IPB News

Third graders have an additional chance to pass IREAD-3 over summer under bill headed to governor Lawmakers passed a measure last year that says most students who do not pass the state's third grade reading exam cannot move forward to fourth grade. The House gave its final approval this week for…

Third graders currently have one chance to retake the IREAD-3 during the summer before being held back. HEA 1499 gives them an additional chance in the summer.

Lawmakers question $280M tax incentives for small nuclear plants during state budget shortfall A bill that could keep coal plants online and give tax incentives to small modular nuclear reactors is headed to the governor’s desk. Some lawmakers question whether Hoosiers should pay for those…

House Bill 1007 would allow a company that manufactures small nuclear plants to claim a 20 percent tax credit — a minimum of $280 million.

Human sexuality instruction bill heads to governor — without consent repeal A measure meant to increase transparency about human sexuality education in schools passed both legislative chambers Wednesday without language to repeal instruction about consent to sexual activity.

Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville), one of the bill’s authors, had proposed removing a current requirement to teach students about consent.

GOP leaders unveil final budget with cigarette tax hike and cuts to public health, higher education Republican leaders plan to make up a $2 billion budget revenue shortfall by raising the cigarette tax, cutting public health and higher education funding, and spending down budget reserves.

Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) said that tax hike will also help people stop smoking — or prevent them from starting in the first place.

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Rokita, Morales sue Trump administration over citizenship verification of Indiana voters Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and Secretary of State Diego Morales are suing the Trump administration over citizenship information. The lawsuit stems from a request last fall that the federal…

Rokita and Morales said they haven’t received a response from the federal government, prompting the lawsuit to compel the citizenship verification the Indiana officials have requested.

An Indiana Girl Scout’s push to repeal the 'period tax' might be thwarted by a tight budget A central Indiana Girl Scout made repealing the sales tax on menstrual products the goal of her Gold Award. With a “bleak” revenue forecast and the state’s constitutional requirement to pass a…

McConnell worked with lawmakers, testified at the Statehouse and advocated to remove Indiana’s 7 percent sales tax on period products and adult diapers.

Braun signs orders on mining coal ash for metals, statewide water inventory Gov. Mike Braun released two executive orders on Monday that focus on the state's natural resources. One aims to develop a new market for Indiana’s toxic coal ash waste, while the other would further…

Some of the very metals that make coal ash toxic also make it valuable. Things like lithium, cobalt, manganese and nickel can be used to make batteries, smart phones and wind turbines.

Final public testimony on state budget centers on avoiding cuts after 'bleak' revenue forecast Republican budget architects said they made “a lot of progress” over the weekend crafting a state budget that takes into account $2 billion less in revenue than previously thought. But those leaders…

After last week’s revenue forecast, most people asked legislators just to keep their funding steady.

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Education deregulation bill moves forward, sparks debate over social-emotional learning guidance A far-reaching education deregulation measure passed through the Indiana Senate Tuesday. The bill advanced despite fierce debate and concern from some lawmakers that it removes guidelines for…

Republican lawmakers championed the standards in 2018 as soft skills that were necessary to prepare Hoosier students for the workforce. Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) authored the law that created those standards.

Braun ends Indiana National Guard deployment at southern U.S. border Gov. Mike Braun is withdrawing about 50 Indiana National Guard members from the southern U.S. border, ending a deployment that goes back to early 2024.

Former Gov. Eric Holcomb sent members of the guard to the border last year as part of an ongoing showdown between the state of Texas and the federal government over the flow of migrants into the country.

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Gov. Mike Braun signs 'historic' property tax relief bill into law, critics call it a 'lose-lose' Indiana’s major property tax reform package is now law, as Governor Mike Braun signed the measure Tuesday.

In a statement on social media, Braun called the legislation “historic tax relief” that benefits nearly every Hoosier.

'Chaos to the system': Senate moves nonprofit hospital bill forward, despite impassioned debate Republican lawmakers passionately debated legislation to tackle health care costs among Indiana’s largest nonprofit hospitals. The Senate ultimately voted to move the measure forward and return it to…

“What happens to a nonprofit that loses that status? I have no idea,” said Sen. Jim Buck (R-Kokomo). “And that scares the bejeezus out of me.”

Bill to help power AI data centers puts more risk on tech companies, but Hoosiers would still pay Though it was amended to put more of the risk on tech companies, House Bill 1007 could still raise Hoosiers’ electric bills and prolong coal pollution in Indiana communities.

So far, none of the small nuclear plants proposed in the U.S. have been built and many of them have gone billions of dollars over budget.

Lawmakers have $2 billion less for new state budget, according to 'bleak' revenue forecast “All options are on the table” for the state budget as lawmakers will have $2 billion less to spend than previously expected.

National economic uncertainty is driving the sharp decline in projected tax revenue — $2.4 billion less over a three-year period than what was expected just four months ago.

