Indiana Senate approves sports betting, casino moves
The legislation would legalize sports wagering, let horse-track casinos add table games this year as opposed to waiting until 2021 and allow two Gary casinos to move.
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Indiana House passes $34.6B budget along party lines
The proposed budget includes an additional $286 million per year requested by the Indiana Department of Child Services and increases K-12 spending slightly more than suggested by Gov. Eric Holcomb.
IBJ Podcast: Hate crimes, gambling, teacher pay at the Legislature’s halfway point
IBJ’s Lindsey Erdody, The Journal Gazette’s Niki Kelly and TheStatehouseFile.com columnist Mary Beth Schneider talk about which issues are moving forward and which ones are fading away.
Senate approves hate crimes law without specific categories of victims
Critics of the latest version of the bill have charged that it would be ineffective without listing the personal characteristics—such as race, religion and gender identity—that it covers.
Senate panel votes to legalize sports betting, move Gary casino to Terre Haute
Spectacle Entertainment—a company founded by some of the same investors that operated Centaur before it was purchased by Caesars Entertainment—is in the process of buying Gary-based Majestic Star Casino I and Majestic Star Casino. It has said it wants to move one of the casinos to the Interstate 80/94 corridor and the other to Terre Haute.
Business leaders say they’ll fight for changes in what is now ‘not a hate crimes bill’
The Senate amended Senate Bill 12 so it no longer specifies that crimes motivated by bias based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and other categories are eligible for stronger penalties.
House committee advances Republicans’ $34.6B budget bill
The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee fended off amendments and objections from Democrats on Tuesday and ushered the bill to the full House for consideration.
Lawmakers move to eliminate ‘growth-only’ grades for all schools, not just those in IPS
The more generous scale has boosted IPS’ performance as it launches a new strategy of partnering with charter operators, by allowing some innovation network schools to earn high marks despite overall low test scores.
House Republicans focus on child services, education in two-year, $34.6B budget
The spending plan includes the additional $286 million per year requested by the Indiana Department of Child Services, covers increases in Medicaid costs, and hikes K-12 spending by 2.1 percent in 2020 and 2.2 percent in 2021, which is slightly higher than the 2 percent annual increase suggested by Holcomb.
Indiana Senate committee moves bias crimes bill forward
After more than three hours of testimony and discussion on Monday morning, the Senate Public Policy Committee voted to send the bill to the full Senate for consideration.
Indiana House panel shoots down bill to tighten oversight of huge farms
The panel voted 9-3 to defeat a bill that would have given the Indiana Department of Environmental Management more authority to deny permits to huge farms known as “confined feeding operations.”
Indy Eleven tries to win state lawmaker support for stadium project
Supporters of a proposal to build a permanent stadium for the Indy Eleven tried to make their case before key state lawmakers Thursday morning.
Alcohol bills move to full House for consideration after changes
One of the bills would give cities and towns another way to increase the number of alcohol permits available and would create a special food hall permit meant to benefit the $300 million Bottleworks development under construction in Indianapolis.
Bill could allow one Gary casino to move anywhere in state
One of Gary’s two casino licenses could be allowed to operate at any location in Indiana under new legislation. A previous bill limited the casino move to Vigo County.
Indiana House advances bill calling for tax on vaping liquids
The Indiana House has endorsed a bill to start taxing the liquids used in electronic cigarettes, but only after the proposed tax rate was cut in half.
Hoosier State train route could derail without state cash
Supporters are fighting for continued public funding of the Indianapolis-to-Chicago rail service—even as they acknowledge the route’s travel times and ridership levels need improvement.
Committee OKs bill that boosts age to buy cigarettes, e-liquids to 21
Senate Bill 425, authored by Sen. Randy Head, R-Logansport, would also prevent anyone under 18 from entering designated smoking areas in clubs and cigar stores.
Sports wagering, casino bill clears first legislative hurdle
Senate Bill 552, authored by Jasper Republican Mark Messmer and Terre Haute Republican Jon Ford, would allow the casinos in Gary to relocate, accelerate when horse-track casinos could begin offering live table games and legalize sports gambling.
Lawmakers consider changes to allow more alcohol permits in growing communities
The omnibus alcohol bill authored by Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, would also create a special alcohol permit for a planned food hall at the Bottleworks development on Massachusetts Avenue.
Lawmakers move redistricting bill that would leave them in control of maps
Senate Bill 105, authored by Elections Chair Greg Walker, R-Columbus, would establish a series of standards lawmakers would use to redraw district lines following population reapportionment, which occurs each decade after the completion of the U.S. Census.