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Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
7 bills Indiana lawmakers approved in the final hours of the 2025 legislative session
Indiana lawmakers closed the books on the 2025 legislative session in the early hours of April 25, approving some of the most controversial bills of the session and the state budget on the last day. It's also the time of year where lawmakers in the House and the Senate make last-minute adds and eliminations to some bills and resurrect once-dead language in others before the final versions of legislation head to the governor's desk. The biggest lift was the two-year state budget. Lawmakers and Gov. Mike Braun on April 23 announced a deal on a slimmed down version of the bill following a dismal forecast last week that required more than $2 billion in cuts from what was originally proposed. But bills making school board elections partisan and reining in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in government entities saw tense debate before lawmakers gave their final approvals. Here are some of the efforts state lawmakers squeezed into the last day of the session. A tight budget year got even tighter with a surprise $2 billion revenue shortfall unveiled last week. The version of House Bill 1001, the two-year budget, that the House passed 66-27 and the Senate passed 39-1, was only a little more than a day old when those votes happened. In that time span, lawmakers added a cigarette tax hike, cut public health and public media funding, and enacted a litany of policies affecting universities and faculty that never saw the light of public testimony. Some of the most tense debate toward the early morning hours of April 25 centered around that process. Now Gov. Mike Braun will get to sign his first budget as governor. Senate Bill 287, a controversial plan to make school board elections partisan races narrowly passed the Indiana Senate by a vote of 26-24 on April 24. It's now on the way to Braun's desk. It was a rare close vote for the chamber with a Republican supermajority. Fourteen Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill, with some GOP senators pleading with their colleagues to reject it Some Senate Democrats appeared surprised SB 287 squeaked through and following the vote said they expected the bill to fail. Sen. JD Ford, D-Indianapolis, urged Republicans who voted against SB 287 to call on Braun to veto the legislation. Opponents of SB 287 throughout the legislative session said they worried partisan school board races would continue to politicize the offices, while supporters said that's already the case. House lawmakers made it optional for school board members to disclose their affiliation, not mandatory, when running for office. Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, who authored the bill said partisan identifiers provide increased transparency for Hoosiers at the ballot box. "If we think the work of the sheriff, the judges, the coroners is partisan," Byrne said on the Senate floor on April 24. "Than I would say school boards are more partisan than that." After executive orders in January from President Donald Trump and Braun, Indiana lawmakers on April 24 signed off on a bill aiming to rein in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, known as DEI. The House voted 64-26 and the Senate voted 34-16 to send the bill to Braun. Senate Bill 289, prohibits publicly-funded entities from taking actions based on a person's "personal characteristics," such as race, religion and sex. It also allows individuals to bring legal actions over alleged violations, but plaintiffs would only be able to receive court and attorney fees and actual damages if a court rules in their favor. More: Lawmakers send anti-DEI bill to Gov. Braun. Here's what it does The version of SB 289 on its way to Braun is a slimmed down version of the bill that passed the Senate earlier this year. The session's landmark DEI bill began as a blanket ban on DEI concepts, trainings and even offices within state institutions, including colleges. Earlier this year, some state colleges began shutting down DEI-related offices and trainings due to what was proposed in the Senate. The key piece of legislation that attempts to add some controls on the prices nonprofit hospitals charge is now on its way to Braun, for whom the cost of health care is a top issue. House Bill 1004 passed the House 67-23 and the Senate 37-13. HB 1004 came out swinging at the start of the session, but was watered down significantly as it traveled through the Senate. What started as financial penalties and the revocation of their nonprofit status if hospitals charge prices above a certain threshold, ended as a bill asking for a study of these hospitals' average prices, and then have the nonprofit-status threat take effect in 2029. It also restructures the hospital assessment fee to allow hospitals to draw down more federal dollars, and requires insurance agents to publicize their commissions in quotes they give customers as well as the all payer claims database. Senate Bill 140, the main bill taking a crack at the powerful pharmacy benefit manager industry ― the middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies ― is now heading to Braun. The House voted 84-1 and the Senate voted 39-10 on the final version of the bill. The bill requires PBMs to provide adequate coverage networks, prohibits them from steering business to their own affiliated pharmacies, and requires PBMs to reimburse independent pharmacies at cost, plus a dispensing fee. (The dispensing fee is what the PBMs liken to a "pill tax.") The final version of the bill exempted out Medicaid, managed care and state employee health plan from the provisions. When lawmakers approved a House bill with directions for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles on April 24, they also signed off on a ban on advertising of marijuana products 'by any medium' within the state. More: Marijuana isn't legal in Indiana. So should advertising be legal here? Lawmakers say no The language hopped around in different bills in the final weeks of April before landing in House Bill 1390. The ban applies to signs on the interstate and flyers