Legislation targeting squatting gains momentum
Depending on whom you ask, such bills are a solution in search of a problem or an important tool in combatting property problems caused by scammers and the homeless.
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Three money-making bills that died in a tight budget year
But House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, has said repeatedly that Indiana lawmakers don’t make policy simply to raise money.
Legislative roundup: Final bills passed in session’s first half
Lawmakers spent hours in session this week passing several dozen lingering bills, including the budget and property tax reform, before the first-half deadline Thursday.
House approves local road fundraising measure
At the end of the 2025 fiscal year, any excess would fund fixes for dangerous at-grade railroad crossings. But in later years, the first $50 million of any surplus could go to Indianapolis-Marion County.
Nonprofit hospitals targeted for high prices in bill passing the House
The bill allows the state to revoke the nonprofit status of a health system or hospital that charges especially high fees.
Attorney General Todd Rokita seeks dismissal of disciplinary charges, alleges retaliation
The outcome of the heated situation between Rokita and the disciplinary commission now rests with the Indiana Supreme Court.
Bill to explore Illinois-Indiana border passes the House
The bill would create a commission of five Indiana and five Illinois designees who would be authorized to talk about Illinois ceding counties to Indiana.
House bill criticized as criminalizing homelessness will not advance
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, told reporters that lawmakers had good discussions on the bill, but it ultimately didn’t have the support it needed.
Indiana House approves ‘vanilla’ state budget proposal, sends to Senate
Lawmakers have less to spend due to slowing growth in state tax revenue and ballooning Medicaid costs—both residual effects of the pandemic.
County prosecutors could get less discretion over local decisions under proposal
House Bill 1006—a Republican priority—creates a board to investigate prosecutors who “categorically refuse to prosecute” criminal laws.
Could Indianapolis get a casino? Lawmakers signal very early signs of support.
The Indiana Legislature would have to approve moving any existing gaming licenses or creating new ones.
Gov. Mike Braun threatens to veto property tax bill, call special session if more cuts aren’t added
Senate Bill 1, which previously carried Gov. Mike Braun’s ambitious property tax relief plan, was pared down significantly in committee following outcry from local government leaders.
County jails on the hook as state stops paying prisoner costs
County jails haven’t received payments in months, and there are still four months left in the July-to-June fiscal year.
Senate Republicans approve limiting health insurance program for Hoosiers
Senate Republicans unanimously greenlit a bill imposing certain provisions to the Healthy Indiana Plan, including adding a cap to the program—meaning hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers could lose coverage.
Some local governments are slowing spending as lawmakers debate property tax cuts
The bill would reduce property taxes—and therefore reduce local government revenue—by about $1.4 billion over three years, according to the bill’s fiscal plan.
Partisan school boards, payday lending bills move forward
With the committee deadline over, lawmakers are now working with fewer bills in the 2025 session.
Indiana panel advances AG-backed immigration crackdown
The bill would also ban employers from “knowingly or intentionally” recruiting, hiring or employing people not authorized to work in the U.S.
UPDATE: Braun says Senate-passed property tax bill ‘has a long way to go’
The Senate-approved tax bill would limit total growth in property tax revenue, which could reduce individual bills. But the Republican governor said the legislation lacks “meaningful tax cuts.”
New neighbors? Bill to explore annexing Illinois counties moves out of House committee
House Bill 1008 would create a commission to discuss how Indiana could “embrace” counties in Illinois who want to secede from their state.
Public camping ban passes key legislative deadline despite law enforcement concerns
A lobbyist for the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association testified House Bill 1662 could put additional strain on already-crowded county jails.