New state child services chief aims to cut burnout
Mary Beth Bonaventura takes over an agency marked by high caseworker turnover and roiled by news investigations into its handling of abuse and neglect cases.
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Southern Indiana officials renew opposition to bridge tolls
Officials in southern Indiana are proposing their state pay Kentucky's unfunded share of construction costs to avoid tolls on two new bridges linking the states over the Ohio River.
New Indiana child services chief aims to cut burnout
The incoming director of the Indiana Department of Child Services says her goals include figuring out how to reduce caseworker burnout and working with the Legislature to improve the agency's operations and the welfare of children.
Beauty industry decries bill to eliminate licenses
Indiana Senate Bill 520 would create a committee to review state-issued professional licenses and possibly eliminate them.
New Indiana Dem chairman seeks rebuilding this year
The Indiana Democratic Party's new chairman says his party needs to spend the coming year rebuilding and reorganizing after mixed success in 2012.
Schools chief, mayors seek more funds from Senate
The two groups most likely to benefit from changes made by Indiana House Republicans to the state budget asked Thursday that the Senate Appropriations Committee maintain new funding for roads and schools, and maybe find a little more.
Postal service can’t cut Saturday delivery, U.S. GAO says
The U.S. Postal Service doesn’t have the legal authority to cut Saturday mail delivery as Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has said it will do, the Government Accountability Office said Thursday.
Bosma faults tea party group, Pence for tax-cut woes
House Speaker Brian Bosma says a national tea party group’s “erroneous” campaign ads have made it harder for lawmakers to support Gov. Mike Pence’s proposal to cut Indiana’s income tax by 10 percent.
Mass-transit bill leaps one hurdle, heads for another
A Senate committee Wednesday passed a measure that would give area residents a chance to vote on whether to pay higher taxes to expand the mass-transit system. Lawmakers sent the bill to the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee.
Healthy Indiana Plan gets mixed reviews at hearing
Hospital officials praised Indiana's medical savings accounts but some consumer advocates panned them Wednesday during a public hearing as Gov. Mike Pence seeks federal approval to use the Healthy Indiana Plan to expand Medicaid in this state.
Senators ask for time to study school vouchers
Any expansion of Indiana's already ambitious school voucher program may have to wait after senators pushed for more information Wednesday to determine the effects of the fledgling program.
House panel rejects live table games at racinos
An Indiana House committee has rewritten a gambling bill to keep table games out of Indiana's racetracks and restore money for counties that host casinos.
Worker training bill gathers steam in Statehouse
A Senate committee unanimously passed legislation that’s meant to bolster the state’s economy with a new council charged with aligning work-force training efforts. House Bill 1002 – which already passed the House – now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
Rally denounces proposed Indiana voucher expansion
A proposal to expand Indiana's private school voucher program was denounced during a Statehouse rally on Tuesday as a step that would take millions of dollars away from the state's public schools.
Scrap industry backs regulation of oft-stolen items
An Indiana Senate committee on Tuesday approved House Bill 1441, which would make it illegal to sell air-conditioner coils or catalytic converters without proof of ownership.
Kenley drops out as sponsor of mass-transit bill
Already skeptical of a mass-transit plan for the Indianapolis metro area, influential Sen. Luke Kenley said he decided it was inappropriate to be listed as a sponsor without giving the bill his unqualified support.
Local leaders give chilly reaction to Pence’s proposed tax cut
Members of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns say they would rather see money poured into road repairs.
Profits at center of biosimilars debate
House Bill 1315, which is scheduled for a Senate floor hearing on Monday, would require pharmacists to check with a patient’s physician before automatically substituting a generic version of a biotech drug for a brand-name version.
Madison County considers new reservoir on White River
Economic development officials are proposing a $300 million reservoir on the White River about 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis that would be a catalyst for new investments and jobs and would include marinas, boat docks and restaurants.
Casinos bet $19M at Statehouse with mixed results
The gambling industry spent more than $19 million lobbying at the Indiana Statehouse from 2000-2012, according to reports filed online by the Indiana Lobby Registration Commission.