sent to mailboxes, which had started appearing in Indiana as companies in neighboring states try to entice Hoosiers to spend their money across state lines. (All of the states bordering Indiana have some form of legalized marijuana.) Advertising bill proposals appeared in three different bills at the start of the legislative session, which all died without receiving a hearing in legislative committees. Other controversial language lawmakers approved after it bill-hopped in the final days: a ban on local governments hosting or funding 'obscene' performances and the ability for 'anyone' to sue a local entity they believe violates the language. Democrats and LGBTQ advocates said the provision targets drag shows and other performances someone might not like. The original language was added in the House to Senate Bill 326, a bill clarifying language about 'child sex abuse materials.' It was removed in a conference committee and then added to House Bill 1014 on April 24, a bill about the terms of imprisonment for misdemeanors. The bill passed the House 78-13 and the Senate 42-8. It now heads to Braun's desk. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@ or follow her on X @kayla_dwyer17. Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar political and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 7 bills Indiana lawmakers approved in the final hours of the 2025 legislative session
Indianapolis Star
25-04-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
7 bills Indiana lawmakers approved in the final hours of the 2025 legislative session
Indiana lawmakers closed the books on the 2025 legislative session in the early hours of April 25, approving some of the most controversial bills of the session and the state budget on the last day. It's also the time of year where lawmakers in the House and the Senate make last-minute adds and eliminations to some bills and resurrect once-dead language in others before the final versions of legislation head to the governor's desk. The biggest lift was the two-year state budget. Lawmakers and Gov. Mike Braun on April 23 announced a deal on a slimmed down version of the bill following a dismal forecast last week that required more than $2 billion in cuts from what was originally proposed. But bills making school board elections partisan and reining in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in government entities saw tense debate before lawmakers gave their final approvals. Here are some of the efforts state lawmakers squeezed into the last day of the session. State budget passes primarily along party lines A tight budget year got even tighter with a surprise $2 billion revenue shortfall unveiled last week. The version of House Bill 1001, the two-year budget, that the House passed 66-27 and the Senate passed 39-1, was only a little more than a day old when those votes happened. In that time span, lawmakers added a cigarette tax hike, cut public health and public media funding, and enacted a litany of policies affecting universities and faculty that never saw the light of public testimony. Some of the most tense debate toward the early morning hours of April 25 centered around that process. Now Gov. Mike Braun will get to sign his first budget as governor. Partisan school boards narrowly approved Senate Bill 287, a controversial plan to make school board elections partisan races narrowly passed the Indiana Senate by a vote of 26-24 on April 24. It's now on the way to Braun's desk. It was a rare close vote for the chamber with a Republican supermajority. Fourteen Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill, with some GOP senators pleading with their colleagues to reject it Some Senate Democrats appeared surprised SB 287 squeaked through and following the vote said they expected the bill to fail. Sen. JD Ford, D-Indianapolis, urged Republicans who voted against SB 287 to call on Braun to veto the legislation. Opponents of SB 287 throughout the legislative session said they worried partisan school board races would continue to politicize the offices, while supporters said that's already the case. House lawmakers made it optional for school board members to disclose their affiliation, not mandatory, when running for office. Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, who authored the bill said partisan identifiers provide increased transparency for Hoosiers at the ballot box. "If we think the work of the sheriff, the judges, the coroners is partisan," Byrne said on the Senate floor on April 24. "Than I would say school boards are more partisan than that." Anti-DEI bill After executive orders in January from President Donald Trump and Braun, Indiana lawmakers on April 24 signed off on a bill aiming to rein in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, known as DEI. The House voted 64-26 and the Senate voted 34-16 to send the bill to Braun. Senate Bill 289, prohibits publicly-funded entities from taking actions based on a person's "personal characteristics," such as race, religion and sex. It also allows individuals to bring legal actions over alleged violations, but plaintiffs would only be able to receive court and attorney fees and actual damages if a court rules in their favor. More: Lawmakers send anti-DEI bill to Gov. Braun. Here's what it does The version of SB 289 on its way to Braun is a slimmed down version of the bill that passed the Senate earlier this year. The session's landmark DEI bill began as a blanket ban on DEI concepts, trainings and even offices within state institutions, including colleges. Earlier this year, some state colleges began shutting down DEI-related offices and trainings due to what was proposed in the Senate. Nonprofit hospital pricing The key piece of legislation that attempts to add some controls on the prices nonprofit hospitals charge is now on its way to Braun, for whom the cost of health care is a top issue. House Bill 1004 passed the House 67-23 and the Senate 37-13. HB 1004 came out swinging at the start of the session, but was watered down significantly as it traveled through the Senate. What started as financial penalties and the revocation of their nonprofit status if hospitals charge prices above a certain threshold, ended as