by Tom Davies, Indiana Capital Chronicle February 17, 2026 Legislators might have coalesced around a plan for consolidating perhaps hundreds of Indiana’s 1,000+ township governments. An Indiana House committee on Tuesday endorsed a melding of differing Senate and House bills that supporters said will improve local government efficiency. The new version of Senate Bill 270…
by Linda Hanson, Indiana Capital Chronicle February 16, 2026 Voter turnout in Indiana has been problematic for years. It hit rock bottom in 2014. In 2022, we ranked 50th, and in 2024, we improved to 41st nationally – but still well below national averages for voter turnout. Our ranking for voter registration is consistently in…
by Casey Smith, Indiana Capital ChronicleFebruary 10, 2026 A sharp rise in online tips about child exploitation led to hundreds of arrests and dozens of rescues in Indiana last year, but state leaders warn that predators are becoming harder to track. Gov. Mike Braun said Tuesday he wants technology companies that design and profit from…
by Tom Davies, Indiana Capital Chronicle February 6, 2026 A year ago, Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston wanted to annex some counties from Illinois. Now, he’s diving into Indiana’s bid to snatch away the Chicago Bears. The Republican speaker announced Thursday that he’s taking the unusual step of becoming the lead House sponsor on the…
by Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle February 3, 2026 With a key mid-session deadline now passed, dozens of Indiana bills — including proposals on execution methods, displaying the Ten Commandments in schools, youth social media access and marijuana policy — have stalled or died after failing to reach passage votes in either chamber. Monday marked…
by Casey Smith, Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Tom Davies and Niki Kelly, Indiana Capital Chronicle January 29, 2026 With key legislative deadlines for the first half of session looming, the Indiana House and Senate passed numerous bills Wednesday — and eliminated a controversial social media provision. Language that would have barred young children from social media…
by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital ChronicleJanuary 29, 2026 Following 90 minutes of intense debate, a bill empowering Indiana’s governor to deploy a “military police force” of Indiana National Guard members throughout the state advanced Wednesday from the House on a 67-29 vote. It now heads to the Senate. Proponents maintain the measure ensures Hoosier…
by Casey Smith, Indiana Capital ChronicleJanuary 28, 2026 The Chicago Bears might not be packing their bags yet — but Indiana’s bid for the team picked up momentum Wednesday after senators approved legislation creating a state-run stadium authority that could finance and build a National Football League stadium in northwest Indiana. Senate Bill 27, authored…
by Michael Hicks, Indiana Capital ChronicleJanuary 26, 2026 Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act 1 of 2025 delivered what many voters have wanted for years: lower property taxes. Homeowners received higher deductions, but businesses — especially those with substantial personal property — saw significant reductions in tax liability. Let’s compare the two. A family who owns a…
One of the thornier issues in tax policy is anticipating behavioral, or second-order, effects. These are normally analyzed over a couple of years to avoid unintended consequences. That didn’t happen with last year’s Senate Enrolled Act 1. The looming effects are worth noting, beginning with the size and scope of tax changes across businesses, families…
