Hoosiers speak out on vaccine-mandate bill in 7-hour hearing
An Indiana House committee heard more than seven hours of testimony Thursday on a bill that would effectively ban COVID-19 vaccine mandates by employers. Of more than 50 Hoosiers who spoke before the House Employment, Labor and Pensions Committee, the vast majority were anti-ma “...”
Despite the rush, maps from Monroe County’s bipartisan redistricting are well-received
What if politicians of both parties worked together to redraw election district maps, and both Republicans and Democrats were happy with how it went? That seems to be the case in Monroe County, where county commissioners recently approved districts that were recommended by a bipa “...”
MORE DRAMA, TIGHTER DEADLINES: The scramble to redistrict locally continues along familiar battle lines. Some might not even bother.
The following report was written by veteran journalists Janet Williams and Bill Theobald for The Indiana Citizen. Nov. 18, 2021 Maybe you thought the political drama of redistricting was over for another decade. That would be wrong. Very wrong. It’s been more than six weeks s “...”
In South Bend, a debate over racial gerrymandering and hiring of outside consultants in local redistricting
UPDATE: After an hourlong debate, the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday officially approved a redrawing of the districts from which the board’s three members will be elected for the next decade. The 2-1 vote reflected division within the all-Republican boa “...”
Indiana Chamber of Commerce announces priorities for 2022 legislative session
Under bright chandeliers at the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce met to present its key legislative issues for the 2022 session. The new session will be introduced Tuesday with legislative previews in both the House and Senate. The Indiana Chamber of “...”
A MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR INDY DEMOCRATS: Will the City-County Council’s redistricting follow the example of Bloomington or the Statehouse?
The story might be familiar by now: The once-a-decade duty of redistricting rests with a legislative supermajority, and calls for an independent, nonpartisan redrawing of district lines are ignored. It’s a story that just played out in the Indiana Statehouse, with a Republi “...”
Lee Hamilton commentary: The documents on which our democracy rests
As Americans, we tend—understandably—to focus on the Constitution as the source for our representative democracy. It is, after all, our basic operating document, the blueprint for the system we’ve been shepherding for the last 234 years. But the Constitution did not arise o “...”
REDISTRICTING, ROUND 2: At the local level, another chance for openness and fair maps
October 21, 2021 The introduction, passage and enactment of new congressional and state legislative district maps by the 148 state legislators in attendance and the Governor between Sept. 14 and Oct. 4 certainly provided the most visible evidence of the civic impact of the 2020 c “...”
WELCOME TO MONROE COUNTY: Where citizens will be in charge of redistricting
Oct. 25, 2021 Continuing our coverage of this year’s redistricting process, the following report was written by veteran Bloomington journalist Steve Hinnefeld for The Indiana Citizen. Bloomington, Ind. — Earlier this month, Indiana’s Republican legislative supermajori “...”
Shabazz awaits response from AG Rokita, SPJ demands an apology
The Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is demanding an apology from Attorney General Todd Rokita (above) to journalist Abdul-Hakim Shabazz after excluding him from a news conference. Shabazz was denied access to Rokita’s press conference on robocalls “...”