Indiana Republicans hang on to supermajority status in House
Republicans will maintain their supermajority status in the Indiana General Assembly after votes were finally tallied Friday in Porter County, three days after the election.
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House Democrats pick new leader as GOP supermajority remains uncertain
Republicans won 66 of the chamber’s 100 seats on Tuesday, one short of the two-thirds majority that has rendered Democrats totally without power. But the results of one race remain unknown.
GOP statewide officeholders all win re-election
Republicans will maintain control over Indiana’s statewide elected offices, as the GOP on Tuesday easily swept races for secretary of state, treasurer and auditor.
J.D. Ford defeats incumbent state Sen. Mike Delph in district that straddles Marion, Hamilton counties
With two-thirds of precincts reporting, Ford held a 57 percent to 43 percent lead over Delph.
Indiana voters OK balanced budget amendment
Voters have approved an amendment to the Indiana Constitution obligating the General Assembly to adopt balanced budgets unless two-thirds of the members of both chambers vote to suspend the requirement.
Local officials mum amid reports Amazon zeroing in on D.C. for HQ2
Amazon is approaching its end-of-year deadline for deciding where it will locate the $5 billion campus, and two national newspapers reported over the weekend that an area in northern Virginia is far along in negotiations.
IBJ Podcast: Anti-semitism, hate crimes and Indiana, a conversation with Dennis and Sandy Sasso
Rabbis Dennis and Sandy Sasso discuss the local impact of the massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue, what it might mean for proposed hate-crimes legislation in Indiana, and why they continually return to the question of proper leadership.
State: $2.5B coal-to-diesel project won’t harm air quality
According to the air permit application, the plant would have annual emissions of about 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide, 225 tons of carbon monoxide and 120 tons of sulfur dioxide.
Indiana legislators push for school bus cameras after crash
The cameras would be mounted to the outside of buses and would take pictures of drivers who pass when the stop arm is deployed. Law enforcement agencies could then use the pictures to issue charges or citations.
House Ways & Means chair at home recovering from motorcycle accident
Rep. Tim Brown, R-Crawfordsville, was critically injured in a motorcycle accident Sept. 12 near the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan.
Report reveals drunken behavior, additional complaints about AG Curtis Hill
“Multiple eyewitnesses provided statements that Hill’s conduct was inappropriate, ‘creepy,’ unwelcome, and made many of the women at the party uncomfortable,” the report from the Indiana Inspector General’s Office stated.
Women who accuse attorney general of groping to file civil lawsuit
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill allegedly groped a state lawmaker and three legislative staffers at an Indianapolis bar during a March 15 party to mark the end of the legislative session.
Indiana attorney general won’t be charged in alleged groping
Special Prosecutor Dan Sigler said there was “insufficient evidence” of Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill’s “intent to touch the victims in a rude, insolent or angry manner to constitute a battery.”
Democratic state lawmaker calls for ethics investigation into Bosma allegations
Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, sent a letter to House Ethics Chairman Greg Steuerwald on Monday that requested the committee investigate whether Speaker Brian Bosma violated House ethics rules “and whether his re-election campaign acted in the ‘best interest of the citizens of the state.’”
Report: Sports betting in Indiana could be $250M business, creating jobs and tax revenue
The report commissioned by the Indiana Gaming Commission recommended that lawmakers take action during the 2019 session, saying the risks of delaying it “clearly outweigh the rewards.”
State study panel makes no recommendation on medical marijuana
Indiana lawmakers listened to more than three hours of testimony Thursday afternoon about whether Indiana should allow for medical marijuana usage but did not come to any consensus on the issue.
Constitutional amendment for balanced budgets on state ballot
The amendment would prohibit the Indiana General Assembly from adopting a budget that spends more than the state earns in revenue.
Voter registration, early ballot numbers are up
In Marion County, a total of 1,309 voters cast a ballot during the first three days of early voting last week. That’s nearly triple the amount of early voting during the same time period in 2014 for the last midterm election.
Indiana child welfare agency to spend $22M on raises
The raises that will take effect Wednesday for more than 3,600 employees, or about 87 percent of the agency's staff.
Charity gaming laws might face changes in legislature
Rules that prevent organizations from providing even small compensation to the volunteers running their charitable games make it hard for these all-volunteer groups to stay in business.