General Assembly Headed to Special Session

The Indiana General Assembly is headed for a special session after failing to pass its only constitutionally required legislation, the state budget. Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Marianne Holland reports.

Lawmakers Reach Agreement on Unemployment Fund Fix

Despite not approving a budget, and a special session looming, the Indiana General Assembly did approve a plan to fix Indiana’s bankrupt jobless fund, and stave off a potential federal takeover of the state’s fund. Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Marianne Holland has the details.

Budget Negotiations Teetering as Midnight Deadline Looms

A last minute gambling proposal is among the issues keeping legislators at the Indiana Statehouse today from reaching an agreement on the state’s next budget. Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Marianne Holland reports.

Lawmakers Reach Tentative Agreement on Unemployment Funds

Indiana legislators have reached a tentative agreement on a plan to fix the state’s unemployment insurance fund and pay back federal borrowing currently being used to pay benefits to people out of work. Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Marianne Holland reports.

Puppy Mill Legislation Changed, Again

Legislators held their second conference committee today on a bill related to commercial dog breeding operations, known as puppy mills. Senator Brent Steele, a Republican from Bedford, put forth changes to the bill opposed by its author, Representative Linda Lawson, a Democrat from Hammond. Among the changes was one to disallow local communities from passing their own stronger breeding regulations. Lawson says that change is a bad one for communities who want such laws in place.

“One of the things that’s really important is that the communities who have stronger laws will not be able to enforce them.”

Steele also proposed inserting provisions from a separate bill regarding new statewide rules for bail bondsman. Lawson says she and her caucus are opposed to that change, expressing pessimism about the bill’s fate with that change included. The representative says she plans to introduce her own changes and try to get the bill passed, with more animal protections, by session’s end Wednesday.

Thousands Protest Proposed Unemployment Insurance Cuts

Thousands of people packed the Indiana Statehouse today, with hundreds more waiting outside, for a rally opposing a measure to cut Indiana’s unemployment benefits. Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Marianne Holland reports.

Indiana Health Officials Using Twitter for Swine Flu Updates

The Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security are now offering updates on the state’s swine flu situation on the messaging service Twitter. Department of Homeland Security Spokesman John Ericson says the state will be providing new information as it becomes available, as well as precautions they can take to avoid the virus.

“We just want people to know what is going on with the flu and really just go about their normal business. Just wash their hands a lot and be careful. There are going to be people out there who have the flu. It’s the tail end of the flu season, it’s going to be the regular flu or a cold or an upper respiratory infection. It’s just a matter of being calm, going about your daily business and taking normal precautions.”

He says there are still no confirmed cases of swine flu in Indiana. Ericson says both departments will continue providing information through the service even after the current swine flu situation subsides.

House Democrats Present Unemployment Fund Fix

House Democrats have put forth a plan they say will return funds to the now bankrupt accounts that pay benefits to people out of work, while paying back hundreds of millions of dollars of federal borrowing that began in November to pay those benefits. The plan, presented during a conference committee hearing at the Indiana statehouse today, relies on over a billion new business tax dollars annually. It also calls for as much as 390 million dollars in cost cutting measures. Committee chairman David Niezgodski of South Bend says it includes flexible tax rates that rise and fall with the amount of money available to pay unemployment benefits.

“This trigger and index system is an attempt to make sure that Indiana never reaches a deficit like this again.”

Niezgodski and Republican Senator Dennis Kruse of Auburn, two of the lead negotiators on the unemployment insurance insolvency matter, say they believe the legislature can reach an agreement by the end of the session next Wednesday.

Group Want Legislature to Act Against FSSA Privatization Rollout

A group called the Indiana Home Care Task Force is calling on the legislature to pass a bill this session that would delay the rollout of Medicaid and food stamp modernization planned in a contract between the Family and Social Services Agency and a subsidiary of IBM. Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Marianne Holland reports.

24 Hours Plus at the Statehouse at End of Session

This schedule could leave the average observer wondering why a special session would ever be needed.

1:00 p.m. House scheduled to go into session
1:30 p.m. Senate scheduled to go into session
1:35 p.m. House starts session
1:40 p.m. Senate announces session will begin at 2:30
2:00 p.m. House Republicans call 1 hour caucus
3:15 p.m. Senate session begins
3:30 p.m. House session resumes
7:30 p.m. Senate session ends
7:45 p.m. House Session ends
10:00 a.m. House Session scheduled to begin
10:37 a.m. House session begins
10:50 a.m. House republicans call caucus until 11:30
1:30 p.m. Senate session scheduled to begin
1:31 p.m. current time: no word yet from House or Senate