Partisan school boards, payday lending bills move forward
With the committee deadline over, lawmakers are now working with fewer bills in the 2025 session.
Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle
Articles
Opposition brings likely end to Indiana utility siting bill, but the issue isn’t going away
A key lawmaker called the bill a response to ongoing resistance of local governments to greenlight solar, wind and other renewables projects that are necessary to support the state’s growing energy demands.
Indiana Senate OKs anti-DEI bill that takes aim at state agencies, schools
The bill advanced after more than three hours of floor debate—and following a contentious, unprecedented challenge to Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s Senate presidency.
Senate approves electronic pull tabs for charity gambling as House OKs immigration notice mandate
Also past the halfway point are bills on voting, water transfers and teacher pay. The House, meanwhile, pulled back on divorce and municipal election changes.
Despite pushback, lawmakers advance bill to double inspections of Indiana’s confined animal farms
Indiana farming groups argued that additional oversight requirements will come at a cost to producers.
Braun’s proposed statewide school safety office earns early support in House committee
The proposed Indiana Office of School Safety was pitched by lawmakers Thursday as a cost-effective, “one-stop shop” for state and local officials to collaborate on school safety initiatives.
Bill to bring back A-F grades for Indiana schools passes committee
School grades have been effectively suspended since 2018, when Indiana shifted from ISTEP to a new state standardized test and later grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indiana lawmaker seeks regulations for early-wage-access industry
Critics of the bill, authored by Republican Rep. Jake Teshka, summed the proposal up as “re-warmed payday lending.”
GOP lawmakers eye small nuclear in Indiana despite concerns over cost, feasibility
Consumer advocates argue the novel technology is “too risky” and will come at a “massive” cost to ratepayers.
GOP-backed bill to increase oversight of Indiana water projects gets early support in committee
The measure would require a utility or large private-sector project leader to obtain an approval permit before carrying out a project where significant amounts of water are moved from one water basin in the state to another.
Indiana bill would ban social media accounts for Hoosiers under age 16 without parental consent
The measure would require a social media operator like Facebook or TikTok to restrict a minor from accessing the site if they did not receive “verifiable parental consent” from the minor’s parent.
Former Indiana congressional candidate agrees to plead guilty in campaign finance fraud case
Former Indiana congressional candidate Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Whitley is admitting that he falsified campaign finance records, saying he lied about raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions ahead of the May 2024 primary.
Eight Indiana coal sites offer ‘substantial opportunities’ for nuclear plants, per new Purdue study
Purdue officials announced in May that the university was selected to study small nuclear technology and how it can potentially be used to power Indiana in the future.
State lawmakers to debate slew of education-related proposals
Recent budget plans earmarked roughly half of the state’s $44.5 billion biennial spending for K-12 education.
Outgoing Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb looks back on eight years in office—and at what’s next
In an end-of-term interview, the Republican governor recalls the highs, lows and lessons learned over the course of his tenure.
Indiana education officials green-light high school diploma overhaul
The overhaul has been pitched by state officials as a way to boost Indiana’s dismal college-going numbers, but more critically, to also ensure that all Hoosier students—college-bound or not—graduate from high school with high-value, work-ready skills.
Teacher pay, more funding top requests by Indiana’s largest teachers union
The Indiana State Teachers Association, which represents roughly 40,000 Hoosier educators, released a priority agenda on Tuesday—just weeks before state lawmakers are set to return to the Statehouse.
Indiana secretary of state spending includes millions in no-bid contracts
The contracts for IT work are not visible in the state’s transparency portal, where agreements entered into by state agencies are typically housed and made public.
President Benjamin Harrison’s ‘very rare’ inaugural address goes on sale
The artifact hit the public market for the first time earlier this month with a $225,000 price tag.
Thanksgiving meal in Hoosier state expected to cost a bit less than last year, per report
The market survey is conducted each year by volunteer shoppers across Indiana who search for the best prices while not using coupons or special promotions.