Secretary of State Lawson announces plans to resign; Holcomb to appoint successor
Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson announced Monday she will resign as the state’s top election official, citing a need to focus on her personal health and family after the challenges of 2020. “I have dedicated the last 32 years of my life to public service,” Lawson “...”
Census delays to push redistricting process into late 2021
The U.S. Census Bureau has reported an additional delay in providing states with the population information needed for the decennial redrawing of congressional and legislative district lines, pushing the date back to Sept. 30. Legislative leaders in the Indiana General Assembly a “...”
Constitutional carry clears one committee, heads to another for review
Update: A bill to repeal Indiana’s licensing requirement to carry a handgun cleared a House committee Monday. House Bill 1369, authored by Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, passed the House Public Policy Committee in a 9-3 vote after being amended. The bill is scheduled for review by “...”
COVID lawsuit immunity bill passes House
The Indiana House on Thursday passed legislation providing businesses, health care providers and other entities protection against lawsuits over COVID-19 exposure. Senate Bill 1, passed earlier by the Indiana Senate, was approved in a 72-21 vote in the House. Because the bill was “...”
Mike Schmuhl wants to rebuild the Indiana Democratic Party. Here’s how
Importantville, Adam Wren’s newsletter on the intersection of politics, business, and power in Indiana, appears weekly in The Indiana Citizen. *** One of the big Indiana-specific questions following Pete Buttigieg’s $100 million campaign in 2020: What would it mean, “...”
House committee endorses civics ed requirement for middle schools
An Indiana House committee Wednesday voted unanimously in favor of a bill requiring that civics education become a required class in middle schools, a change that supporters encouraged as an early step toward improving Indiana’s lagging civic health. House Bill 1384 also wo “...”
Senate votes to override Holcomb veto of landlord/tenant bill
The Indiana Senate voted Monday to override Gov. Eric Holcomb’s veto of 2020 legislation that limited local governments’ authority to regulate dealings between tenants and landlords. This could be the first time Holcomb has a veto undone if the Indiana House also votes to ove “...”
Vote-by-mail, other amendments to elections bills are again voted down along party lines
Indiana lawmakers continued Thursday to debate how to best hold state elections after a presidential election cycle coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The overlap of the last election and a contagious virus prompted many questions about how to balance voter access with “...”
Holcomb praises Indiana’s position despite pandemic in virtual State of the State
Gov. Eric Holcomb’s State of the State Address, held virtually for the first time Tuesday evening, highlighted Hoosier perseverance and accomplishments while paving a path for the 2021 legislative session amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was held online due to worry about “...”