Panel reviews limits on specialty license plates
The Indiana House Transportation Committee is considering new limits on specialty license plates for drivers one year after the effort was derailed by controversy over plates for a gay youth group.
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Senator: Voucher expansion must get House OK first
The chairman of the Indiana Senate Education Committee says any proposals to expand the state's private school voucher system will have to be first approved by the Indiana House.
Defense attorneys in Bales case trash former co-defendant
Attorney and developer Paul J. Page is no longer a co-defendant in the fraud trial of real estate broker John M. Bales and partner Bill Spencer. But you wouldn’t know it from the action Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Only now, rather than federal prosecutors, it’s defense attorneys for Bales and Spencer who are targeting Page.
Indiana lawmakers push for Sunday alcohol sales
Lawmakers in the last state in the nation to bar retail alcohol sales on Sundays are making a push to lift the restriction, but strong opposition from liquor stores could hinder the effort.
Cold medicines could face tighter limits in Indiana
An Indiana Senate committee has backed tougher limits on quantities consumers may buy of cold medications that can be used to make methamphetamine.
Glass company faces more fines for safety violations
The state wants to fine Pilkington North America $231,000 following another round of safety concerns at a Shelbyville factory. This is at least the third time in less than a year, and fourth time since 2010, that the state has stepped in to address problems at the plant.
Bill advances to loosen Indiana superintendent rules
Local school superintendents would no longer have to hold an Indiana superintendent's or teacher's license under a bill endorsed by an Indiana House committee.
Bales defense: Elkhart deal was a ‘scheme to help’
Facing a looming deadline to find suitable office space for the state Department of Child Services, Indianapolis real estate broker John M. Bales and partner Bill Spencer in 2008 dipped into their own pockets to help close a difficult lease deal, their defense attorneys contend.
Uninsured children expected to grow Medicaid rolls
The analyst hired by the state to estimate the impact of the federal health care law told Indiana lawmakers Tuesday that an unintended consequence could unearth tens of thousands of children who qualify for Medicaid but are not enrolled.
Indiana lawmakers advance music therapist bill
A bill that would certify Indiana therapists who specialize in using music to treat people with autism, Alzheimer's and other conditions is advancing in the General Assembly.
Education spending debate a matter of priorities
Top Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly agree that more money is needed to improve Indiana's education system in the next two years, but how that money will be spent is a point of debate.
Daniels says he won’t lobby for Purdue this session
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels says he won't be lobbying state lawmakers on Purdue's behalf this session because it's too soon after his departure from the governor's office.
GOP leaders say gay marriage ban not priority
The Republican leaders of Indiana's General Assembly said Thursday they have not decided whether to take up a constitutional ban on gay marriage, one day after a pair of House lawmakers filed separate proposals to place the ban before voters in 2014.
Senate overhauling $10M school safety proposal
Indiana Senate Republicans are in the middle of overhauling a safety measure aimed at better protecting schools after a shooting last month in Connecticut left 20 first-graders dead.
Racinos ask permission to use mobile devices for gambling
The Indiana Gaming Commission might allow the use of casino issued iPads for gambling on casino premises.
Bales’ trial could turn on definition of ownership
The jury trial in South Bend for real estate developer John Bales and his general counsel, William E. Spencer, is scheduled to begin Jan. 28 and last up to two weeks. Bales and Spencer, both 45, are facing 13 counts, including wire and mail fraud.
Bill eases path for utilities to boost rates
An 11-page utility bill in the Indiana Senate that a consumer group likens to “a money grab” would hasten and expand a utility’s ability to recover additional costs from customers.
Top senators eye state’s sales tax for road needs
Indiana lawmakers looking to plug a hole in state transportation spending are considering diverting the state's sales tax on gasoline to transportation.
Indiana senator seeks gas plant contract review
A top Indiana senator is calling for a review of Indiana's plans to subsidize a proposed coal-gasification plant.
Lawmakers press Pence aide on school dollars
The Pence budget calls for roughly $6.4 billion in education spending in each of the next two years, with another $64 million for high-performing schools beginning the summer of 2014, at the start of the 2015 budget year.