Indiana budget faces hundreds of possible changes
More than 330 proposed amendments to the state budget bill were listed online as of Monday night, and Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said more are pending.
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House Democrats return to Statehouse
Indiana House Democrats have returned to work at the Statehouse for the first time since they fled to Illinois on Feb. 22 in protest of a Republican reform plan they called an assault on labor and public education.
Prosecutors buck effort to trim state prison costs
Angry prosecutors have derailed a legislative plan to reduce Indiana's corrections costs by shortening some criminal sentences, and now the state seen as a national model for fiscal austerity could be forced to find millions of dollars for new prisons.
Deputy prosecutor suggested fake attack on Wisconsin gov.
Johnson County Prosecutor Brad Cooper said one of his deputies resigned Thursday after admitting he sent an email to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker suggesting the Republican fake an attack on himself to discredit the public employee unions protesting his plan to strip them of nearly all collective bargaining rights.
No breakthrough in talks to end Indiana House walkout
Legislators from both parties threw cold water Thursday on optimism about a breakthrough ending the month-long boycott by Indiana House Democrats.
Smoking bill needs exemptions to survive Senate
Health advocates will have to live with wide exemptions in a proposed statewide smoking ban because a stricter, more comprehensive ban wouldn't be able to pass the conservative Senate, the head of a Senate committee said.
Indiana House leaders meet over Democratic boycott
The leader of the boycotting Indiana House Democrats returned to the Statehouse on Wednesday for what he called a "very positive" meeting with Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma.
Indiana bill enhances rural areas for young entrepreneurs
A bill signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels will create a type of auction among rural communities for young entrepreneurs graduating from some universities in the state.
Panel backs Indiana gay marriage ban amendment
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the amendment on a 7-3 party line vote Wednesday, with Republican senators rejecting arguments that language prohibiting civil unions could threaten the ability of employers to offer domestic partner benefits.
IU study: Smoking ban doesn’t harm gambling venues
Indiana University researchers say there is no economic incentive for lawmakers to exclude off-track betting facilities from a smoking ban under consideration in the Indiana Legislature.
Boycott reaches 30 days for Indiana House Democrats
A legislative stalemate in Indiana reached a political milestone on Tuesday as House Democrats stayed away from their jobs for a 30th consecutive day in what now ranks among the longest Statehouse boycotts in recent U.S. history.
Daniels signs book deal
The book is scheduled to come out in September and is being billed by Sentinel as a reminder of "America's urgent need for limited but more effective government, fiscal discipline at all levels, increased liberty for individuals, and a restoration of our national greatness.”
Healthy Indiana Plan expansion opposed by some
Indiana wants to use its public health savings account program for low-income adults to cover people who will become newly eligible for Medicaid under the federal health care law beginning in 2014.
Indiana Legislature moves on without boycotting Dems
House Speaker Brian Bosma directed Republican committee chairmen to hold meetings starting this week to discuss Senate bills, even though no official action or votes can be taken until Democrats return and provide the quorum required by the state constitution.
Senate panel taking up boycott-delayed budget
An Indiana Senate committee is set to start public hearings on a new state budget, reviving a process that has been stalled by the month-long boycott by House Democrats that shows no signs of ending.
Sides ponder political fallout of Statehouse boycott
Both Democrats and Republicans claim the walkout by Indiana House Democrats is rallying support for their side, spurring new donations and rousing the party faithful.
Fear of GOP dominance fuels Indiana Dems’ boycott
Indiana House Democrats, whose walkout nearly a month ago halted the legislative process, remain in no hurry to return considering they face the prospect of losing on almost every vote.
Bosma says he’s done negotiating with Democrats
Republican Brian Bosma says the House will consider a formal censure motion Monday for absent Democrats who have boycotted the chamber for four weeks.
State awards $25 million I-69 extension contract
State officials have awarded Bloomington-based Crider and Crider Inc. a $25 million contract to build a 4-mile section of the Interstate 69 extension that will run from Indianapolis to Evansville.
Panel nixes transportation aid for charter schools
An Indiana Senate panel eliminated part of a proposal on Wednesday that would have required traditional public schools to help provide transportation to students attending charter schools.