Vaping crisis could be impetus for Legislature to raise smoking age to 21
Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly. But the leadership support doesn’t make the bill a slam dunk.
Government
Articles
Complexity of Indiana school funding complicates teacher pay debate
Top Republicans touted “record investment” in school spending in defending themselves as thousands of teachers turned out for a Statehouse rally this past week calling for a bigger boost in education funding. But it’s not that simple.
Pete Buttigieg establishes clear lead in Iowa, new poll shows
Buttigieg was leading the crowded Democratic field with 25%, in the new CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of likely Iowa caucus goers.
State CIO Dewand Neely will tackle new challenge with Eleven Fifty Academy
After 15 years working in the information technology department for the state of Indiana—the last four as chief information officer, Dewand Neely is departing to take a job as chief operating officer for Eleven Fifty Academy, the not-for-profit coding academy with facilities in downtown Indianapolis and Fishers.
Embattled Attorney General Curtis Hill says he will seek re-election
Hill’s decision comes as he awaits the outcome of an Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission hearing over allegations he drunkenly groped a state lawmaker and three legislative staffers at a party in March 2018.
Democrats expand majority on City-County Council
Democrats picked up at least five seats—and possibly six, depending on the outcome of a race with a razor-thin margin. Republican leader Mike McQuillen was among the GOP casualties.
Hogsett & Merritt talk neighborhoods, poverty, crime and more
IBJ talked with incumbent Democrat Joe Hogsett and his Republican challenger, Jim Merritt, about why they’re running for mayor, what they’ve learned about themselves in the process and how they’ll tackle crime, neighborhood development, crime and more.
Early voting picks up in Marion County in week before election
So far for the 2019 election, 6,158 voters have cast ballots in person, which is higher than how many people voted early in person at the same point in 2015 and 2011.
IEDC president to lead state’s new tourism agency
State lawmakers passed legislation during the 2019 session that allowed the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, which is under Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and funded by the state budget, to become a quasi-governmental corporation as of July 1, 2020.
Indiana to drop Pearson, return to ETS teacher licensing
The move comes after Republican state Sen. Jean Leising, of Oldenburg, introduced legislation this year that required the state Board of Education to adopt a program that’s administered nationally.
Suit seeks to ban Indiana voting machines lacking paper trail
Voters in central Indiana’s Boone, Hamilton, Hendricks, Morgan and Shelby counties use digital record electronic machines that have no paper trail.
Council approves Hogsett’s $1.2B budget, with focus on public safety, infrastructure
The 2020 spending plan—which passed 22-2—is projected to spend about $171,500 less than the city will receive in revenue. Officials say that makes it the city’s third consecutive balanced budget since Hogsett—who is seeking re-election—took office in 2016.
Convenience vs. security: The dilemma of digital tickets
Some state lawmakers want to require paper tickets, but event organizers say they can easily be manipulated and duplicated. Digital ticketing reduces fraud, they say.
UPDATE: Third Democrat joins Indiana governor’s race, with GOP backer
First-term Sen. Eddie Melton of Gary joined the Indiana governor’s race Tuesday night in Gary with an introduction from the state’s Republican schools chief.
UPDATE: Mears picked to replace Curry as Marion County prosecutor
Ryan Mears, who was Terry Curry’s chief trial deputy, has been serving as the interim prosecutor since Curry stepped down Sept. 23. He promised to be an independent leader who works for the good of the Indianapolis community and takes a tough stance on violent crime.
Black leaders say it’s time to formulate black agenda
A broad coalition of faith-based groups, black elected officials and civic leaders are turning to this year’s mayoral race as an avenue for bold discussions about racial problems.
Trump involved Pence in efforts to pressure Ukraine’s leader, officials say
Sources say President Donald Trump’s deployment of Vice President Mike Pence is part of a broader pattern of using both executive authority and high-ranking officials to advance his personal or political interests—even in cases when the subordinates appear not to know that another agenda is in play.
Mobile sports betting ready to launch in Indiana
Sports betting is ready to go legally online in Indiana on Thursday, a little more than a month after the state’s casinos started taking in-person game wagers.
Voting machine firms may throw doors open to ethical hackers
But some ethical hackers worry the industry, which has historically prioritized making their machines easier for election administrators to use rather than making them as secure as possible, isn’t ready to make big changes. They fear the companies won’t work quickly enough to fix the bugs they discover and could use non-disclosure agreements to enforce silence about dangerous bugs that could compromise an election.
Red Line will remain free through Nov. 10 as IndyGo works out service, payment kinks
The new payment system IndyGo has paid Paris-based tech firm Flowbird Group to design and implement will not be ready by Oct. 1, the day riders were to start paying for Red Line service.