Indiana lawmaker proposes state takeover of Mile Square
Under State Sen. Michael Young’s proposal, a governor’s appointee, a state-appointed board and the Indiana Attorney General would tackle policy and prosecution in downtown Indianapolis.
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Indiana education officials to ask for federal funding as lump sum with fewer requirements
The money would be available to more schools to use with fewer rules about where the money would go.
Gov. Braun says state could intervene in Indy law enforcement after downtown violence
The Republican governor’s statements came on the heels of a string of shootings involving youth in the city’s core, including one on July 5 that killed two minors, and just before Indianapolis hosts WNBA All-Star Weekend.
Lt. Gov. Beckwith among supporters of lawsuit filed against Indiana GOP leadership
The complaint alleges that party leadership repeatedly silenced delegates, bypassed convention procedures, and rewrote internal rules without consent.
Analysis: Latest Indiana budget drops spending 7%—with cuts ‘telling’
The $54.6 billion budget, approved in May, spends 3% more than its 2023 predecessor. But the state’s spending power has sunk 5% since then.
What Indiana’s new absenteeism law actually does—and doesn’t do—to attendance policies
A state senator is among those seeking to clarify the state’s new school attendance law amid online confusion.
UPDATE: Fiscal leaders confident in Indiana’s finances with reserves at $2.5B
Reserves will be 11.2% of Indiana’s spending, at the lower end of the 10-15% recommended to maintain Indiana’s AAA bond rating.
Braun administration eliminates programs, positions and initiatives across state agencies after DEI review
A January executive order gave state agencies until July 1 to complete a review and identify diversity, equity and inclusion in their policies. In total, 350 such initiatives were identified.
Braun says Indiana must ‘learn from’ Texas flooding as search team deployed
Gov. Mike Braun called the deadly Texas floods a “wake-up call” and said states—including Indiana—should examine whether emergency response systems have any “weaknesses.”
Indiana could miss out on hundreds of millions of federal funds under megabill
Some of the biggest funding reductions in the bill—like Medicaid reform—will be phased in, meaning it won’t immediately hit Indiana’s coffers.
Indiana assessed property values grow 12% as tax changes take effect
Assessed values for commercial and industrial properties grew at a higher rate than those for residential, according to the study assembled by the Department of Local Government Finance.
Marion County preschool costs set to rise as state cuts funding
At least seven public school districts in the Indianapolis area are raising the cost of preschool for the coming year, as the state makes cuts to its state preschool voucher program, On My Way Pre-K.
Indiana embracing Trump’s call to increase apprenticeship
Education and labor experts note that making high school apprenticeships commonplace won’t be simple.
Indianapolis biz leader picked to lead new state Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Indiana’s new Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation is expected to focus on Main Street businesses—small businesses that are not venture-backed, not easily scaled and found in many towns and cities across the state.
Environmental agencies, advocates respond to Braun executive orders
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management identified a handful of regulations that could clash with a gubernatorial order to eliminate “unduly burdensome” or costly rules, though nearly all of them appear to be relatively minor tweaks.
After scrutiny over no-bid contract deals, Indiana secretary of state issues new RFPs
The move also comes on the heels of a new law adopted by the General Assembly earlier this year to increase transparency requirements involving state contracting.
New laws aim to help Indiana make mark in development of small nuclear reactors
Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, has been one of the Legislature’s biggest proponents of SMRs, streamlining the regulatory process for those reactors and trying to persuade utilities and manufacturers to embrace their development.
No more hybrid schedules for state workers as remote work slashed
State government officials rescinded 8,486 hybrid remote work agreements Tuesday as part of Gov. Mike Braun’s push to return state employees to the office.
Senate strikes AI provision from GOP bill after uproar from states
Proponents of an AI moratorium had argued that a patchwork of state and local AI laws is hindering progress in the AI industry and the ability of U.S. firms to compete with China.
Indiana colleges cut hundreds of low-enrollment degree programs ahead of state mandate
Students currently enrolled in any of the eliminated or suspended programs will be allowed to finish their degrees through a teach-out process, officials said.