Locals face tax decisions for roads funding
Cities and counties are set to receive millions of dollars for their road and street projects, but elected officials must decide whether to raise local vehicle taxes to keep the dollars flowing.
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Wrap up: Lawmakers debate LGBT rights, meth and more
Here’s a summary of the outcome of major legislation in the 2016 General Assembly.
Lawmakers OK agricultural property tax relief bill
Farmers will get property tax relief under a bill approved Thursday that shifts a potential burden of about $136 million onto other taxpayers over the first three years.
Lawmakers punt judge-selection bill to next year
Indiana lawmakers were unable to come to an agreement on a new process to select Marion County Superior Court judges before the end this year’s session. A federal appeals court has ruled the current system unconstitutional.
Political outsider Scott Willis seeks to oust veteran Kenley
Westfield resident Scott Willis says it’s not an ideal time for him to be running for an Indiana Senate seat. But after he spent time in the fall canvassing the 20th district, he decided he couldn’t keep waiting to see if six-term Republican Sen. Luke Kenley would retire.
Sen. Kenley holds sway over what’s funded—and what isn’t
Kenley, a former grocery store owner who was first elected in 1992, said he is running for office again because he wants to work on a long-term funding solution for shoring up Indiana’s roads and infrastructure.
Savvy strategy helped Pence get full Regional Cities funding
IEDC’s decision to leave all three winning regions in limbo about funding meant many more cheerleaders when the issue went to the General Assembly.
Road-funding deal without statewide tax hike reached
GOP leaders said Wednesday that the deal will be a two-year agreement expected to pump about $1 billion into highway and road spending while allowing local governments to implement their own vehicle registration taxes.
Pence gets bill to give Boone, Hamilton more alcohol permits
House Bill 1386, which would also tweak a 2015 law that deals with regulations for the vaping industry, was passed by Senate 63-30 on Monday.
Tax increase for Indiana road funding appears unlikely
Efforts by the Indiana House to finance infrastructure improvements by raising taxes increasingly appear to be doomed during the legislative session that wraps up this week.
INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE: Moving state’s presidential primary not as easy as it sounds
Voters and politicos around the state have long called for Indiana to move up its presidential primary. But doing so requires solving logistical issues that have not been tackled.
Senate approves dozens of bills as deadline looms
The Indiana Senate on Tuesday cleared out the last of the measures it had on the calendar. The details of other more contentious bills will be negotiated between House and Senate leaders in the coming days in the hopes of reaching agreement.
Senate advances compromise on farm-to-table poultry bill
Lawmakers have advanced a compromise that seems to appease both small poultry producers who are part of Indiana’s “farm-to-fork” movement and those who say they are worried about protecting public health.
Lawmakers still debating long-term vs. short-term road money
A Senate committee stripped tax increases out of a road funding bill, but the House speaker says the legislature needs to look beyond just the next election.
Teacher pay legislation opposed by unions faces uncertain fate
One proposal that would give school districts authority to negotiate higher pay with individual teachers faces an uncertain fate after the Republican Senate leader pronounced it dead Thursday. Another measure is still alive in the House.
Lawmakers get more serious about helping addicts
For years, the people concerned with drug abuse and alcoholism nibbled at it only on the margins. Most states, including Indiana, have been far more likely to throw drug users in prison than to get them treatment.
UPDATE: Proposal to raise payday lending rates fails
The proposed amendment would have made it legal for payday companies to offer six-month loans of up to $1,000 at an annual interest rate of 180 percent.
Lawmakers send gender-neutral bill to governor
Legislators have approved replacing all the male pronouns in laws describing the duties of Indiana's statewide officeholders with gender-neutral terms.
Panel approves bill to punish meth, heroin dealers
Meth and heroin dealers in Indiana will face harsher penalties if they are convicted and have a criminal history under a bill passed by a state Senate panel Tuesday.
Adoption records bill heads to governor’s desk
A bill long sought by Hoosiers who were adopted between 1941 and 1994 and denied their birth records passed the Indiana General Assembly on Monday and awaits the signature of Gov. Mike Pence.