Ritz, school board members meeting with mediator
Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz and Gov. Mike Pence agreed last week to bring in the national group after disagreements escalated.
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School districts could recover $14 million in settlement
Indiana school districts which invested in a failed union health insurance plan could get back roughly half of the money they lost, if they approve the settlement.
State GOP leaders to drop Common Core standards
House Speaker Brian Bosma of Indianapolis and Senate President David Long of Fort Wayne plan to direct the Republican-controlled Legislature to require the state to create its own set of reading and math standards.
State may pay up to $110M in upfront Illiana Expressway costs
The 12-mile Indiana portion of the 47-mile highway, which would link northern Indiana with Chicago's south suburbs, has an estimated $300 million cost.
National group will help mediate education board dispute
Republican Gov. Mike Pence and Democratic Superintendent Glenda Ritz met behind closed doors Tuesday and agreed to engage an outside group to help mediate disputes within the State Board of Education.
Democrats now run biggest cities, except Indianapolis
When Democrat Bill de Blasio takes office in New York City on Jan. 1, Indianapolis will become the most populous U.S. city run by a Republican mayor.
IU Health latest to voice opposition to marriage amendment
IU Health, the state’s fourth-largest employer, said it was opposing a proposed amendment against same-sex marriage for health-related reasons.
Access counselor says education board didn’t violate law
Public Access Counselor Luke Britt also warned in an advisory opinion that “final decisions are meant to be open and transparent,” and urged the board and agencies to be careful about following the spirit of the state’s Open Door Law.
State auditor Sawyer resigns after three months
State Auditor Dwayne Sawyer—former president of the Brownsburg Town Council and the first black Republican to serve in a statewide office—said he was stepping down due to “family and personal concerns.”
Indiana appeals court hears welfare lawsuit
Lawyers representing Indiana asked an appeals court Monday to refund much of the money the state has paid IBM for a failed welfare privatization effort, but the company countered it's actually entitled to even more.
State appeals panel to hear IBM lawsuit
Judges on the state Court of Appeals are deciding whether a lower court was right in awarding $52 million to IBM over a failed welfare privatization project.
Economic concerns top lawmakers’ next session
Indiana lawmakers will be dealing with two broad categories of issues when they reconvene next year: Battles they would gladly take on and those they would rather avoid.
Court sides with state on auto-dial law but orders review
A federal appeals court has ruled that an Indiana law banning most political calls that use automated dialers and recorded messages doesn’t violate federal consumer-protection rules.
Pence plans more charters, road money for 2014
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence plans to spend his second meeting with the General Assembly advancing a legislative agenda centered on expanding the number of charter schools, finding ways to pay for road projects and seeking new tax cuts.
Legislative panel passes mass-transit funding plan
The proposal, which would allow counties to impose taxes on corporations and residents to pay for expanded transit, will be fleshed out before the 2014 legislative session, then introduced as a bill.
New law paves way for micro-distilleries to open across state
A new state law allows Indiana distillers to obtain a permit to produce and sell spirits by the glass, bottle or case. Previously, they could sell only to distributors, never to the public.
Bosma names Dermody new public policy chairman
Dermody, a Republican from LaPorte, will replace Jim Davis, who left the Indiana Legislature to become the director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
Same-sex marriage battle could focus on language
The success of a sparsely-worded constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage could hinge on whether lawmakers remove a key sentence expanding its reach, House and Senate Republican leaders said Tuesday.
Local law firm reaps $6.3M in fees from BMV class-action suit
Cohen & Malad LLP’s fee represents 21 percent of the $30 million awarded to Hoosier motorists as part of a settlement approved by a Marion Superior Court judge Nov. 12. The BMV was accused of overcharging for driver’s licenses.
Pence asks to meet with Sebelius over HIP expansion
Pence wants to expand Medicaid coverage using some form of the Healthy Indiana Plan, which currently provides insurance to about 40,000 Hoosiers who agree to make monthly contributions to health savings accounts. The Obama administration has questioned that feature of the program.