The previous system had been thrown out by a federal appeals court in 2015 as unconstitutional, and Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore David Long said it was the Legislature’s responsibility to replace it.
The bill sets such a high bar that Jay Ricker, who started selling carryout cold beer at two of his Ricker’s convenience stores, says he will have to stop sales by April 2018.
The bill is now in Gov. Eric Holcomb’s hands and awaits his signature or veto.
The bill adds in requirements that the governor appoint someone who has lived in the state for two years and meets educational qualifications.
Critics say the legislation will discourage the use of residential solar and hamper the solar industry in Indiana. But supporters say it will help protect consumers who don’t have solar.
Holcomb said it’s up to the General Assembly to decide whether the law should be tweaked but he provided legislators no direction.
The state will instead pursue individual leases of state cell towers.
The Indiana Senate is set to consider a bill that makes the state superintendent of public instruction an official appointed by the governor instead of elected by voters—despite voting against a similar bill earlier this session.
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.
Raising the cigarette tax by $1 per pack would help pay for Medicaid spending and tobacco-cessation programs—and would help patch the $300 million annual hole in the budget created by the House’s road-funding plan.
The Indiana Senate has followed the House’s lead and voted to override two bills that former Gov. Mike Pence vetoed last year. The Senate’s votes Tuesday mean the bills become law.
The dilemma comes after Gov. Eric Holcomb said Thursday he would terminate a tentative deal to lease the state’s cellphone towers for potentially $260 million over 50 years.
The Pence administration in September said it had agreed to lease the state’s existing cell towers to help the state fund its bicentennial projects and expand broadband capacity.
An Indiana lawmaker has decided to withdraw his proposal that would’ve given a big pay increase to the governor and other top elected state officeholders.
The measure by Republican state Sen. Randy Head comes as legislators are considering a tax increase to fund infrastructure projects.
All but a handful of the nearly 50 agency heads, cabinet members and key staff members Holcomb has selected worked in either the Daniels or Pence administrations—or both.
In his first State of the State address, Gov. Eric Holcomb stressed the importance of growing the state’s economy through increasing the skills of existing workers.
Speaker Brian Bosma said it was "important" for the governor to vocalize his support and convince voters that it is important for the Legislature to raise revenue through increased gas taxes or vehicle fees.
Gov. Eric Holcomb is pushing a plan aimed at attracting new nonstop and direct flights to and from the Indianapolis International Airport.
The plan to skill up Indiana’s adult workforce could help prepare the state to fill an estimated 1 million jobs by 2025, most of which will be openings created by the impending retirements of baby boomers.
