City-County Council announces last Indianapolis redistricting forum
The event will be remote. The Zoom meeting is set for Feb. 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and is open to any interested Marion County resident with registration online.
Politics
Articles
Senate Republicans strip down key Indiana House bills in second half of session
Republican leaders of the House and Senate say they are optimistic they’ll find compromises before the Legislature adjourns in March.
U.S. Senate sends Biden bill averting federal shutdown
The Senate gave final approval Thursday to legislation averting a weekend government shutdown, sending President Joe Biden a measure designed to give bipartisan bargainers more time to reach an overdue deal financing federal agencies until fall.
Indiana House committee strikes Senate’s attempt to ban ‘marijuana light’
Lawmakers in the Indiana House nixed an effort by some Senate Republicans to ban the sale of a popular derivative of hemp at levels that can give users a high.
Indiana lawmakers step back ‘curricula transparency’ bill
Indiana state senators on Wednesday also moved forward with a separate bill that would ban transgender women and girls from participating in K-12 school sports that match their gender identity.
Indiana Senate panel waters down vaccine bill, prompting businesses to support it
Lawmakers in the Senate struck language from the House GOP’s employer vaccine mandates bill that would have forced employers to accept any religious exemptions without further question.
Indiana Rep. Banks facing ‘insurrection’ ballot challenge
The challenge was filed by a long-shot Democratic candidate for Banks’ congressional seat and likely has little chance of success when it goes before the state election commission on Friday, a former longtime commission member said.
White House, Dems eye pause of gas tax as prices soar, election looms
The early deliberations come days after a group of vulnerable Senate Democrats introduced a bill that would suspend the gas tax of roughly 18 cents per gallon for the rest of the year.
Michigan Senate votes to cut income, corporate tax rates
Republicans who control the Michigan Senate on Tuesday passed a $2.5 billion annual tax cut, voting to lower income and corporate rates while letting people claim a credit for their children and deduct more retirement income.
Indiana Senate committee strips all tax cuts out of House proposal
Republicans in the Indiana Senate gutted House Republicans’ plan for $1 billion in tax cuts within minutes of the bill’s first hearing in the Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee on Tuesday.
Hoosier Lottery could need legislative OK for online games
Indiana lawmakers are looking to block the Hoosier Lottery from starting online games or ticket sales without their permission.
Whetstone, former state lawmaker turned lobbyist, seeks return to the Legislature
Republican Matt Whetstone of Brownsburg has filed to run in the open Indiana House District 25 in Hendricks and Boone counties. He joins three other Republicans in a crowded primary race.
Indiana lawmakers turn down changes to mail-in voting rules
The proposal would have required voters who requested mail-in ballots to swear under possible penalty of perjury that they wouldn’t be able to vote in person at any time during the 28 days before Election Day.
Legislation attempts to ban sale of ‘weed light’ in Indiana
Delta-8 THC, called “weed light” by some, essentially gives a weaker high than marijuana. A derivative of the compound has been selling briskly at hemp and CBD shops around the state in the form of gummies, candy and wax concentrate, thanks to a legal gray area in current state and federal law.
Biden puts focus on drug prices as he tries to revive agenda
Efforts to lower prescription drug costs have long been popular with voters, but bipartisan consensus has proved elusive. It’s unclear if there’s a political path forward for Biden’s plans in Congress.
Crackdown on incentives proposed after Indiana virtual school controversy
Indiana lawmakers want to tighten restrictions on schools offering incentives to attract students, after an unusual virtual program advertised a $1,700 stipend for school supplies, music lessons and Netflix subscriptions.
Huston exits College Board job as controversy brews over education bill
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston said he left the job to focus on his responsibilities at the Legislature. His office said his departure was unrelated to pending legislation.
White House: File your taxes to get full child tax credit
Workers without children could also get additional help this tax season if they file. The relief package nearly tripled the earned income tax credit for workers without dependent children, meaning that 17 million people could receive credits worth $1,500.
IBJ Podcast: Is nuclear power headed to Indiana?
IBJ reporter John Russell joins the podcast to talk about why the Indiana Legislature is consider a proposal that could help clear a path for smaller, modular nuclear reactors to be located in Indiana.
Inflation has Fed critics pointing to spike in money supply
The persistence of inflation, now running at an annual rate of 7%, has provided ammunition to conservative critics of the central bank known as “monetarists” for their adherence to the writings of economist Milton Friedman.