‘Right to try’ trial drugs bill heads to governor’s desk
A proposal to give terminally ill patients easier access to experimental drugs not yet on pharmacy shelves has been forwarded to Gov. Mike Pence for his signature.
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House GOP rejects changes to religious objections bill
Proposals to add amendments to the religious-objections bill were defeated in largely party-line votes, with just three of the 71 House Republicans supporting any of the amendments. The House could vote next week on approving the bill.
State superintendent requests shift in House budget funds
Indiana's state schools superintendent asked lawmakers Thursday to shift money that a House budget plan allocated for charter schools to public schools instead and also outlined her plan to cut the cost of student testing.
Indiana’s higher education achievement results mixed
Indiana’s public colleges and universities, spurred by pressure from state lawmakers, are pumping out more graduates than ever. But in spite of a 20-percent increase in degrees granted since 2010, the education level of Indiana’s younger adults has barely budged, for reasons that aren’t clear.
Secretive ‘bill mill’ gets local foothold
An offshoot of the American Legislative Exchange Council that aims to influence local government is making inroads in Indiana. The American City County Exchange, which launched about a year ago, has 22 members from eight Indiana counties, including Marion and Hamilton.
New signups for Indiana health care program reach 100,000
The expanded health care program for low-income residents has enrolled more than 100,000 new people in the two months since it received federal approval.
House panel passes utility energy-efficiency bill
An Indiana House committee has approved a proposal that would reduce state oversight of the energy-efficiency programs of major utilities.
UPDATE: ‘Religious freedom’ bill gets more corporate criticism
Scott McCorkle, CEO of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, has joined opponents of the “religious freedom” bill. And some Indiana lawmakers question whether new day care rules could be threatened.
Casino bill takes another step forward in Senate
The bill allows riverboat casinos to build on their existing land footprints, creates a tax credit for existing casinos to build hotels, and gives racinos the ability to convert half of their electronic table game machines to live dealing stations.
Pence requests $15 million for 100 caseworkers over two years
The additional staff should bring the Department of Child Services in line with caseload guidelines in state law, according to a new report that Deloitte Consulting released Wednesday.
UPDATE: House panel passes bill banning powdered alcohol
Supporters of a ban say Palcohol would encourage underage drinking and could easily be concealed at school events.
Indiana House backs 3-year ban on building nursing homes
Indiana would have a three-year moratorium on construction of most new nursing homes under a proposal the state House narrowly approved Tuesday.
Indiana Senate passes ‘right-to-try’ trial drugs bill
The Indiana Senate has approved a measure that would allow terminally ill patients to use experimental drugs that are not yet on pharmacy shelves.
State recovers $126,000 in Medicaid settlement
The settlement with Indiana, 48 other states and the federal government will resolve five lawsuits against the pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
Bill to ban microbeads headed to governor’s office
Legislation that would prevent the sale of any products containing microbeads in Indiana, is headed to the governor’s office for final approval.
Panel moves religious objections bill to full House
An Indiana legislative committee has endorsed a contentious proposal that would prevent the government from compelling people to provide services for activities they consider strongly objectionable, including same-sex weddings.
Lawmakers mull early payoff that could save businesses $327M
At issue is an extra $126 per employee that Hoosier companies will pay to the federal government in 2016 if Indiana has an outstanding unemployment loan on Jan. 1 of that year. If a payoff takes place by the end of 2015, that extra payment goes away.
Indiana considers $20 search fee for public record requests
A bill that aims to simplify school management by cutting obsolete or duplicate rules in education could also change how public records are handled by all types of Indiana agencies.
Universities request more funding to keep tuition affordable
A budget proposal before the House would increase higher education funding by 3.5 percent over the next two years, about an additional $45 million, but state universities are asking for more.
Pence picks Statehouse aide as new Indiana GOP chairman
Gov. Mike Pence nominated a top adviser, Jeff Cardwell, to replace Tim Berry, who resigned Thursday without giving a reason.