Lawmakers consider change to business personal property tax
Senate Bill 385, authored by Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, would change the way the state’s business personal property tax is calculated.
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Indiana lawmakers pass bill aimed at addressing health care costs
The Indiana House approved legislation that would attempt to end surprise billing, and the Indiana Senate approved a bill that could establish a statewide all-payer claims database.
IBJ Podcast: The session so far—health care, teacher evaluations and hands-free phone use
IBJ’s Statehouse reporter Lindsey Erdody breaks down what bills are moving, which ones already are dead and what’s about to hit Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk.
Ed Feigenbaum: State is failing to look to the future on key issues
The demise of the promising Indiana Future Caucus is unfortunate, because no one else seems destined or determined to take the lead on issues critical to Hoosiers going forward.
Lawmakers consider bill to protect right to resell entertainment tickets
The legislation is meant to protect an individual’s right to sell or give his or her ticket to an event to someone else, should they choose to do so.
Indiana lawmakers send surplus-spending bill to Holcomb
The bill moved through the Indiana General Assembly faster than usual. The chambers usually wait until the halfway point of the session to consider legislation that originated in the opposite chamber.
Legislator seeking end of state’s U.S. Senate primaries
Sen. James Buck of Kokomo said delegates at a state party convention would select the best Senate candidates and that eliminating primary campaigns would make running for office less costly.
GOP-backed bill to make professional licensing easier faces opposition
A top legislative priority for House Republicans faced some push back this week from the very professionals lawmakers believed they would be helping with the measure.
Indiana utilities would be prevented from shutting down coal-fired plants under new bill
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, comes as several large Indiana utilities are planning to shut down thousands of megawatts of coal-fired generating capacity in coming years in favor of cleaner or cheaper fuel sources.
Ed Feigenbaum: The session will move fast—pay attention or you might miss it
Legislators returned Jan. 6. Even though, as of that morning, only 11 House bills had been filed, committee hearings were underway in earnest (especially in the Senate, where the file list topped 200 bills).
Vaping crisis could be impetus for Legislature to raise smoking age to 21
Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly. But the leadership support doesn’t make the bill a slam dunk.
Convenience vs. security: The dilemma of digital tickets
Some state lawmakers want to require paper tickets, but event organizers say they can easily be manipulated and duplicated. Digital ticketing reduces fraud, they say.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, others fight for progress on smoking
Young is out front nationally on a key anti-smoking platform: Raising the minimum age for buying tobacco to 21.
Sports betting launch in Indiana could be delayed
Indiana Gaming Commission Executive Director Sara Gonso Tait said Thursday that state regulators might not be ready by Sept. 1 to allow sports betting, even though a law approved earlier this year makes it legal beginning on that date.
Vaping, ticket scalping, drug prices on agenda for summer study
The Legislative Council, which is composed of members of both parties and chambers in the Indiana General Assembly, on Tuesday approved a 10-page list of topics that lawmakers will study for proposed legislation next year.
Holcomb signs bill that loosens car dealership rules on document-prep fees
Gov. Eric Holcomb declined to say why he signed the law, which allows dealers to charge up to $200 in document fees per transaction. A flurry of lawsuits has been filed against the practice.
Holcomb to sign funding bill for Pacers, but still uncertain on gambling legislation
Gov. Eric Holcomb is expected to sign 30 bills Monday afternoon, including the legislation that creates funding plans for most of a $360 million renovation of Bankers Life Fieldhouse and the construction of a $150 million soccer stadium for the Indy Eleven.
IBJ Podcast: Funding the CIB and the Pacers’ 25-year, $800 million deal
Podcast host Mason King talks with IBJ reporters Lindsey Erdody and Mickey Shuey about the legislation the General Assembly passed to help fund a 25-year, $800 million deal with the Indiana Pacers.
Lawsuit seeks to block Indiana ban on abortion procedure
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the state's attempt to ban a second-trimester abortion procedure, a day after the governor signed the measure into law.
Republicans happy with session results; Democrats say lawmakers missed opportunities
The Indiana General Assembly ended the 2019 legislative session Wednesday night after passing a $34.6 billion two-year budget with an emphasis on K-12 school funding.