a bill asking for a study of these hospitals' average prices, and then have the nonprofit-status threat take effect in 2029. It also restructures the hospital assessment fee to allow hospitals to draw down more federal dollars, and requires insurance agents to publicize their commissions in quotes they give customers as well as the all payer claims database. Pharmacy benefit managers Senate Bill 140, the main bill taking a crack at the powerful pharmacy benefit manager industry ― the middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies ― is now heading to Braun. The House voted 84-1 and the Senate voted 39-10 on the final version of the bill. The bill requires PBMs to provide adequate coverage networks, prohibits them from steering business to their own affiliated pharmacies, and requires PBMs to reimburse independent pharmacies at cost, plus a dispensing fee. (The dispensing fee is what the PBMs liken to a "pill tax.") The final version of the bill exempted out Medicaid, managed care and state employee health plan from the provisions. Marijuana advertising ban When lawmakers approved a House bill with directions for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles on April 24, they also signed off on a ban on advertising of marijuana products 'by any medium' within the state. The language hopped around in different bills in the final weeks of April before landing in House Bill 1390. The ban applies to signs on the interstate and flyers sent to mailboxes, which had started appearing in Indiana as companies in neighboring states try to entice Hoosiers to spend their money across state lines. (All of the states bordering Indiana have some form of legalized marijuana.) Advertising bill proposals appeared in three different bills at the start of the legislative session, which all died without receiving a hearing in legislative committees. "Obscene" performance ban Other controversial language lawmakers approved after it bill-hopped in the final days: a ban on local governments hosting or funding 'obscene' performances and the ability for 'anyone' to sue a local entity they believe violates the language. Democrats and LGBTQ advocates said the provision targets drag shows and other performances someone might not like. The original language was added in the House to Senate Bill 326, a bill clarifying language about 'child sex abuse materials.' It was removed in a conference committee and then added to House Bill 1014 on April 24, a bill about the terms of imprisonment for misdemeanors. The bill passed the House 78-13 and the Senate 42-8. It now heads to Braun's desk.
Axios
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Indiana Statehouse: Letter grades and partisan school boards on agenda
There are six weeks left in the legislative session and just three weeks to get bills passed out of committee. Why it matters: It's getting close to crunch time, when lawmakers start compromising on, cutting or killing each other's bills. Yes, and: The budget, property tax relief and health care costs — all priority issues heading into session — are hitting snags that likely won't get worked out this week. Here's what we're watching instead: 🟢 Partisan school boards nearing finish line Should it pass the House, which could vote as early as Monday, Senate Bill 287 will have passed both chambers — a first for a bill to make Indiana's school board elections partisan. Yes, but: The version passed by the Senate is substantially different from what the House is considering, so there's no guarantee lawmakers will come to an agreement. The Senate would have school board candidates follow the same nomination process as any other political candidate, while the House version skips primaries and still provides a nonpartisan option. What's next: If the House passes SB 287, the Senate could accept the new version or go to a conference committee and work out a compromise. 🟢 A-F grades coming back Schools could soon get graded again if House Bill 1498 passes the Senate. It's up for floor amendments as early as today, which means it could get a final vote in that chamber later this week. How it works: The bill would have the State Board of Education remake Indiana's school accountability system for what feels like the umpteenth time. It would go back to an A-to-F system, but taking into account more than just test scores. The state currently uses an "accountability dashboard" that displays various performance metrics. The bill instructs the board to include "other factors" it considers relevant, which would likely include chronic absenteeism rates and third-grade reading proficiency. ⏳ Rethinking religious education time Senate Bill 255 would allow high school students to miss more classroom time to attend religious instruction during the school day. Flashback: Last year, lawmakers passed legislation requiring schools to permit students to leave school for two hours each week for religious instruction. Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, said that equates to kids missing class 2.5 days a week. "That's not good for the schools, the students, that's not good for anybody," he said. The latest: SB 255 would give high school students more time, essentially letting them replace one elective course with religious instruction provided outside their school — rather than missing half a class each week. Yes, but: Rep. Bob Behning, chair of the House Education Committee, did not hold a vote on the bill last week saying the committee needed more time to understand it. An agenda for this week's education committee hasn't been released yet. 🚬 Cigarette tax on the table House Bill 1001 is still sitting with the Senate Appropriations Committee, which took public testimony on the state's two-year spending plan last week. Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, told reporters his caucus is more open this year to raising the cigarette tax than it has been in the past. What he's saying:"Perhaps that's partly because there's some challenges that we have," Bray said. "It's going to be a challenging budget year in the best of circumstances, even assuming that the April forecast doesn't get worse and that's not guaranteed because it looks like it could be problematic."
