Indiana Week in Review

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick unveils her tax relief proposal. The Indiana Department of Education releases a new draft of its high school diploma overhaul. All three lieutenant governor candidates debate at the State Fair.

Kamala Harris names Tim Walz as her running mate. Calls for Mayor Joe Hogsett to resign in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against a top aid. Indiana’s new All-Payer Claims Database gives Hoosiers an idea of what medical procedures will cost.

Mike Braun makes changes to his newly released property tax proposal. Purdue University warns that current high school diploma standards do not meet admission requirements. Indiana University releases a new policy on campus protests.

Vice President Kamala Harris makes Indiana one of her first presidential campaign stops, speaking at Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s national Boule. An Indianapolis lawyer files a professional conduct complaint against Attorney General Todd Rokita. Indiana reached the end of its fiscal year with a $421 million surplus, the lowest margin in the post-pandemic era. July 26, 2024

Indiana leaders react to the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. Democrats choose Terry Goodin and Destiny Wells as lieutenant governor and AG nominees. I-LEARN shows some improvement in reading scores, but continued struggles with math.

Loretta Rush seeks a third term as Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. Fewer Indiana students enroll in FAFSA after issues with the federal enrollment portal. The Gary Community School Corporation is officially shifted back to local control.

The U.S. Supreme Court grants presidents near-total immunity. A judge invalidates Indiana’s 2020 Medicaid expansion waiver. Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Donald Rainwater proposes changing the state constitution to cap property taxes.

Senator J.D. Ford announces that he will not run for lieutenant governor. Randy Head elected chairman of the Indiana Republican Party. Governor Eric Holcomb and A.G. Todd Rokita announce the state will seek to resume executions after a 15 year pause.

Micah Beckwith named Mike Braun’s running mate. Jennifer McCormick chooses Terry Goodin as her lieutenant governor pick. The state makes further changes impacting how families of medically complex children receive Medicaid benefits.

The state approves nearly $100M to expand the controversial LEAP district. An anti-abortion group sues the state health department to regain access to terminated pregnancy reports. Indiana Republicans gather for the state party convention.

Todd Rokita threatens to sue Gary, East Chicago, West Lafayette and Monroe County over “sanctuary city” ban. All three gubernatorial candidates agree to a televised debate. Rokita weighs in on Indianapolis’ controversial soccer stadium plans.

Donald Trump found guilty of 34 charges. A court hears final arguments on Indiana’s abortion ban. The state spends nearly half a billion dollars on private schools through the voucher program, but the majority of students never attended public school.

their ability to provide care. Literacy training requirements for teachers change after backlash from educators. All counties in Indiana opt into the state public health initiative to address immunizations, chronic disease prevention, and maternal and child health issues. May 24, 2024

The ACLU sues Purdue University’s board of trustees over a new state law impacting tenure. Jim Banks attends a Mar-A-Lago fundraising lunch for Donald Trump that was largely viewed as an audition for potential running mates. A look ahead at this summer’s legislative study committees, who will be looking into issues ranging from school absenteeism to homeowners associations. May 17, 2024

Mike Braun wins the GOP gubernatorial primary and names political newcomer Julie McGuire as his running mate. Democrat Valerie McCray becomes the first Black woman to be a nominee for U.S. Senate in Indiana history.

Indiana University students protest Israel’s war in Gaza. Marijuana reclassification plans put pressure on the Indiana General Assembly to legalize use. A grassroots organization meets with the FSSA and Governor Holcomb over planned Medicaid cutbacks.

The final GOP gubernatorial primary debate sees sparks fly between candidates and moderator Jon Schwantes. The Indiana State Teachers Association pushes back on the state Department of Education’s science of reading training. Indiana’s largest teachers union endorses Democrat Jennifer McCormick for governor.

Indiana’s six-way GOP primary is now the most expensive in state history, with over $35 million spent by candidates so far. Indiana University’s Bloomington faculty have overwhelmingly voted no confidence in IU President Pamela Whitten. An IndyStar report claims the state Democratic Party largely ignored sexual harassment allegations against state Senator Niezgodski.

ReCenter Indiana, a centrist group aimed at moderating state government, asks democrats to vote in the GOP primary. Governor Holcomb announces new READI grant recipients, distributing $500 million to programs across the state. Hoosiers with disabilities or who wish to age in place will have a harder time accessing the Aged and Disabled waiver from the FSSA.

An appeals court rules the state’s abortion ban likely violates RFRA protections. SK Hynix to build its first U.S. semiconductor plant in West Lafayette. Mike Braun’s U.S. Senate campaign to pay $159,000 fine for financial disclosure irregularities.

Governor Eric Holcomb calls for Republican gubernatorial candidates to provide details on their positions on issues commonly addressed by the office of the governor. Controversial funding changes for the Indiana Gaming Commission. Todd Rokita presents a report claiming the state used “faulty” data to justify the Stay-At-Home order at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Holcomb vetoes a bill that would define and ban antisemitism in Indiana public schools. Gubernatorial candidate Brad Chambers unveils his economic plan. Fellow candidate Jamie Reitenour decries her exclusion from televised debate. Mike Braun picks up what could be a key endorsement for his own campaign for governor. Host Brandon Smith is joined by Democrat Ann DeLaney, Republican Mike O'Brien...

The first GOP gubernatorial primary debate as Mike Braun, Brad Chambers, Suzanne Crouch, Eric Doden, Curtis Hill, and Jamie Reitenour vie for their party’s nomination. A compromise struck on the antisemitism bill removes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s examples of antisemitism. Disqualification language for attorney general candidates removed from final bill.

Mike Braun leads in a Republican gubernatorial primary poll. Indiana’s public access counselor could see a significant change in duties and indefinite term limits in a bill headed to Holcomb’s desk. The state legislature approves a bill limiting the governor’s ability to extend statewide disaster emergency declarations. Host Brandon Smith is joined by Democrat Ann DeLaney, Republican Mike O’Brien,...

John Rust is removed from the Republican senate primary ballot after both the Indiana Election Commission and the Indiana Supreme Court rule against him. New limits on debt protections for Hoosiers as the statute of limitations on bank charge disputes lowers from six years to two. Public pension recipients will not receive a 13th check for the second year in a row.