‘INSPIRES AND EMPOWERS’: Lt. Gov. Crouch honored for work boosting civic education in Indiana classrooms
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen December 10, 2024 In January, sixth graders across Indiana will tumble back into the classroom and commence learning about forming a “more perfect union”; the freedom of religion, speech and assembly; the functions of each branch of gov “...”
ARGUING FOR DEMOCRACY: Disagree Better initiative continues to call for ‘healthy conflict,’ especially at local level
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen December 6, 2024 Forget compromise. Forget finding common ground. Forget keeping your opinions to yourself. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox does not want Americans to shy away from disagreements and fierce debates. “Our system (of government) was d “...”
TSF story: VOICES OF VOTERS: Hoosiers express concern and uncertainty after 2024 election
A quarter of Americans have called the Nov. 5 election the most stressful experience of their year. Many members of minority and previously targeted groups—a college student in the process of transitioning, an immigrant with uncertain citizenship status—are worrying and wond “...”
RACIAL REDISTRICTING CONCERNS: Anderson council to hire consultant to redraw maps, preserve majority-minority district
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen December 6, 2024 In a decision that will prolong redistricting litigation that started in June 2023, the Anderson Common Council voted 7-2 Tuesday night to hire a consultant to redraw the council district map, so, councilors said, they coul “...”
TURNOUT TALLY: Fewer Hoosiers vote in 2024 than in 2020; election workers face more early voting and poll site tensions
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen December 2, 2024 For St. Joseph County Circuit Court Clerk Amy Rolfes, the statistics only confirmed what she had been seeing and hearing from voters in the days and weeks leading into the Nov. 5 election. Nearly 59,000 registered voters in “...”
IMPACT OF WOMEN LEGISLATORS: Two Indiana Democrats discuss push to change Statehouse culture on sexual harassment, other issues
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen November 26, 2024 Looking ahead to the 2025 Indiana General Assembly session, state Rep. Carey Hamilton acknowledged she is not very hopeful. The Indianapolis Democrat pointed to the “earth-shaking election” that, in Indiana, included t “...”
OPEN RECORDS RESPONSE: Indiana secretary of state, attorney general defend actions regarding media requests for names on voter verification list
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen November 22, 2024 The Indiana attorney general and Indiana secretary of state told the Indiana public access counselor on Wednesday that they are still determining whether the list of 585,774 registered Hoosier voters whose citizenship stat “...”
RETENTION WINS STRONG SUPPORT: Indiana Supreme Court justices retained with historically high approval votes
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen November 22, 2024 Official results from November’s election show that three Indiana Supreme Court justices who encountered strong opposition to their retention not only kept their seats on the bench but were retained by the highest margin “...”
TSF story: Indiana’s old and new lawmakers gather for a preview of the 2025 legislative session
This story was originally published by TheStatehouseFile.com By Olivia O’Neal TheStatehouseFile.com November 19, 2024 Following defeats on the state and national level, it took around half an hour for Democrats in the Indiana House of Representatives to receive their first “...”
VOTER STATUS CONTROVERSY: Legislators press Indiana secretary of state official over citizenship verification letter sent to federal agency
By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen November 20, 2024 Under questioning from state Democratic lawmakers, Indiana Deputy Secretary of State Jerry Bonnet disputed the contention that nearly 600,000 Hoosiers included on a list sent to the federal government less than a month bef “...”