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Partisan school boards, payday lending move forward
Several House bills await further action in the House chamber on Feb. 17, 2024 before moving forward in the 2025 legislative session. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) The Indiana General Assembly passed a flurry of bills on Monday, mandating party affiliations in school board races and expanding so-called 'payday loans.' In a separate bill, Republican lawmakers aim to cut down on statewide homelessness by creating a new misdemeanor penalty for 'street camping.' The goal, according to the bill's author, is not to punish unhoused Hoosiers, but rather compel them to 'get help.' With the committee deadline over, lawmakers are now working with fewer bills in the 2025 session. The deadline to move bills out of their original chamber is Thursday. Senators narrowly passed a bill requiring school board candidates to align themselves with a political party on a 26-20 vote. Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, drew upon his local political experience on a school board when crafting his bill, saying 'outside interests' funnel thousands of dollars into local races and many voters skip the school board section when casting their ballot. 'Senate Bill 287 is a bill about fairness, leveling the playing field, transparency and standing up for Hoosier parents and taxpayers. It's also about accepting the reality of the way things are and not how we'd like to pretend them to be,' said Byrne. 'School board races are already partisan. They're already political. SB 287 is about accepting the reality and no longer pretending that our school boards are something they haven't been for a long time.' School boards already have duties that can be considered partisan, such as curriculum, library offerings or dress code decisions, he said. He defined a political party as 'shorthand for your overall world views, your values and the way you will vote in office.' Byrne said just four states have partisan requirements for school boards. Senate Bill 287 would also restrict pay for the office to 10% or less of the lowest starting salary for a teacher within the school corporation. Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, said that candidates can already advertise their party affiliation and local county parties can endorse a specific slate of candidates. '… requiring candidates to name their party, it's requiring them to jump through several hoops that could have some unintended consequences,' said Hunley, a former public school principal. Candidates might also need to shoulder additional costs by running in both a primary and the general election going forward, she said. She pointed to the influx of outside dollars in a school board campaign as a mutual concern, noting that campaign finance bills she'd authored hadn't advanced. Sen. Liz Brown noted that the federal Hatch Act, which prohibits certain government employees from running for partisan office, might further limit eligible candidates for school boards. This can include military members, postal workers and more for an office that already struggles to attract candidates in some areas. 'There's a barrier we're now putting (before) ordinary people who've never participated in political party politics,' said Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne. '… I think school boards represent their communities pretty well. I don't necessarily agree with all their positions, but I think they've done a great job.' Brown said she ran for local school board and lost before her foray into state politics. She said she didn't know if she would have campaigned had there been a party affiliation requirement. 'If it applies to the county council, I don't have a problem with it applying to school boards,' countered Byrne on the application of the Hatch Act. Sen. Chris Garten, who said he'd previously been employed by the federal government, said political logos alone can violate the act — praising the bill for 'clarifi(ng)' the issue and giving voters more information. The bill now moves to the House for further consideration. In the House, a lending expansion measure advanced to the Senate in a narrow 51-46 vote, drawing opposition from both sides of the aisle. House Bill 1174 seeks to create new, longer-term loans of up to $5,000 — but with monthly service fees of up to $200 per month, which could be charged every month for the life of the loan in addition to interest and other charges. The legislation would also allow lenders overseeing larger borrowing — like car loans — to charge interest rates as high as 36%, up from the current cap of 25%. Currently, Indiana law allows for two loans for subprime borrowers: a short-term, payday loan under $825 that's available on the borrower's next pay date and usually must be paid back within two to four weeks; and a second, larger loan up to $25,000 that can be paid back over several months or years. Bill author Jake Teshka, R-South Bend, said many Hoosiers with bad credit but in need of quick cash turn to the internet where 'they're served up with a host of options from out of state and tribal lenders that are unregulated and unanswerable' to Indiana's Department of Financial Institutions. Many of those loans, Teshka emphasized, come with annual percentage rates, APRs, of up to 600%. His bill instead 'provides a safe and regulated lifeline to our constituents who find themselves in a bad spot.' 