Indiana Lawmakers

Next on Indiana Lawmakers, we examine the state of voting in Indiana. Is anti-voter-fraud legislation now pending a sincere effort to secure election integrity or just the latest cynical attempt to gain, and/or maintain, power through voter suppression? 

This week on Indiana Lawmakers, we examine legislation that could, in theory, send K-through-12 teachers and librarians to prison for distributing books or staging performances that feature “matter harmful to minors.” And who decides what is harmful? 

Is it time in Indiana to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis? What ‘is’ the current attitude of state legislators toward the longstanding ban on pot? We’ll take up the issue on the next Indiana Lawmakers.

On the next “Indiana Lawmakers” we examine whether the legislature should ban state investments made on the basis of fostering environmental, social, or governance (ESG) goals, and instead focus only on the express fiduciary duty to maximize returns?

On the next “Indiana Lawmakers”, should Hoosiers seeking election to a local public-school board be forced to run as Republicans, Democrats, or Independents? Or should our state do everything possible to keep partisan politics out of our schools?

On the next Indiana Lawmakers, we welcome Governor Eric Holcomb. Host Jon Schwantes will discuss the governor’s 2023 agenda. Some of those proposals include increased funding for education, economic development, and public health.  

On the next Indiana Lawmakers, we discuss a proposed state constitutional amendment for Bail. Would it protect Hoosiers by allowing judges to deny bail for suspects thought to pose a threat to the public? Or would it erode bedrock civil liberties?

It's 2023 and that means our Indiana Lawmakers are back to work and so are we. Join us as we kick off this legislative session with caucus leadership on next and first episode. Indiana Lawmakers from the State House to your house. 

On the next “Indiana Lawmakers” - the last show of the 2022 season - host Jon Schwantes is joined by four of the state’s most respected Statehouse journalists to assess the just-concluded General Assembly session. Joining host Jon Schwantes: IndyStar Education Reporter, Arika Herron IndyStar Statehouse Reporter, Kaitlin Lange IPB Reporter and Host of Indiana Week in Review, Brandon Smith The Journ...

Which bills from the Indiana legislature might have the greatest impact on Hoosiers in the years to come? On the next Indiana Lawmakers, the four caucus leaders join host Jon Schwantes to review the General Assembly’s 2022 session. The panel joining host Jon Schwantes is: House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D) Fort Wayne Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor (D) Indianapolis Senate President Pro Te...

Who is better equipped to shape the state’s regulatory landscape - members of the part-time General Assembly or full-time government employees who, while unelected, may have spent decades of expertise in a given field? On the next Indiana Lawmakers.

This week on Indiana Lawmakers - our state’s energy future. We discuss transitioning from coal to natural gas, and increasingly to energy sources like wind, solar, and possibly small modular nuclear reactors! Join us for an electric discussion!

The Second Amendment is just 27 words. On the next “Indiana Lawmakers” we discuss the 34-page bill being considered at the Indiana Statehouse that would allow most adults to carry a handgun without a permit.

On this week’s edition of Indiana Lawmakers we look at Indiana’s ongoing debate over the legalization — or at least decriminalization — of marijuana. Host Jon Schwantes and his panel of experts will venture into the policy weeds of weed.

On this week’s edition of Indiana Lawmakers we look at the spike in violent crime which has left the public, police, and policymakers asking TWO fundamental questions: HOW did we get to this point, and, more importantly, WHERE do we go from here?

On this week’s edition of Indiana Lawmakers we look at how hot-button social issues have dominated the General Assembly session and are impacting the highly charged education debate.

On this week’s edition of Indiana Lawmakers we look at how the Covid-19 vaccine mandates might play out in the Hoosier state, and what it means, both short term and long term, for our healthcare facilities, our schools, and our workplaces.

On this edition of “Indiana Lawmakers” host Jon Schwantes welcomes Governor Eric Holcomb for a one-on-one interview. The governor discusses his State of the State message and his vision for the state of Indiana.

The 2022 legislative session is picking up pretty much where the 2021 session left off, and not surprisingly, the same goes for this week’s “Indiana Lawmakers”. Join host Jon Schwantes and the four caucus leaders as they discuss the session.

We’ve heard from the Governor. We’ve heard from legislative leadership. And we’ve heard from lawmakers — in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle. As we take stock of the Indiana General Assembly’s unprecedented 2021 session, it’s time we heard from the people who chronicled lawmakers’ actions, day in and day out, for the past four months. On this week’s show, our last of the season, we’ll...

Every other year, as the Indiana General Assembly’s biennial budget session comes to a close, legislative leaders — especially those in the majority — are wont to describe whatever they’ve accomplished as “HISTORIC.” This time around, it would be tough to find anybody who would argue with such an assessment. Despite existential health concerns and day-to-day logistical challenges created by the pa...

One of the reasons Georgia's new election law has created such a national stir is that similar measures have been introduced in at least 46 other states, Indiana among them. On this week's show we look at the increasingly heated debate over proposals that, depending on your point of view, are designed either to enhance election security or facilitate voter suppression. Joining host Jon Schwantes t...

With all due respect to Simon and Garfunkel, forget about that troubled water under the bridge. Here in Indiana, the water’s just fine, aside from some antiquated treatment plants and miles and miles of aging pipes, including some made of lead. Here, as in many parts of the country, the more troubling problem, or at least more visible problem, is the condition of the bridges over the water, not to...

In every odd-numbered year, members of the Indiana General Assembly face one task that cannot be avoided or deferred — at least not without serious consequences. Unless they want state government to shut down for lack of funding, legislators have to craft a two-year budget. In theory, the process unfolds over months, as agency requests are reviewed, budget committee recommendations are rendered, r...

Most of us would be pleased to lighten our loads but not the trucking industry’s biggest movers and shakers. They're driving legislation that would effectively raise the weight limit for many of the semis that traverse Indiana’s roadways. They say the permit overhaul they favor would boost the state’s economy, generate more money for road repairs and level the playing field for all freight carrier...