Tag Archives: Legislature

HEADLINES All Stories by Norm Holy With the legislature in session, there are many bills that will impact the quality of life in Indiana. Will the legislature address real problems, or will special interests dominate again this year? A nationwide comparison of electric utility performance by an Illinois consumer advocacy group found that customers in states that are heavily reliant …

HEADLINES The Indiana Environmental Reporter says our state has taken small steps toward breaking its heavy reliance on coal and natural gas, but some worry a new bill will slow that transition and keep emission-spewing fossil fuels around for much longer. —Norm Holy The Herald-Times recently reported that the Department of Agriculture has approved the first U.S. vaccine to protect …

The Indiana House of Representatives’ current spending bill is half a billion dollars short, according to the latest estimation by the Revenue Forecast Technical Committee. The forecast for fiscal year 2020 was presented to the state budget committee, yesterday. It includes a $30 million revision from December’s projection. That’s still nowhere near the $600 million difference between what the technical …

The Indiana state budget passed through the State Senate, this morning; An Indiana Senate bill that would have legalized “loan shark lending” died on the House floor, yesterday; Bloomington will acquire the Bunger & Robertson property on South College Ave.; Plans to put a four-story boutique hotel with apartments near Bloomington’s downtown Tech Park have run aground; Bloomington continues the …

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill could lose his law license due to his alleged sexual misconduct against three legislative staffers and a State Representative, last year. Four women came forward over the past year, claiming the state’s highest-ranking law enforcement official groped them at a legislative party in March, 2018. AG Hill has refuted the claims, and refuses to step …

Bloomington Redevelopment Commission approves demolition and reconstruction of Fourth Street parking garage; Commission also approves design contract for Trades District parking garage; City of Bloomington continues legal battle with Indiana, over annexation. FEATURE After last night’s debate, we hear from Incumbent Mayor John Hamilton and his challenger, County Commissioner Amanda Barge, with their viewpoints on Bloomington’s housing. BICENTENNIAL JOURNAL Charlotte …

Businesses and community leaders spoke out against the latest version of Indiana’s proposed hate crimes bill, after an amendment in the state senate deleted two-thirds of the proposed legislation. That amendment gutted protections for race, religion, age, sexual orientation and gender identity, among others. Indiana sits on a list of 5 states who do not have a hate crimes bill …

Monroe County Community Schools Superintendent Judi DeMuth is taking issue with discrepancies in MCCSC teacher compensation data distributed recently by Indiana State Representative Peggy Mayfield. In last night’s MCCSC school board meeting, DeMuth provided an excerpt from a handout she said Mayfield distributed at a recent education presentation. DeMuth said the handout underrepresented what MCCSC spends on teacher salaries. Interim …

The design firm selected to expand the Monroe Convention Center said they’re working to ensure public input is part of the process; Layoffs have begun at The Herald-Times of Bloomington; Indiana Sen. (R- Lawrenceberg) Chip Perfect stepped back from his initial effort to revise state child labor laws. FEATURE Area service providers in Bloomington officially signed a letter in support of the …

Rep. (D-Bloomington) Matt Pierce was on Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Study Committee on Corrections and Criminal Code, which was directed to look into passing hate crimes legislation. Gov. Holcomb is expected to push Indiana’s Republican-dominated legislature to pass a hate crimes bill, during tonight’s State of the State address. Rep. Pierce speaks with News Director Wes Martin about Gov. Holcomb’s …