Indianapolis education changes, Bears stadium and more bills moving on deadline week
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Statehouse, in warmer times. Photo: Kaiti Sullivan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Pass or get passed on. That's the mantra at the Indiana Statehouse this week.
Driving the news: It's deadline week, the first hurdle for bills to cross to continue on their way to becoming law.
How it works: Monday committee meetings were postponed due to the winter storm, so bills must pass out of committee by Tuesday, get through a second reading by Wednesday and pass a final vote Thursday to keep moving.
- It'll mean long days, likely a late night or two and lots of legislation moving quickly.
Here's what we're watching:
🎰 Casino relocation
The Rising Sun casino is likely moving, but not to Indianapolis.
Driving the news: House Bill 1038 would allow for the casino to move from southeast Indiana to Fort Wayne.
- While a separate bill would have allowed for it to come to Indianapolis, that hasn't moved.
What's next: The bill is set to be heard in Ways and Means on Tuesday morning.
- It is expected to pass.
- "We're talking about a major … economic impact in northeast Indiana," House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) said.
🏫 Indianapolis education changes
The bill that would create a new governing body for Indianapolis schools has one last hoop to jump before hitting the House floor.
Catch up quick: House Bill 1423 would take the recommendations of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, which finished its divisive work last month, and make them law.
- It would create the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation and board to manage school buildings, transportation and other operations of all schools within the Indianapolis Public Schools boundaries.
- It would also exempt IPS from the state's "dollar law," something the district has requested for years.
The latest: HB 1423 passed the Education committee, with an amendment that pushes full implementation of the plan to the 2028-29 school year, but needs to get through Ways and Means on Tuesday morning.
- It is expected to pass.
🪦 Ten Commandments
While Gov. Mike Braun is pushing to get the Ten Commandments back on Statehouse grounds, House Bill 1086 would place them in classrooms.
Zoom in: The bill would require each school corporation to place a durable poster or framed picture representing the text of the Ten Commandments in each school library and classroom.
- It'll be heard in the House Education committee Tuesday morning, though previous attempts at similar efforts have been unsuccessful.
⚖️ New execution methods
A Senate bill that would have added firing squads to the options for execution has stalled, but a House bill still moving would do that and more.
Driving the news: House Bill 1119 would add firing squads and nitrogen hypoxia to the options for death row inmates.
Zoom in: Firing-squad executions are rare in the U.S., but five states — Mississippi, Oklahoma, Utah, South Carolina and Idaho — authorize the method, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
- Nitrogen hypoxia is even rarer. Alabama is the only state that's used this method, which replaces oxygen with nitrogen gas to suffocate the inmate.
What's next: The bill is up for floor amendments and a final vote this week.
💰 Mental health funding
Senate Bill 4 would remove the requirement that counties provide property tax funding to community mental health centers.
Why it matters: The 24 centers cover all 92 counties — providing inpatient and outpatient treatment, crisis and substance abuse services and more — and make up the backbone of the state's behavioral health system.
- Advocates worry this change could result in less funding for the centers.
What's next: Second reading amendments, as early as Monday.
- Several lawmakers said they wanted to see a change that would protect mental health center funding.
🏈 The "Gary Bears" bill
Senate Bill 27 would create a new body to secure land and build a football stadium in Northwest Indiana.
Why it matters: It's part of an ongoing and fast-moving effort to lure the Bears out of Chicago and into The Region.
- It'll be on the Senate floor as early as Monday for possible amendments, then a final vote.
What they're saying: Huston said he expects the bill to pass and for his caucus to support it.
- "We'd love to welcome them to Indiana," he said.
💊 Abortion drugs
Senate Bill 236 would allow individuals and Attorney General Todd Rokita to sue over the use of abortion-inducing drugs.
Why it matters: The bill would close a perceived loophole in Indiana's strict abortion law, in which individuals can receive abortion-inducing medication by mail.
Zoom in: SB 236 would prohibit manufacturing, distributing, mailing, transporting, delivering, prescribing or providing an abortion-inducing drug.
- It'll be on the Senate floor as early as Monday for possible amendments, then a final vote.
📲 Doxxing
Senate Bill 140 would outlaw "doxxing," the posting of someone's personal information — such as their address, phone number or employer — to communicate a threat.
Between the lines: The measure was inspired by the threats lawmakers received, online and otherwise, during Indiana's redistricting debate.
What's next: SB 140 is awaiting a final vote in the Senate, which could come as early as Monday.
🚻 School bathroom rules
A bill codifying state rules that prohibit transgender Hoosiers from amending their birth certificates would require students in K-12 schools and public colleges and universities to use bathrooms and changing rooms that match their sex assigned at birth.
Why it matters: Senate Bill 182 would effectively prohibit transgender students from using facilities that match their gender identity.
What we're watching: The school rules were added late, with little discussion.
- We'll watch to see if any lawmakers try to remove the language on the floor this week, before voting to send the measure to the House.