Lawmakers are set to return to the Indiana Statehouse on Monday to make technical corrections—a session in which they could also vote to overturn two vetoes by Gov. Eric Holcomb, including one affecting orders issued by local health departments during a public health emergency.
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The Indiana General Assembly concluded the year’s regular session late last week in Indianapolis. Here’s a look at some major issues debated during the nearly four-month session.
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The leader of the Indianapolis police union said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears “failed to do his part” when he chose not to bring Brandon Scott Hole before a judge for a hearing under Indiana’s “red flag” law.
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Several Democratic legislators called it the best state spending plan in years. Republicans described the plan as focused on helping the state’s economy grow in the coming years and helping to give long-deserved raises to teachers.
Read MoreAdvocates for nursing home residents say they worry a new Indiana law expanding COVID-19 liability protections for health care providers will effectively block many lawsuits over neglect and substandard treatment that weren’t caused by the pandemic.
An unexpected slowdown in hiring nationwide has prompted some Republican governors to start slashing jobless benefits. On Friday, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said he would consider whether the state should continue to participate in federal pandemic unemployment programs.
Unemployed Hoosiers are currently receiving $300 per week from the federal government in addition to state benefits. The federal program also expanded who is eligible for unemployment.
Todd Rokita says that only he—or an attorney he authorizes—can file a lawsuit on behalf of the state. Plus, he argues that lawmakers can’t be sued during a legislative session.
State lawmakers came through in big ways for business and manufacturing interests this year.
The bill, which scales back protections on Indiana wetlands, had gained support from the Indiana Builders Association, but numerous environmental, conservation and civic groups opposed it.
“The Committee to Elect Holli Sullivan has determined that it made an improper solicitation of campaign funds,” Sullivan’s campaign said in a written statement. “These public solicitations have been removed and all contributions have been returned.”
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said he found the “additional layer of government unnecessary and confusing.”
Current and former state legislators and a former Indiana Supreme Court justice are raising concerns that a measure to extend rather than adjourn the 2021 legislative session blurs the separation of powers and could have “dangerous” implications for the future.
Indiana lawmakers face the once-a-decade task of drawing new districts for congressional seats, along with the 100 Indiana House and 50 state Senate districts, based on population shifts.
All Democratic members of the General Assembly, as well as a member of the Senate Republican Caucus, urged the Republican governor to veto the bill in a letter sent last week.
A decades-long movement to reshape the American political map took a further step Thursday as the House of Representatives approved a bill to make the nation’s capital the 51st state.
The 20-year agreement prevents state officials from allowing new casino competition across most of northern and northwestern Indiana, including no future moves by the existing casinos in Hammond, East Chicago, Gary and Michigan City.
The agreement released Tuesday requires that any local public health order that is more stringent than one issued by the governor must be approved by an elected county or city board.
The state’s unemployment rate has been doggedly retracing its steps over the last year from its latest spike, falling from 16.9% in April 2020 to 3.9% last month.
Indiana educators on Thursday called for a bigger school funding boost to help improve the state’s lagging teacher pay, as new projections showed state tax collections are expected to bounce back stronger than expected from the pandemic recession.
Indiana lawmakers are almost certain to approve a significant expansion of what is already a broad private school voucher program, setting one of the highest family income ceilings in the nation.
A new state tax revenue forecast given Thursday to state legislators projects state tax collections going up by more than 4% in in each of the next two years.
Lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a disputed bill seeking to remove protections from Indiana’s already diminished wetlands amid mounting criticism that the legislation could cause damage to the state’s waterways, wildlife and vegetation.
Lawmakers approved two environmental bills Tuesday that critics say could damage the state’s ecosystems by scaling back current policy affecting water, energy and other resources.
