NEW MAPS ORDERED: Federal court tells Anderson to redraw its ‘unconstitutionally malapportioned’ council districts
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen October 7, 2024 The city of Anderson Common Council is now under a court order to do what it has not done for decades – redraw its council district maps. In a Sept. 30 order, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana fo “...”
‘COMMON GROUND’: Democratic candidates McCormick, Wells reach out to Republicans during ReCenter Indiana rally
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen October 4, 2024 A little more than a month before the Nov. 5 general election, Indiana Democrats Jennifer McCormick, candidate for governor, and Destiny Wells, candidate for attorney general, tried to appeal to moderate Republicans during a “...”
RIGHT-SIZING THE COURTS: Legislative judiciary committee advises hiring more judges, reallocating existing resources
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen October 4, 2024 In addition to recommending that four Indiana counties receive the extra judicial officers they had asked for, the Indiana General Assembly’s Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary advised the legislature to c “...”
18 and not registered to vote? Sophia Craiutu would like a word
By Steve Hinnefeld The Indiana Citizen October 1, 2024 Sophia Craiutu won’t be old enough to vote on Nov. 5, to her great disappointment. But she’s doing all she can to get her peers registered and ready. The Bloomington High School North senior is making presentations on vot “...”
‘SEVERITY OF NEED’: County judges plead with legislators for more help in their courts
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen October 1, 2024 Officials from five counties told the Indiana General Assembly’s Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary last week that they were drowning in casework and desperately needed more judicial resources, but lawmake “...”
MORE DELAYS? After Indiana Supreme Court order, second investigation into AG Rokita’s conduct likely won’t be finished until February 2025
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen September 26, 2024 Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has faced three disciplinary investigations – and one public reprimand – for statements he has made while serving as the state’s top lawyer. However, he may not face fallout from “...”
VOTER ROLLS DISPUTE: Advocacy groups doubt Indiana secretary of state’s claim that registrations top 90%
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen September 25, 2024 Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales’ claim that more than 90% of eligible Hoosiers are registered to vote in the November election is being questioned by voter advocacy groups. In a press release issued last week, “...”
NO REGRETS: Beth White is looking to the future after losing her bid to run against AG Todd Rokita
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen September 23, 2024 Since losing the race for the Democratic Party’s nomination for Indiana attorney general, Beth White has returned to her job overseeing a statewide nonprofit, doing what she can to support the Democrats running in Novem “...”
LONG TO-DO LIST: Common Cause Indiana recalls hard-fought victories as it marks 50 years of voter advocacy
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen September 20, 2024 Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Common Cause Indiana gathered with friends and supporters on Thursday evening to reminisce about past battles, acknowledge their work is not finished and, of course, have a piece of cake. “...”
‘FORGOTTEN AMENDMENT’: Promise of Birch Bayh’s effort to lower voting age is still unfulfilled, legal scholar says
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen September 20, 2024 The 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, needed less than 100 days in 1971 to sail through both houses of Congress and be ratified by the states, but a noted constitutional rights attorney said the “...”