DCS staffing levels nearly full statewide, but lacking in some areas
Of the Department of Child Services’ 19 regions, 10 meet staffing standards and an additional four have at least 90% of the staff they need. The statewide staffing level is 99%.
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After 20-year-old Amazon employee dies at work, Indiana issues $7,000 fine
Such cases reveal the limited ability of state and federal safety regulators to effectively levy penalties or enforce safety policies on powerful corporations like Amazon, which made $9.9 billion in profit in the last quarter.
Less ‘aggressive’ legislative session coming, Statehouse leaders say
Leaders in the Republican-dominated Indiana Legislature say they’re not planning on taking on gambling expansions, water fights or costly initiatives during the shorter non-budget session, which begins in January and must end by mid-March.
INDOT facing fiscal cliff without road-funding changes
Indiana’s Department of Transportation expects to lose billions of dollars in revenue in the coming decades as more Hoosiers buy alternative fuel-using and fuel-efficient vehicles.
Doden, Braun exchange shots over qualified immunity, IEDC record
Indiana gubernatorial candidates Eric Doden and U.S. Sen. Mike Braun traded jabs Wednesday over the legal practice of qualified immunity and the use of state tax dollars in economic development—an escalation in the 2024 race to succeed Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Candidates Chambers, Hill release gubernatorial proposals
One GOP candidate for governor proposed massive tax changes Wednesday while another outlined a plan to strengthen public safety.
State study committee recommends boosting food assistance access
An interim task force set its sights on food insecurity on Tuesday—recommending legislation to make it easier for Hoosiers to qualify for food assistance, fund transportation or delivery for their groceries and more.
State health care panel adopts final report, targets prior authorizations
The interim Health Care Cost Oversight Task Force unanimously agreed on a final report Monday detailing seven recommended legislative proposals for the upcoming session.
Rep. Bob Cherry won’t seek reelection, ending 25 years in seat
The Greenfield Republican, whose district includes parts of Hancock and Madison counties, co-authored the state’s latest biennial budget.
Braun launches first TV ad in gubernatorial bid
U.S. Sen Mike Braun is the fourth Indiana GOP gubernatorial contender to go on air with campaign advertising.
Curtis Hill tries for a comeback with gubernatorial bid
Five years removed from a groping scandal that derailed his political ambitions, the former attorney general is working to rehabilitate his image as he revs up his campaign for the Republican nomination.
Indiana legislative group weighs cannabis legalization, but fails to make recommendations
The Interim Study Committee on Commerce and Economic Development is examining “the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Indiana as it relates to workforce impacts and teen use.”
Secretary of State Morales doles out $308K in spot bonuses
Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales has given a spot bonus to nearly every employee in his office this year—including a family member and his former campaign manager.
State lawmaker drainage task force fumbles on final report
Sen. Jean Leising called it the “most miserable task force or interim committee meeting I have ever been a part of.”
State lawmaker panel weighs solutions to Indiana’s lawyer shortage
Indiana has about 2.3 lawyers per 1,000 residents—below the nationwide average of four lawyers. That puts the state in the bottom 10 nationally for available counsel.
State lawmaker pension panel recommends 13th check, cost-of-living adjustment
Indiana should move from ad hoc public retirement benefit increases to a long-term approach that guarantees former public employees a 13th check or cost of living adjustment, or COLA, annually, an interim committee recommended Tuesday.
Replacing income tax with sales tax hike would cost poor Hoosiers more, experts say
Analyst Neva Butkus with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy called the state’s tax system “deeply regressive,” meaning that lower-income residents contribute larger shares of their income toward government services.
Midwest coalition involving Indiana selected for regional hydrogen hub
Gov. Eric Holcomb’s office says the U.S. Department of Energy will award up to $1 billion in grant funding to the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, or MachH2, which consists of more than 70 Midwest public and private organizations.
State Rep. Schaibley of Carmel to retire after almost decade in office
Rep. Donna Schaibley, has served House District 24—parts of Boone and Hamilton counties—since 2014.
New Indiana senator chosen in caucus
Greg Goode, former state director for Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young, will replace outgoing state Sen. Jon Ford in Senate District 38 after winning a caucus vote.