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 Government
Articles
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.
Gubernatorial candidate Eric Doden speaks out against LEAP district pipeline plan
Other GOP contenders share similar concerns, while some defend the controversial project as a wise economic move.
Rep. Jerry Torr to retire from politics after 28 years in Indiana House
Torr, a Republican who represents portions of Carmel and Westfield, is chair of the House Judiciary Committee and vice chair of the House Joint Rules Committee.
Cyndi Carrasco files to fill state senate seat
Indiana State Senate District 36, which includes portions of Marion County and northern Johnson County, was vacated last month after the unexpected death of Sen. Jack Sandlin, a longtime public servant.
Budget experts recommend caution before Indiana considers tax overhaul
Key Indiana Republicans at a task force meeting heard tepid support on Friday for their hopes to cut or scrap the state’s individual income tax.
New CEO marks a shift for Indiana Chamber after 20 years under one leader
After spending two decades in Washington, D.C., working for politicians, interest groups and one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies, Vanessa Green Sinders was ready to settle down, and Indiana was a natural fit.
Maxwell sworn in to Indiana Senate, succeeds Perfect
Indiana’s newest State Sen. Randy Maxwell, a Republican from Guilford, was sworn in Thursday by Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush.
Indiana contemplating own strategic medical stockpile following national shortages
Pandemic shortages forced the state to run more lab tests—with results taking days rather than minutes—which former State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said delayed quarantines and medication referrals.
State Comptroller Tera Klutz to step down with three years left in her term
Klutz was appointed as the 57th auditor of the state by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb in 2017, becoming the first certified public accountant to serve as the state’s chief financial officer.
Holcomb: Indiana prepared for possible federal government shutdown
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb told the press Wednesday that the state was prepared for what appears to be an imminent federal government shutdown that would affect nearly 24,000 Hoosiers.
Indiana Supreme Court rules state law limits corporate contributions to super PACs
Indiana election law’s silence on corporate contributions to independent-expenditure political action committees means such contributions are prohibited or otherwise limited, a split Indiana Supreme Court has ruled.
Hogsett, civic leaders don’t expect downtown taxing district approval before election
A new state law allows the council to create an economic enhancement district board that could impose a fee on property owners in the Mile Square.
AI improved the state’s COVID tracking and response
Developments in artificial intelligence during the pandemic greatly improved the COVID-19 screening, diagnostics and prediction process, according to a 2021 study by the National Institutes of Health.
State directs $100M to park hotel project as nearby communities prepare for boost
The project at Potato Creek State Park calls for 120 guest rooms, a 9,000-square-foot indoor aquatic facility and a conference center.