two years ago.
Chamber prez Miller resigns after 18 months
Scott Miller, 45, will leave the Indy Chamber after a short tenure that included leading the body through mergers with several like-minded groups. He tells IBJ he felt that he had already accomplished his major goals and wanted to shift to the private sector.
Bill to handle abandoned homes still on track
State Sen. Jim Merritt wanted to help an eastside Indianapolis church gain possession of some long-abandoned, derelict houses, tear them down and establish a park. The difficulty in doing so led to a bill that would make such improvements easier.
Change gives Rockport gasification plant better odds
Rep. Matt Ubelhor, R-Bloomfield, successfully pushed an amendment Wednesday that would shield the southern Indiana project from the review sought by the plant's opponents, who contend it could saddle ratepayers with higher bills.
Welfare recipient drug testing clears Indiana Senate
The bill would require all applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to complete a written screening test for possible drug abuse problems.
Looser superintendent rules advance on tiebreaker
A proposal to no longer require Indiana's local school superintendents to hold a state superintendent's or teacher's license passed the state Senate after Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann cast her first tie-breaking vote.
Lawmaker seeks relief for fed-up water customers
As citizens of Zionsville, residents of the Royal Run subdivision have had little recourse against the Whitestown-owned water utility that charges them 78 percent more than its customers to the north.
Senate passes new criminal sentencing rules
Supporters hope changes to sentencing laws will direct more people convicted of low-level felonies to work release and other local programs. It also would require those convicted of the most-serious crimes to spend more time in prison.