Democrats to seek major hike in City-County Council pay
Democrats on the Indianapolis City-County Council are planning to introduce a proposal next week that would nearly triple council salaries—the first pay hike for members since 2002.
Government
Articles
Business, health leaders call for lawmakers to triple cigarette tax
A coalition of business and health professionals launched a campaign Thursday calling for Indiana lawmakers to increase the state’s cigarette tax by $2 per pack.
Proposed Statehouse sexual harassment guidelines ‘shockingly dated,’ says law professor
An Indiana employment law professor said the proposed guidelines to combat sexual harassment at the Indiana Statehouse appear to be designed to insulate lawmakers from liability.
Firms could hire marginalized workers to keep economic growth humming, expert says
The unemployment rate is so low that the U.S. economy risks slipping into recession due to lack of labor. Businesses should consider hiring ex-offenders and other prospects that they previously have avoided, according to a chief economic strategist for Fifth Third Bank.
After downing Delph, Ford brings new message to Statehouse
This month, in his second try, J.D. Ford toppled state Sen. Mike Delph, the controversial, conservative Republican who had represented the 29th District since 2005.
Indiana’s Young to head Senate Republican campaign wing
Indiana Sen. Todd Young has been picked to lead the National Republican Senate Committee during the 2020 election cycle.
Indiana Chamber to back state hate-crimes legislation
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday announced it would support the passage of a state law against bias crimes, marking the first time the organization has taken an official position on the issue.
Raising teacher pay likely to be hot topic for Indiana lawmakers in 2019
As top lawmakers—Republicans and Democrats—prepare to craft the next two-year state budget, they have been in talks about how money could be set aside for teachers and other educators.
Indiana attorney general gets national post amid allegations
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has been named vice chairman of the national Republican Attorneys General Association even as he resists calls from the state’s GOP governor and legislative leaders to resign.
Survey finds more support for marijuana in Indiana than sports betting
Ball State University’s annual Hoosier Survey, released Tuesday, found only 37 percent of Hoosiers favor legalizing sports betting as a revenue source while 50 percent oppose the idea.
AMAZON UPDATES: Indy officials pushed three sites for HQ2, showed off Mass Ave during visit
When visiting Indianapolis in March to gather intelligence on the city’s HQ2 bid, Amazon officials had two meals at hot restaurants on downtown’s northeast side and toured three potential sites for the $5 billion project.
Credit agency Moody’s lauds Indiana balanced budget mandate
Indiana’s measure was the only state finance-related ballot measure to earn a “positive” indication in Moody’s post-election roundup, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported.
IBJ Podcast: What do the 2018 election results mean for 2019 and 2020?
Host Mason King talks with IBJ reporters Lindsey Erdody and Hayleigh Colombo as well as Andy Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Politics in Fort Wayne, about what the 2018 elections mean for the mayoral races in 2019 and governor’s race in 2020.
Air, groundwater tests in Franklin detect cancer-causing chemicals
The EPA is expanding its contamination testing area near a former electronics manufacturing facility. The federal government has also begun installing air filtering systems in some residences.
Indiana Republicans hang on to supermajority status in House
Republicans will maintain their supermajority status in the Indiana General Assembly after votes were finally tallied Friday in Porter County, three days after the election.
Indiana’s Young seeks to lead U.S. Senate GOP campaign committee
Indiana Sen. Todd Young has launched a bid to become chairman of Senate Republicans’ campaign committee during the 2020 campaign, a cycle where the GOP will face a tougher electoral map.
Trump administration finalizes birth control opt-out policy
The Trump administration on Wednesday finalized a policy change that allows some employers with religious or moral objections to opt out of providing no-cost birth control for female workers.
Northwest Indiana county begins counting votes after delay
Porter County commissioners asked the FBI on Wednesday to investigate what they called “scores of alleged violations of Indiana Election Law.”
House Democrats pick new leader as GOP supermajority remains uncertain
Republicans won 66 of the chamber’s 100 seats on Tuesday, one short of the two-thirds majority that has rendered Democrats totally without power. But the results of one race remain unknown.
Sessions resigns as U.S. attorney general under pressure from Trump
Attorney General Jeff Sessions was pushed out Wednesday as the country's chief law enforcement officer after enduring more than a year of blistering and personal attacks from President Donald Trump over his recusal from the Russia investigation.