U.S. Senate sets up showdown votes on shutdown plans
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. set up the two showdown votes for Thursday, a day before some 800,000 federal workers are due to miss a second paycheck.
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Indiana unemployment holds steady at 3.6 percent
Private sector employment in Indiana grew by 12,200 in December with significant gains in education and health services, construction and hospitality.
Political upstarts like Indiana’s Buttigieg getting serious look in age of Trump
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is barely old enough to run for president, but he and other young potential candidates are finding encouragement at a time when conventional election wisdom has been upended.
House committee passes tighter rules for virtual schools
House Bill 1172, authored by Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, outlines new rules to better assess and guide the educators, parents and students engaged in virtual school.
$15M project to widen State Road 32 will disrupt downtown Westfield businesses
By 2022, the city and the Indiana Department of Transportation expect to begin widening a half-mile section of the thoroughfare from Shamrock Boulevard to East Street.
Panel backs proposal to move up appointing state schools chief
Indiana’s governor would begin appointing the state schools superintendent in 2021 instead of 2025, under a proposal endorsed Wednesday by the House Education Committee. Voters traditionally have elected the superintendent.
From travel to IPOs, here’s how shutdown is upsetting U.S. economy
Delta Air Lines can’t get eight new aircraft in the air. Roughly a million government employees and contractors aren’t being paid. Some Americans who are trying to start small businesses face delays in obtaining information from the IRS.
Council panel postpones vote on controversial billboard plan to consider changes
Council Vice President Zach Adamson said “we all have received lots of calls” on the proposal and said postponing the matter would “allow additional conversation” on whether or not to amend the proposal or accept it as written.
Shutdown update: Trump says he’ll sign off on back pay for federal workers
The partial government shutdown stretched into its 21st day on Friday, tying the record for the longest. Judges, law enforcement officers, NASA engineers, weather forecasters and office staff were among some 800,000 federal workers who missed their first paychecks.
Indiana attorney general accuser seeks easier removal path
An Indiana legislator who says she was groped at a bar by state Attorney General Curtis Hill wants to make it easier to remove some state officeholders from their positions.
Trump eyeing citizenship path in worker visa program
President Donald Trump said his administration is looking at changing a foreign worker visa program to include a more direct path to citizenship, as he wrestles with Democrats in Congress over funding for his border wall.
U.S. companies to gain staunch defender in Trump’s DOJ pick
President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Justice Department comes with a track record that signals he could take a softer stance in policing mergers and promote a more business-friendly approach to prosecutions.
Truckers sue the state for increased toll road fees
Holcomb announced in September that fees along the 157-mile toll road would increase by 35 percent for heavy vehicles and that the state would in turn reap $1 billion to spend on new infrastructure projects.
State may revamp tourism department, create quasi-governmental agency
Several lawmakers, lobbyists and state officials are pushing for sweeping changes to the state’s tourism bureau.
Indy Eleven proposes $550 million development that includes stadium
The professional soccer team is pushing for a 20,000-seat stadium as part of a real estate district featuring lodging, office and retail space, an underground parking structure and apartments.
House teacher pay plan clears first hurdle, but critics say the bill doesn’t go far enough
A Republican bill calling on districts to raise teacher pay by making other budget cuts passed an Indiana House of Representatives education committee vote Wednesday, despite sharp criticism from school officials and education advocates.
U.S. says China willing to buy more American as trade talks end
China and the United States concluded three days of talks Wednesday with a cautious sense of optimism that the world’s two biggest economies might be able to reach a deal that ends their bruising trade war.
State lawmaker expects Indianapolis to be considered for casino
The Indiana General Assembly is likely to consider a proposal that would allow Gary’s two casino licenses to be relocated this year—one would stay in Gary, while the other could move to another city in the state.
Would-be dealmakers warn of M&A, IPO delays due to shutdown
A prolonged shutdown could muddle Eli Lilly and Co.’s plan to unload its stake in Elanco Animal Health Inc., the unit it spun off last year, Lilly CEO Dave Ricks said.
Hate crimes law advocates not fond of bill that doesn’t specify protected classes
Indiana Forward, a group pushing for hate crimes legislation, said the law must include a comprehensive list of protected classes.