'True subprime borrowers typically don't qualify for these loans. They're geared towards near-prime borrowers. And so what happens if you are a subprime borrower in the state and your transmission goes out, or you need a new furnace?' Teshka asked. 'The cost of covering these emergency expenses has skyrocketed over the past several years — along with everything else — meaning that this gap leaves subprime borrowers in a very precarious situation.' But Democrats have remained adamantly opposed to pushing forward the 'predatory' bill that they argued 'will do more harm than good.' 'Access money you've already earned.' Indiana lawmaker seeks regulations for early wages 'When borrowers receive access to credit they can't afford, they overdraft accounts, miss payments, and end up in a downward financial spiral,' said Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage. 'In states without high-cost lending, consumers use a variety of other strategies to address financial shortfalls, such as negotiating with other creditors, using more affordable credit options, delaying purchases and turning to community support before the financial spiral can escalate.' House Democrat Leader Phil GiaQuinta cautioned that lawmakers 'have been down this road before.' 'House Bill 1174 is still an explosion of predatory lending, no matter which way we package it and tie it up in a bow,' he said, expressing specific concerns about the monthly service fees in the bill. 'Lenders could very well lure folks in by advertising low-interest loans and credit building products. The interest rate cap of 25% may seem pretty attractive at the time — even, frankly, compared to credit card — but then a lender slaps on 5% or 6% monthly service fees on the original principal for the loan, then all of a sudden, folks are paying much, more,' GiaQuinta continued. 'Let's work to raise wages around here for these folks. Then we wouldn't have to be in these predicaments, either.' A House committee on Monday additionally sent to the full chamber a bill that seeks to crack down on homelessness by making 'street camping' on public property a crime. House Bill 1662, authored by Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, would specifically create Class C misdemeanor for 'camp(ing), sleep(ing), or us(ing) for long term shelter land owned by the state or a political subdivision, unless the land has been authorized for that use by law.' Those who have not moved within 24 hours of the warning can be arrested and charged with a Class C misdemeanor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail or a $500 fine. A carveout in the legislation would allow an unhoused person a defense that there was no legal shelter available within five miles. Homeless advocates oppose Indiana bill to criminalize sidewalk camping The original version of the bill sought to ban communities from using state funds for permanent housing of homeless people. But an amendment adopted by the House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee removed that language, and also deleted a provision establishing incentives for local units that successfully reduce their unhoused populations in jails and hospitals. Davis previously said the bill was 'brought' to her by the Cicero Institute. The Texas-based think tank has lobbied in roughly a dozen states for homelessness policies that shift money away from housing initiatives and instead direct dollars toward substance abuse and mental health treatment. Nearly all who testified spoke out against the proposal. Advocates argued that it 'wrongly criminalizes homelessness.' They urged lawmakers to instead boost investments in existing services and organizations that have successfully helped Hoosiers find housing 'and remain off the streets.' Davis, however, maintained that the intent of her proposal 'is to have a proactive approach for people who are visibly struggling on our sidewalks and public property — rather than one that lets them remain in dangerous circumstances.' 'We have a humanitarian and public safety crisis unfolding on Indiana streets. I have been told by many critics that this is just a local issue. Obviously, the local municipalities and police departments are not taking care of the homeless camping on the sidewalks and public parks,' Davis said. 'You cannot expect different results if we continue to do the same thing here in Indiana. It is time for the General Assembly to step up and ensure a baseline level of safety and dignity on our streets for both the homeless Hoosiers and the law abiding, hardworking Hoosiers that live in these communities.' The bill moved forward on a 9-4 vote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