Braun launches 'Make Indiana Healthy Again' initiative, makes significant changes to SNAP Gov. Mike Braun unveiled a new health initiative which makes several significant changes to Indiana’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The top U.S. health official said the changes go further than any other state’s so far.

The “Make Indiana Healthy Again” initiative includes nine executive orders, with almost half focused on SNAP.

Senate advances $46.8 billion state budget that creates 'some angst,' will evolve further The Senate advanced the budget bill Tuesday, a $46.8 billion spending plan that will evolve further over the next several days.

Lawmakers will received a new revenue forecast *today* which will provide budget projections used to produce the final version of the budget.

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Braun orders aim to keep coal plants online, advance nuclear, sidestep climate damages President Trump this week sent out a series of executive orders propping up the coal industry and sidestepping the need for climate action. Now Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has signed similar orders.

One of the orders directs state energy regulators to look at every coal plant in the state and consider extending its life. It cites the need to meet the high energy demand for AI data centers.

Senate Republicans reject Democrats' efforts to increase revenue for state budget Senate Democrats proposed a series of amendments to the budget Monday that would generate more money for the state — and Republicans rejected them all.

Democrats proposed increasing Indiana’s cigarette, alcohol and gaming tax rates — and, Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D-Indianapolis) said, dedicating those dollars to health programs.

Indiana educators rally at Statehouse for traditional public school funding, collective bargaining Educators rallied at the Statehouse Monday to protest measures they said will hurt public education. One of those measures involves the complete dissolution of a public school district, but state…

Indiana State Teachers Association President Keith Gambill had a message for communities: Call your lawmakers, tell them to stop the bills from passing, and encourage others to do the same.

Senate gives final approval to major property tax reform bill, sends it to governor The Senate gave its final stamp of approval to a major property tax reform package Tuesday, sending the measure to the governor.

Senate Bill 1 is expected to cost local governments up to $1.8 billion over just the next three years. Republicans’ answer to that is new local income tax options.

Democratic lawmakers call property tax overhaul balance for local governments 'a mirage' Democratic lawmakers say the House GOP property tax overhaul plan is not “ready for primetime.” Republican lawmakers pushed the overhaul through committee along party lines.

Democratic concerns ranged from downstream effects on the South Shore Line in Lake County to defunding local fire and police departments.

House Republicans unveil property tax reform plan that aims to help a majority of homeowners House Republicans unveiled a property tax plan Friday they say will mean a majority of homeowners pay less on their property tax bills in 2026 than in 2025.

#ICYMI: The House GOP proposal creates a new property tax credit for all homestead owners: 7.5 percent, for a reduction of up to $200 on your final bill.

IDOH confirms measles case in Allen County, first confirmed case in more than a year The Indiana Department of Health confirmed Monday the state's first measles case in more than a year. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus.

IDOH reports the case is an unvaccinated minor in Allen County, who is stable and recovering

Indiana moves to replace Medicaid consulting firm after $1 billion forecasting error The state of Indiana is preparing to replace the consulting firm it works with to help prepare its Medicaid forecasts after a forecasting miss in 2023 that put the state $1 billion off the mark for…

The state indicated this week it will enter negotiations with Deloitte Consulting for its Medicaid actuarial services, replacing Milliman.

Lawmakers remove several controversial policies from 'comprehensive' health costs plan Lawmakers removed some of the more controversial policies — like guidelines for the 340B Drug Pricing Program and site neutrality — in the process.

A Senate committee amended a "comprehensive plan" meant to address health care costs in Indiana.

Here are the five energy and environment bills both Indiana Republicans and Democrats agree on There’s no shortage of controversial energy and environment bills this legislative session — from who should pay to develop small nuclear reactors to defining natural gas as “clean energy.” But there…

Lawmakers have found common ground on measures tackling waste disposal and vegetable gardens.

Voting rights groups coalition challenges citizenship crosscheck law, set to take effect July 1 A coalition of nonpartisan voting rights groups is challenging a voter citizenship check that is set to take effect this summer. The groups say the legislation violates federal law and makes…

The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is representing Common Cause Indiana, League of Women Voters of Indiana, Hoosier Asian American Power and NAACP Indiana State Conference.

Weekly Statehouse update: Partisan school boards, obscene performances, trans college sports ban The House approves a bill forcing school board races to become partisan. A ban on governments supporting obscene performances advances to the Senate. And a transgender collegiate sports ban goes to…

We're into the last month of Indiana's legislative session! Here's what you might have missed last week:

Committee makes changes to HIP work reporting exceptions, Medicaid advertising ban A House committee amended controversial legislation that will reintroduce previously halted work reporting requirements to Indiana's Medicaid expansion program.

The House Ways and Means Committee made several changes to the list, including adding a completely new exception.