New state agriculture chief to emphasize R&D
Gina Sheets said she's working on new ideas and keeping her eye on farm-related issues in the General Assembly.
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Pence address set to expand on 1st-year priorities
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence might be shying from specifics ahead of his first State of the State address, but the details of a first-year agenda that will focus on jobs training, expanded spending on private schools and an across-the-board tax cut are largely known at this point.
Pence wants $1.5M a year for life sciences institute
The Indiana Applied Research Enterprise already has received support from John Lechleiter, CEO of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co., as a place for collaboration between academic and industrial scientists.
Indiana lawmakers aim to shore up riverboat casinos
Lawmakers have introduced legislation to help Indiana's riverboat casinos hold onto business in the face of growing competition from casinos in neighboring states.
Former state ag director joins Dow AgroSciences
Joseph Kelsay, who had served as director of Indiana’s Department of Agriculture since 2009, is joining Dow AgroSciences’ government affairs team as senior manager of biotechnology affairs.
Shape of ‘jobs budget’ depends on the state
The proposals of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley epitomize the reality of the Red State and Blue State philosophy of just what a ‘jobs budget’ looks like.
State lawmakers unlikely to toughen smoking ban
It appears health advocates have little chance of seeing Indiana's smoking ban extended to include bars.
Pence names human services chief, ag director
Gov. Mike Pence on Thursday named Debra Minott, an attorney with health care regulatory experience, to run the Indiana's human services agency while it implements the looming Medicaid expansion. Pence also named Gina Sheets to lead the Agriculture Department.
Judge dismisses Indiana right-to-work law challenge
U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon in Hammond ruled that none of the union's arguments against the law could succeed in federal court, although a challenge could still be made in state courts.
Advocacy group waging war against welfare ‘cliff effect’
Reform advocates say it’s common for parents to get a new job with a meager pay raise that is just enough to push them out of the eligibility limits. Ultimately, the families have less money.
Bill seeks earlier date for online retailers to collect taxes
Hoosiers may be required to pay a 7-percent sales tax on top of their Amazon purchases starting July 1 if a proposed House bill is adopted.
Indiana Democrats pushing for more health care action
Democratic lawmakers pushed Wednesday for Indiana to take steps toward implementing the federal health care overhaul that Republicans who control state government have so far rejected.
House speaker seeks jobs panel, preschool funding
Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma plans to spearhead efforts to create a new statewide jobs council and give families scholarships so children can attend preschool as part of an agenda focused on fighting Indiana’s stubborn unemployment rate by closing the state’s “skills gap.”
Indiana House panel backs sentencing-laws overhaul
A sweeping plan to overhaul Indiana's criminal sentencing laws cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature on Wednesday with the support of law-enforcement groups that had scuttled similar efforts the past two years.
Senator’s bill would ease penalty for pot possession
Sen. Karen Tallian’s proposal would reduce the penalty for possession of less than 2 ounces of pot to an infraction punishable by a fine. But the amount has caught the attention of at least one antidrug advocate.
Pence submits lean budget built around tax cut
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is asking lawmakers to spend most of Indiana's cash surplus on a 10-percent cut in the personal income tax.
Indiana panel backs stage-rigging rules extension
An Indiana House committee has endorsed a two-year extension of regulations on temporary outdoor stage rigging developed following the deadly State Fair stage collapse.
Bill could be hurdle for proposed $2.8B synthetic gas plant
Under the legislation, state utility regulators could order Indiana Gasification LLC to make refunds to gas customers every three years if the price of synthetic gas it produces from coal is greater than the market price of natural gas over the period.
State senator looks to overturn school standards
A Republican state senator is trying to pull Indiana out of the Common Core State Standards national education initiative, targeting the benchmarks as a costly program that would weaken the state's schools.
Pence team to deliver first budget to state lawmakers
The new Republican governor has cash in the bank and a roughly $500 million surplus to work with. But he also has many demands from lawmakers in both parties to restore spending cuts.