Lawmakers hear mixed reviews on bill to lower health care costs
The legislator who introduced the measure said it was the result of a lack of action on the part of health care entities and insurers to lower prices.
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Lawmakers move bill tracking farmland lost, claim it’s not anti-development
Bill author Rep. Kendall Culp, R-Rensselaer, said the detailed data would serve as a foundation for future efforts to preserve farmland, even floating an incentive program for those wishing to sell.
State lawmakers revive effort to require partisan school board elections
Last year, a similar bill got a hearing in a House committee but never received a vote. Nearly two dozen education advocates testified against the previous bill and no one spoke in favor.
House committee passes assistance increase, workforce training program
Hoosiers with disabilities and adult Indiana residents receiving benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program could benefit under a new bill that would help connect underskilled employees to companies.
Bill seeks to prevent federal takeover of Indiana air pollution program
Lawmakers hope to head off EPA action, but Senate Bill 155 could get pushback from colleagues who want more oversight over agencies, not less, and those who want to lower, not raise, taxes and fees.
Some truckers want higher speed limits; key lawmakers reluctant
Two legislators are seeking to eliminate the lower speed limit for heavy trucks on rural interstates and highways, but their proposals appear to be another chapter in more than 30 years of fruitless efforts on behalf of independent truckers.
Issue with tourism agency’s fundraising arm prompts corrective legislation
For more than three years, the not-for-profit foundation created to collect private donations for the Indiana Destination Development Corp. has operated without being subject to routine state audits due to a legislative oversight.
Indiana tax cap proposal would help homeowners but hurt schools, local government
A new study projects homeowners’ bills payable this year could increase as much as 15%. That’s more than double what previous reports estimated for the upcoming bills.
Committee approves anti-ESG, anti-China pension investing bills
Indiana senators on Wednesday said the state’s pension system should prioritize return on investment in one bill—not environmental and social concerns—even as they advanced another bill requiring the system to divest from China-related investments.
Indiana House GOP ‘exploring options’ to postpone school tax referendums, including for IPS
The move comes as Indianapolis Public Schools plan to introduce two ballot measures in May to increase taxes to support more than $800 million in capital and operating expenses. The district has said the additional money is critical to its reorganization plan.
Indiana students may need to learn how to open bank accounts, take out loans in order to graduate
The vote puts Indiana on track to join several other states that have recently adopted financial literacy graduation requirements.
Indiana Senate panel advances bill to prohibit non-compete agreements for physicians
It’s the latest in a series of bills meant to address the high cost of health care in Indiana, as well as the physician shortage and patients’ rights.
Lawmakers advance measure to create fund for housing infrastructure
The bill’s author—a homebuilder—says the fund would be a tool for Indiana communities to provide infrastructure for their housing needs, especially workforce housing.
Throwing stars, EMS services, food and beverage tax bills moving through Indiana legislature
Dozens of bills are already advancing through committees and legislative chambers halfway through the third week of Indiana’s 2023 session.
Crouch leads governor race with cash on hand, but Braun picking up steam
U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s campaign logged more than $2.9 million in contributions—some of it transferred from his own federal accounts—during the period running from July through the end of 2022, according to filings.
Indiana lawmakers gear up for debate over repealing certain floodplain requirements
Property owners and environmental advocates are clashing over a bill that would repeal a requirement for local officials to use the latest statewide floodplain maps when deciding new construction projects.
Architects push for restoration of historic preservation tax credit
The effort is meant to create more incentive for developers to rehab vacant, deteriorating institutional structures in communities throughout the state.
UPDATE: Indiana’s top court hearing challenge to state abortion ban
A top state lawyer on Thursday urged the Indiana Supreme Court to uphold the state’s Republican-backed abortion ban, even as the justices weighed whether they should decide its constitutionality before lower courts have fully considered the case.
Indiana lawmakers weigh bill to create universal school choice program
Testimony heard in the Senate education committee raised questions about how much universal education scholarship accounts would cost and whether the state can afford to fund all students who are eligible to participate.
Indiana Senate panel advances bill protecting donor privacy
Not-for-profit organizations in Indiana would be permitted to keep the identity of their members and donors secret under a bill now advancing through the Indiana General Assembly.