INDOT faces time crunch on Chicago rail line
State officials are still negotiating with a Chicago firm chosen to take over the Hoosier State rail service from Amtrak. The deal is supposed to be complete by Feb. 1.
Government & Economic Development
Articles
Ancestry.com to digitize years of Indiana records
More than 13 million Indiana birth certificates, death certificates and marriage records will be digitized in an agreement between state officials and the genealogy website Ancestry.com.
Mayor promotes city controller to chief of staff
City-County Controller Jason Dudich will succeed Ryan Vaughn, who is leaving the mayor’s office to become president of the Indiana Sports Corp.
Purdue getting regional nutrition, obesity center
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has chosen Purdue University to be the site of one of four centers, also to include Colorado State University, Cornell University and the University of North Carolina.
Republicans to file complaint over Dem’s campaign materials
Democrat Beth White’s staff acknowledged Wednesday that it distributed campaign material for her secretary of state’s political bid without a required disclosure notice.
Legislators in no rush to fix local judge selection process
Marion County’s unique power-sharing judicial-election system won’t be fixed anytime soon, even though a federal judge has ruled the four-decade-old system is unconstitutional.
Fading casino revenue has Indiana city selling debt
After decades of declining population and shifting economic fortunes, the city of Hammond in northwest Indiana is betting that water from Lake Michigan will refresh its finances.
Pence names new head of state personnel department
Denny Darrow joined the agency in December of 2010 and previously served as its deputy director and chief of staff.
Legislators need stricter disclosure rules, advocate tells panel
Indiana legislators need to be more transparent about conflicts of interest and should never lobby for issues that could impact their finances, an open-government advocate said Monday.
Rogue Democrat Mahern resigns from Indy council
Democrat Brian Mahern has left the Indianapolis City-County Council. Coming with more than a year left in the term, the resignation allows the party to appoint someone to the seat.
Lease critics urge Indiana to reclaim toll road
Calls are mounting for Indiana to reclaim the Indiana Toll Road amid concerns over its bankrupt operator's ability to maintain the 157-mile roadway and its travel plazas.
Thousands affected by Medicaid eligibility change
A change in how eligibility for Medicaid is determined could save Indiana $26 million this fiscal year by pushing thousands of residents off coverage but providing first-time benefits to even more at lower costs.
Fishers weighs tax break for Roto-Rooter facility
Fishers Town Council is expected to consider a tax abatement for Roto-Rooter Inc., which is weighing a site along Interstate 69 for a $6 million building to house its expanded regional operation.
Health clinic operator plans HQ expansion, 203 new jobs
Activate Healthcare LLC, an Indianapolis-based workplace health clinic operator, plans to expand its local operations, adding as many as 203 employees over the next nine years, state economic development officials announced Friday morning.
Pence won’t seek federal dollars to expand pre-K
Gov. Mike Pence has opted to end Indiana’s bid for up to $80 million in federal pre-kindergarten funding, a move that appeases some conservatives as he mulls a 2016 presidential run.
Fishers’ conversion from town to city brings prickly pay issues to fore
Six candidates ran for mayor of Fishers in the May primary without knowing what the job would pay. More than 20 sought seats on its first City Council. Now the outgoing Town Council—with at least two members who won’t return to the dais next year—must decide how to compensate the victors come Jan. 1.
IndyGo deciding which routes should get focus and resources
IndyGo isn’t threatening to eliminate routes, but it is trying to craft a policy to guide it through landmark changes: next year’s opening of the $20 million Downtown Transit Center and, possibly, the passage of a referendum in favor of a regional rapid-transit system.
Justice center deal tests transparency laws
Three teams competing to partner with Indianapolis on a half-billion-dollar criminal justice complex shaped the city’s yet-to-be released specifications in closed-door meetings.
State pension fund sees wave of retirements prior to rate drop
The Indiana Public Retirement System lowered the interest rate on its annuity savings accounts on Oct. 1, possibly contributing to a 35-percent jump in retirements for state and local government workers this year.
BMV lawyers defend embattled state agency
Lawyers for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles are fighting back in an ongoing legal battle involving overcharges by the state agency.