Holcomb signs controversial utility bill into law
The new law could allow utilities to pass along certain costs to customers for federally mandated projects without having to get pre-approval for those projects from state regulators.
Legislature
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Bill that would change wetlands definition passes Indiana House committee
Democrats, environmental groups and business leaders are denouncing a bill that they say would further erode protections for Indiana’s already shrinking wetlands.
Money debate begins in Statehouse over transition to green energy
A bill advancing through the Legislature would add natural gas to the list of clean-energy projects state utility regulators could consider for a financial incentive known as “construction work in progress,” or CWIP for short.
Renewable energy advocates seek legislative daylight for more solar and wind farms
An Indiana Senate bill looks to provide incentives to encourage counties to adopt developer-friendly ordinances for solar and wind projects, but local objections persist.
IBJ Podcast: At Legislature’s midpoint, which bills survived and which bills are toast?
IBJ’s Peter Blanchard and Casey Smith, a reporter for Indiana Capital Chronicle, talk about the state budget, education and social issues that lawmakers have focused on so far this year.
Online casino gambling appears off the table for this legislative session
A proposal to legalize online casino gambling in Indiana has failed to gain traction for a third consecutive year despite earlier optimism about its prospects. A powerful confluence of factors led to its demise.
Health care bills aim to reform insurance, Medicaid reimbursement rates
A slew of health care bills moving through the legislature target high prices for Hoosiers by encouraging competition and restructuring how the state pays for services under Medicaid.
Two-thirds of filed Senate bills dead, including immigrant help and marijuana legalization
Just one in three of the Indiana Senate’s filed bills—about 160 of 489 total—survived do-or-die deadlines this week.
Indiana schools still on hook for curricular fees under House budget plan
Indiana House Republicans said their budget plan would eliminate textbook and curricular fees for kids in K-12 public schools. But budget writers did not specifically appropriate state dollars to cover the cost
Bill seeking to study elimination of state income tax moves forward
The proposal would form the State and Local Tax Review Commission to study the feasibility of ending Indiana’s income tax and reforming property taxes for Hoosiers.
Bill targeting ESG investing for public pensions passes Indiana House
A controversial proposal cracking down on alleged ESG investing in public pensions—while supporting “discriminated” businesses in contentious industries—passed the House mostly along party lines Monday.
Hoosiers would earn more for jury duty under proposal
Hoosiers haven’t seen a pay increase for jury duty in at least two decades, but that could change—even double—under a bill advancing steadily through the Statehouse.
Bill aims to keep state from releasing non-resident prisoners in Indianapolis
House Bill 1087, authored by Rep. Justin Moed, D-Indianapolis, would require the Indiana Department of Correction—with some exceptions—to return offenders to the county where they lived when they were convicted.
Indiana lawmakers hear, but don’t vote on, bill decriminalizing marijuana
Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, chairs the House courts committee and said the dialogue needed to be heard but didn’t call a vote on the bill—which would have possibly advanced it to the full House Chamber.
Marijuana backers prepping for ‘inevitable’ legalization
Supporters say Indiana is missing out on a valuable opportunity by remaining one of only 13 states without a medical or adult-use cannabis program.
Doctors ask lawmakers to free them from noncompete agreements
The Legislature is considering a bill that put Indiana on a list of more than a dozen other states that expressly prohibit or sharply limit non-compete agreements for physicians and other patient-care professionals.
Tech parks could capture larger share of tax dollars
A bill that would divert some $6 million in state and local tax revenue annually to state-certified technology parks has passed the Senate and is headed to the House, where similar legislation died two years ago.
Bill seeks to prevent federal takeover of Indiana air pollution program
Lawmakers hope to head off EPA action, but Senate Bill 155 could get pushback from colleagues who want more oversight over agencies, not less, and those who want to lower, not raise, taxes and fees.
Some truckers want higher speed limits; key lawmakers reluctant
Two legislators are seeking to eliminate the lower speed limit for heavy trucks on rural interstates and highways, but their proposals appear to be another chapter in more than 30 years of fruitless efforts on behalf of independent truckers.
Rebooted data privacy legislation making its way through Statehouse
A data privacy bill died in the House last year, but a Fort Wayne lawmaker said she did “an entire rewrite” before introducing a new version of the bill this year, and she’s optimistic it will gain more support.