Senate nearly unanimously passes vaping reform bill
The bill pares controversial regulations put in place during the previous two sessions of the Indiana General Assembly, which many believe went too far.
Government
Articles
Coats caught in middle as Trump takes on intelligence agencies
Former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats is likely to face tough questioning because President Donald Trump has nominated him to supervise the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies while they’re mired in explosive investigations.
Indiana Senate approves bill to reduce solar incentive
Much of a financial incentive for installing solar panels would be eliminated in the coming years under a bill passed Monday by the Indiana Senate.
Transit tax wins City-County Council OK, clearing final hurdle
The 17-8 vote will put into place an income tax increase that will raise at least $54.4 million annually to fund major improvements to the city’s bus service.
House passes $31.4B budget with cigarette tax hike
House Ways and Means Chairman Tim Brown called the $31.4 billion budget an “honest appraisal of the money we have and the spending priorities we have going forward.”
White House: Trump budget will hike defense spending by $54B
To counter defense-spending increases, the president plans to propose corresponding cuts to domestic programs and foreign aid.
Korean car parts maker targets Indy for U.S. HQ, 180 hires
Daechang Seat Co. is seeking tax breaks from the city for its plans to invest $16.8 million in a production facility and establish a base of operations in America.
Ganassi Racing seeking tax break for $3.5M expansion
The owner of four IndyCar racing teams says the tax abatement would help offset costs related to a 40,000-square-foot addition the company wants to build at its northwest-side headquarters.
Inaccurate statements by lawmaker on solar bill stir backlash
At least one lawmaker said that inaccurate testimony by Sen. Brandt Hershman during a recent Statehouse hearing led him to back a bill that would reduce financial incentives for installing solar panels.
Lacking enough support, South Bend mayor withdraws before DNC chairman vote
After Pete Buttigieg pulled out, party activists elected former Labor Secretary Tom Perez to lead the Democratic National Committee.
Report: White House nixed CMS hire over IBJ column critical of Trump
Politico has reported that the Trump White House was not impressed with a 2016 column in which local Republican strategist Marcus Barlow said Trump was “offensive and ignorant” but not a racist.
Funding for state archives building may have to wait until 2019
Advocates of constructing a new archives building say the current location, on East 30th Street, is falling into disrepair and that the situation is getting dire.
IndyGo moving forward with Red Line construction prep
IndyGo says it needs to keep working toward a summer construction date so that the transit line is “shovel-ready” if and when federal grant funds are released.
House passes bill that could give voucher schools a reprieve
State law currently bars charters that receive bad marks from taking on new students through the state's voucher program
Senate OKs legislative employees’ bringing guns to work
Senators voted 40-9 Thursday in favor of allowing staff members who have permits and can otherwise possess handguns to bring them to work.
Anthem’s loveless marriage heads toward predictable end
Doubters about the $48 billion Anthem-Cigna merger have been in abundance from the start—both on antitrust grounds and on concerns over cultural fit.
Purdue helping lead quest to build better roads
While roads are still made from time-tested 20th-century staples such as concrete and asphalt, the formulas used to mix them and the techniques used to lay them down are very 21st century.
Supreme Court weighs arguments in liquor wholesaling permit case
Spirited Sales and the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission are at odds in a lawsuit that could decide whether Indiana beer and wine wholesalers can also legally sell liquor.
Indiana Senate panel slashes pre-K funding proposal
The GOP-dominated Senate Appropriations Committee endorsed a move Thursday to sharply curtail the governor’s modest request for $10 million a year in additional funding.
Indiana Senate panel advances restrictive abortion-notice bill
An Indiana abortion bill meant to strengthen parental rights would require notifying parents when a daughter under the age of 18 pursues legal action to obtain an abortion without their consent.