Statewide News

Language dropped into an unrelated bill in a House committee Wednesday bans state and local government units from hosting or funding “obscene performances.”

State lawmakers want to remove the income cap on Indiana’s school voucher program. Parents who choose vouchers say that would make the system simpler and more equitable. But public school advocates say the cost of expanding vouchers comes at a price to traditional public schools.

Medicaid members and advocates thanked lawmakers for removing the cap — but they still want lawmakers to reconsider other policies in the bill.

The Indiana Department of Health issued new guidance to local and county health departments to stop accepting gender change requests for Indiana birth records.

Gov. Mike Braun spoke to a crowd of a couple hundred people at the Statehouse Monday who were rallying for property tax relief — or, in many cases, the elimination of property taxes altogether.

Indiana’s labor force participation rate has grown steadily for the eighth month in a row. That’s according to the Indiana Department of Workforce.

Former State Sen. Karen Tallian is the new chair of the Indiana Democratic Party.

The state’s budget is now in the hands of Senate lawmakers, and the Indiana Department of Education outlined its funding priorities to the Senate Appropriations Committee this week. However, some lawmakers said IDOE’s plan does not go far enough to provide for traditional public schools.

A bill boosting local prosecutors’ salaries is discussed in the Senate. A House lawmaker proposes an overhaul to the property tax system. And lawmakers want to increase minimum teacher salaries.

Republican legislative leaders said there’s enough time this session to begin a long-term overhaul of the state’s property tax system.