Throwing stars, EMS services, food and beverage tax bills moving through Indiana legislature
Dozens of bills are already advancing through committees and legislative chambers halfway through the third week of Indiana’s 2023 session.
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Crouch leads governor race with cash on hand, but Braun picking up steam
U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s campaign logged more than $2.9 million in contributions—some of it transferred from his own federal accounts—during the period running from July through the end of 2022, according to filings.
Indiana lawmakers gear up for debate over repealing certain floodplain requirements
Property owners and environmental advocates are clashing over a bill that would repeal a requirement for local officials to use the latest statewide floodplain maps when deciding new construction projects.
Architects push for restoration of historic preservation tax credit
The effort is meant to create more incentive for developers to rehab vacant, deteriorating institutional structures in communities throughout the state.
UPDATE: Indiana’s top court hearing challenge to state abortion ban
A top state lawyer on Thursday urged the Indiana Supreme Court to uphold the state’s Republican-backed abortion ban, even as the justices weighed whether they should decide its constitutionality before lower courts have fully considered the case.
Indiana lawmakers weigh bill to create universal school choice program
Testimony heard in the Senate education committee raised questions about how much universal education scholarship accounts would cost and whether the state can afford to fund all students who are eligible to participate.
Indiana Senate panel advances bill protecting donor privacy
Not-for-profit organizations in Indiana would be permitted to keep the identity of their members and donors secret under a bill now advancing through the Indiana General Assembly.
Bill seeking elimination of township assessors advances to House chamber
Currently, there are 13 township assessors in nine different Indiana counties. The remaining 83 counties only have a county assessor.
Proposal seeks to change state constitution over who has right to bail
Prosecutors say Sen. Eric Koch’s Senate Joint Resolution 1 would keep dangerous people off the streets before trial, while defenders and civil rights advocates say its subjectivity could endanger the rights of those presumed innocent until convicted.
Indiana bill to increase semi truck speed limits faces tough road ahead
Five prior proposals to eliminate the lower speed limit for trucks have been filed in the House since 2017 without success.
Bill would require schools to report student requests to change names, pronouns
Gender identity and transitioning are the focus of a number of bills filed by Indiana lawmakers in the 2023 session, including one that would require teachers and schools to disclose if students request to change their names or pronouns.
Proposal could ax business personal property tax for thousands
The bill would raise the exemption that determines which companies must pay the tax. It would exempt companies that own machinery, equipment and other tangible goods that cost them, in total, less than $250,000. The current threshold is $80,000.
Indiana House Republicans say education, health care costs top list in 2023 session
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, outlined his caucus’ priorities Thursday, days after Senate Republicans released their 2023 agenda.
IEDC looking to key U.S. markets to generate investments in Hoosier state
The IEDC says it would like to hire two more people this year, perhaps on the East Coast and in the Southeast, who can also scout for companies that might be persuaded to invest in Indiana.
Indiana Republicans propose career scholarship accounts
A new bill in Indiana would establish accounts for students to pay for career training outside their schools, as part of House Republicans’ campaign to “reinvent” high school and align it more closely to the workforce.
Indiana House Republicans propose fines for hospitals with high fees
Upset with what they say is the excessive cost of health care in Indiana, House Republicans want to levy fines against hospitals that charge more than 260% of what Medicare reimburses for services.
Where did ‘Hoosier’ come from? An Indiana bill seeks to answer that question.
Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, has filed House Bill 1143 to establish “The Hoosier State” as Indiana’s official nickname. The bill also would put into state law the origin of the Hoosier terminology—and it’s a story that many Hoosiers today may have never heard before.
Holcomb speech delivers familiar call to attract more high-wage employers
Gov. Eric Holcomb stressed in his State of the State address that further investments are needed in K-12 schools and higher education, workforce training and public health if Indiana expects to meet the talent demands of high-wage employers.
Indiana Senate Republicans prioritize health care, biz tax cuts
The caucus’ main initiatives are laid out in eight senate bills, although some priorities are intended to be folded into the two-year state budget that lawmakers must finalize before the end of the session in April.
Indiana lawmakers return for session of spending decisions
The drafting of a new two-year state budget will be the primary focus, but debates over hot-button social issues could force their way to the forefront.