Indiana lawmakers consider public camping ban
Opponents of the bill testified that the legislation, which mirrors legislation introduced in other states and can be traced to a Texas-based think tank, criminalizes homelessness.
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Almost $30M spent lobbying Indiana General Assembly last year
The health care and energy industries dominated lobbying in 2024, but real estate, tobacco and other interests also were busy.
Lawmakers scrap proposal to increase Indy road funding through property taxes
Indiana lawmakers advanced road-funding legislation Monday morning without a provision that would have allowed Indianapolis to pose a referendum to its residents to pay for road improvements.
IBJ Podcast: With billions at stake, hyperscale data centers become charged issue in Indiana
The sudden surge in announced centers—representing more than $15 billion in potential investment—has generated a lot of concern about their drain on Indiana utilities and, in some cases, their water-intensive cooling systems.
Will Indiana join a wave of states offering new retirement savings option?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30% of private-sector workers do not have access to a defined-contribution retirement plan through their employer.
How Trump-fueled immigration policy is materializing in Indiana
Out of the over a dozen immigration-related bills filed this session, lawmakers ultimately have supported legislation that aids in the enforcement and detainment of people who are in the country illegally.
Indiana Senate OKs anti-DEI bill that takes aim at state agencies, schools
The bill advanced after more than three hours of floor debate—and following a contentious, unprecedented challenge to Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s Senate presidency.
Legislative roundup: Braun’s property tax overhaul gets a hearing; more bills move to opposite chamber
While many chairs are winding down hearings on the bills assigned to their committees, one of the most anticipated pieces of legislation for the 2025 session had its first committee hearing this week.
Indiana House approves bill legalizing cremation alternative
Members of Indiana’s House of Representatives approved the measure on a 70-17 vote—a far cry from its defeat on a 34-59 vote a decade ago.
Revised Indiana casino bill calls for study on best locations
Efforts to move the gaming license for one of Indiana’s underperforming casinos have stalled this year, but a newly filed bill seeks to carry momentum into future legislative sessions.
Bill to add judges in a few counties advances, but plan to cut elsewhere still unclear
A bill that would add two superior courts in Hamilton County and magistrates in two other counties was unanimously approved Tuesday afternoon by the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee.
Waitlists and attendant care: House lawmakers move major Medicaid bills
Indiana House lawmakers on Tuesday passed several pieces of legislation that would curb some of the Medicaid savings measures advanced by the previous gubernatorial administration.
Senate approves electronic pull tabs for charity gambling as House OKs immigration notice mandate
Also past the halfway point are bills on voting, water transfers and teacher pay. The House, meanwhile, pulled back on divorce and municipal election changes.
Former state lawmaker joins Indianapolis lobbying firm
Matt Whetstone, a former Republican state representative, has jumped back and forth between policymaking and lobbying throughout his career.
Local leaders sound alarm on Braun’s property tax overhaul legislation
Republicans and Democrats testified the bill would decrease local governments’ revenues significantly and affect the quality of some public services.
Despite pushback, lawmakers advance bill to double inspections of Indiana’s confined animal farms
Indiana farming groups argued that additional oversight requirements will come at a cost to producers.
Bills reducing early-voting period, closing primaries head to Senate floor
Hoosier voters could see in-person early voting slashed under legislation moving to the Indiana Senate’s floor.
Governor’s cabinet secretaries among state’s highest-paid employees
The eight cabinet secretaries serving under Gov. Mike Braun will each take home $275,000 annually for their new positions.
Braun’s proposed statewide school safety office earns early support in House committee
The proposed Indiana Office of School Safety was pitched by lawmakers Thursday as a cost-effective, “one-stop shop” for state and local officials to collaborate on school safety initiatives.
Eight takeaways from Gov. Mike Braun’s proposed state budget
The House Ways and Means Committee began budget hearings with members of Braun’s cabinet this week. The House will amend its version of the budget into HB 1001 closer to the session’s halfway point in February.