Lawmakers approaching session’s half-way point

Members of the Indiana General Assembly face a key mid-session deadline this week.

Wednesday is the deadline
for bills to pass their house of origin and be sent to the opposite chamber.

Bills still pending in the Senate
include ones that would tighten lobbying and ethics rules and prohibit schools from starting their year earlier than Labor
Day.

The House is expected to consider more changes to a bill that originally would have banned smoking in public
places except casinos and pari-mutuel horse racing venues. It has been amended to also exempt bars, taverns and tobacco shops.

It’s possible the House will approve more exemptions to the bill before voting on the amended measure.