Indiana Senate passes ban on holding cell phones while driving
House Bill 1070, authored by Rep. Holli Sullivan, R-Evansville, would prohibit individuals from using a mobile device while driving unless using hands-free or voice-operated technology.
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Lawmakers move bill that updates rules for employing minors
Senate Bill 409, authored by Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, eliminates the work permit requirement for minors and tweaks some of the hours they can work.
Indiana teacher gun training plan failing amid opposition
A legislative proposal for requiring annual training for teachers who carry guns inside Indiana schools has been scuttled amid a disagreement over whether it infringed on gun rights.
Senate Democrats pushing for more oversight for virtual schools
State lawmakers say it’s not too late to enact legislative “guardrails” that could help prevent virtual schools from spending tax dollars in the future without accountability.
Senate passes bill to prevent companies from requiring employees to be microchipped
A bill that would prohibit businesses from using the implantation of some type of tracking or identification device as a condition of employment is headed to the governor.
Indiana pregnancy accommodation proposal unlikely to advance
The proposal would have required Indiana businesses with more than 15 employees to allow pregnant women to take longer breaks, transfer to less physical work and take unpaid time off after childbirth.
Indiana push for pregnant worker protections gets sidelined
The proposal faced opposition from some business groups, including the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana Manufacturers Association.
Lawmakers consider change to business personal property tax
Senate Bill 385, authored by Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, would change the way the state’s business personal property tax is calculated.
Indiana lawmakers pass bill aimed at addressing health care costs
The Indiana House approved legislation that would attempt to end surprise billing, and the Indiana Senate approved a bill that could establish a statewide all-payer claims database.
IBJ Podcast: The session so far—health care, teacher evaluations and hands-free phone use
IBJ’s Statehouse reporter Lindsey Erdody breaks down what bills are moving, which ones already are dead and what’s about to hit Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk.
Ed Feigenbaum: State is failing to look to the future on key issues
The demise of the promising Indiana Future Caucus is unfortunate, because no one else seems destined or determined to take the lead on issues critical to Hoosiers going forward.
Lawmakers consider bill to protect right to resell entertainment tickets
The legislation is meant to protect an individual’s right to sell or give his or her ticket to an event to someone else, should they choose to do so.
Indiana lawmakers send surplus-spending bill to Holcomb
The bill moved through the Indiana General Assembly faster than usual. The chambers usually wait until the halfway point of the session to consider legislation that originated in the opposite chamber.
Legislator seeking end of state’s U.S. Senate primaries
Sen. James Buck of Kokomo said delegates at a state party convention would select the best Senate candidates and that eliminating primary campaigns would make running for office less costly.
GOP-backed bill to make professional licensing easier faces opposition
A top legislative priority for House Republicans faced some push back this week from the very professionals lawmakers believed they would be helping with the measure.
Indiana utilities would be prevented from shutting down coal-fired plants under new bill
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, comes as several large Indiana utilities are planning to shut down thousands of megawatts of coal-fired generating capacity in coming years in favor of cleaner or cheaper fuel sources.
Ed Feigenbaum: The session will move fast—pay attention or you might miss it
Legislators returned Jan. 6. Even though, as of that morning, only 11 House bills had been filed, committee hearings were underway in earnest (especially in the Senate, where the file list topped 200 bills).
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.
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.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, others fight for progress on smoking
Young is out front nationally on a key anti-smoking platform: Raising the minimum age for buying tobacco to 21.