Indiana legislators passed these education bills in 2022
Indiana lawmakers managed to pack the calendar with education-related legislation this year. Here’s a look at what survived and what didn’t.
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Hacked U.S. companies to face new reporting requirements
The rules are part of a broader effort by the Biden administration and Congress to shore up the nation’s cyberdefenses after a series of high-profile digital espionage campaigns and disruptive ransomware attacks
Senate gives final approval to Ukraine aid, huge budget bill
The Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., to strip earmarks from the legislation. Braun said they encompassed 367 pages that weighed five pounds and showed “the swamp is rising again.”
Ivy Tech exec tapped as state’s next higher education commissioner
Chris Lowery succeeds Teresa Lubbers, who in November announced plans to step down at the conclusion of the 2022 legislative session.
Amendment aimed at Indy Democratic chair stripped out of bill
State lawmakers approved an election bill this week after rejecting an amendment targeting Marion County Democratic Party Chair Kate Sweeney Bell, which would’ve required her to choose between her role as chairwoman and elected position as county recorder.
Indiana lawmakers seek possible special session on abortion
The vast majority of Indiana’s Republican state legislators have signed a letter asking the governor to call them back into special session later this year if the U.S. Supreme Court rolls back the limits states can place on abortion.
Limits on insulin costs revived in push for Senate action
Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes, and more than 6 million use insulin to keep their blood sugars under control. It’s an old drug, refined over the years, that has seen relentless price increases.
Biden signs order on cryptocurrency as its use explodes
Biden’s top economic and national security adviser said the order establishes the first comprehensive federal digital assets strategy for the United States.
Congress passes bill to shore up Postal Service, delivery
Congress mustered rare bipartisan support for the Postal Service package, dropping some of the more controversial proposals to settle on core ways to save the service and ensure its future operations.
Biden executive order on cryptocurrency expected this week
President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on cryptocurrency this week that will mark the first step toward regulating how digital currency is traded.
Governor’s veto of ethanol warning upheld by Indiana Senate
The Indiana Senate narrowly upheld a veto that Gov. Eric Holcomb issued last year on a bill that would have required additional labeling for fuel pumps distributing E15, a fuel blend that contains up to 15% ethanol in gasoline.
Indiana school ‘transparency’ legislation likely dead this session
Republican House Speaker Todd Huston said Thursday that even if language from House Bill 1134 is brought back in another proposal, it’s “highly unlikely” that House Republicans would be on board.
UPDATE: Holcomb signs bill to end health emergency, limit vaccine mandates
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a new order Thursday, effectively ending the health emergency. It had been renewed on a monthly basis for nearly two years.
IRS rushes to hire 10,000 workers but giant backlog expected to persist
A government official said the IRS does not expect to resolve the backlog until the end of 2022. But it hopes the hiring surge, the largest at the IRS in decades, will galvanize a strong response to the mountain of unprocessed paperwork at the agency.
Biden pledges to make inflation battle his ‘top priority’
The president acknowledged that millions of Americans still face financial hardships, particularly as the cost of groceries, gasoline, cars and rents have skyrocketed in what has become the fastest period of inflation in four decades.
Indiana GOP lawmaker apologizes for remark on Black students
House Education Committee Chairman Bob Behning of Indianapolis made the remark last week when answering a question from another lawmaker about a bill that would make changes to the state’s academic standards for all students.
Indiana’s ‘divisive concepts’ education bill dies in Senate
Speaking after the vote, Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray said some Republican lawmakers thought the bill created too much of a burden for educators, while others thought it didn’t go far enough.
UPDATE: Justices wrestle with EPA power to curb carbon emissions
The justices, in arguments Monday, are taking up an appeal from 19 mostly Republican-led states and coal companies over the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to limit carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
Indiana legislators looking to decide about online lottery
Indiana’s governor is supporting the Hoosier Lottery’s consideration of starting online games or ticket sales while state legislators are looking to have their say on whether those will be allowed.
Nearly half of 500M free COVID tests for public still unclaimed
On the first day of the White House test giveaway in January, COVIDtests.gov received over 45 million orders. Now officials say fewer than 100,000 orders a day are coming in.