2020 election will direct Statehouse attention to teacher demands
State lawmakers might choose not to address some education issues in the upcoming legislative session, but they are likely to loom over Indiana politics in the election season.
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Dem candidates call for probe into whether Holcomb helped Amazon in OSHA case
Gov. Eric Holcomb called an article that accuses him of helping Amazon escape fines following a worker’s death in Plainfield “both irresponsible and deliberately misleading.”
Complexity of Indiana school funding complicates teacher pay debate
Top Republicans touted “record investment” in school spending in defending themselves as thousands of teachers turned out for a Statehouse rally this past week calling for a bigger boost in education funding. But it’s not that simple.
Howey Politics Indiana newsletter postponed after founder injured in fall
Brian Howey, the longtime publisher of newsletters and a web site dedicated to politics in Indiana, is being treated in St. Vincent Hospital’s intensive care unit after surgery for a head injury.
Legislator for Greenwood area retiring from Statehouse after more than 30 years
Rep. Woody Burton has helped push for property tax relief, bullying prevention programs and increased accountability in the child welfare system.
Thousands of teachers gather for Red for Ed rally at Indiana Statehouse
Teachers say they are rallying for better working conditions, higher pay, increased funding for public school classrooms, less emphasis on standardized testing and more respect.
Indiana lawmakers signal openness to some—but not all—teacher demands before rally
The thousands of teachers descending on the state capitol Tuesday face an uphill battle when it comes to getting elected officials to raise their salaries. But top lawmakers appear open to changes on other issues.
Chamber gets support from key lawmakers on raising smoking age in Indiana
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce on Monday said one of its top legislative priorities was to get state lawmakers to pass laws to decrease the smoking rate of Hoosiers and get vaping products out of the hands of young people.
Indiana’s Red for Ed rally isn’t a strike, but it’s closing schools anyway
Tuesday’s fast-growing rally is expected to cancel school for half of the state’s students while as many as 12,000 teachers descend on the Indiana Statehouse to make a list of demands.
Obamacare offers Hoosiers fewer choices, higher prices
From a look at the numbers, Indiana is not a great place to buy health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
State CIO Dewand Neely will tackle new challenge with Eleven Fifty Academy
After 15 years working in the information technology department for the state of Indiana—the last four as chief information officer, Dewand Neely is departing to take a job as chief operating officer for Eleven Fifty Academy, the not-for-profit coding academy with facilities in downtown Indianapolis and Fishers.
Embattled Attorney General Curtis Hill says he will seek re-election
Hill’s decision comes as he awaits the outcome of an Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission hearing over allegations he drunkenly groped a state lawmaker and three legislative staffers at a party in March 2018.
State drug czar McClelland announces retirement
Douglas Huntsinger, deputy director for drug prevention, treatment and enforcement, will take over. The state said Huntsinger has been overseeing operational aspects of the state’s response to the drug crisis since 2017.
Longtime Democratic Rep. Pete Visclosky retiring from Congress
The 70-year-old Visclosky issued a statement Wednesday thanking his district’s residents for “the incredible life privilege” of serving in Congress since first winning election in 1984.
Program to spur growth is not limited to poor communities
The area that includes the Fletcher Place neighborhood and the southeast corner of downtown is one of the hottest parts of Indianapolis, yet it’s included in a federal program designed to spur investments in poor neighborhoods.
IEDC president to lead state’s new tourism agency
State lawmakers passed legislation during the 2019 session that allowed the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, which is under Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and funded by the state budget, to become a quasi-governmental corporation as of July 1, 2020.
Indiana to consider creating government corruption hotline
Indiana residents soon could have a hotline for reporting improper or illegal spending and other suspected corruption by local government officials, if lawmakers approve a proposal being drafted by a legislative committee.
Indiana to drop Pearson, return to ETS teacher licensing
The move comes after Republican state Sen. Jean Leising, of Oldenburg, introduced legislation this year that required the state Board of Education to adopt a program that’s administered nationally.
Hill’s disciplinary hearing concludes with AG on defense
The evidentiary hearing in the disciplinary action against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill came to a close Thursday afternoon, with Hill taking the stand for a final time to continue defending himself and deny earlier allegations that he made crude sexual advances toward a former employee.
Lobbyist defends Hill in sometimes-contentious disciplinary hearing
Earlier on Wednesday, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill took the stand for the first time to defend himself in a legal ethics case that could put his job in jeopardy.