Indiana

Bill tracker: Lawmakers approve I-465 speed limit change, Braun signs property tax relief

Published

11 months ago

April 21, 2025

Bill tracker: Lawmakers approve I-465 speed limit change, Braun signs property tax relief

The General Assembly had a big week. Lawmakers handed off multiple marquee bills to Gov. Mike Braun, from property tax reform to Medicaid changes.

That’s because we’re in the home stretch. Lawmakers intend to wrap up by the end of this week, though it’s possible they’ll need until April 29 ― the deadline dictated by law ― to sort out how to cut $2 billion from the budget following a dismal revenue forecast last week.

IndyStar is tracking the prominent bills that are moving through the legislative process and that would impact a wide variety of Hoosiers.

Here are some of the major bills that have advanced, and what happened to them last week.

House Bill 1001: State budget

Lead author: Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton

What it does: This bill funds Indiana’s government, health care programs like Medicaid, public K-12 schools and colleges for the next two years. The Senate Republicans recently pitched their version, which is broadly similar to the House’s proposal but does not remove the income cap for private school vouchers and contains some transparency requirements of their elected colleagues in the executive branch.

Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 40-9 vote on April 15. The House disagreed with the Senate’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee

Senate Bill 2: Medicaid eligibility

Lead author: Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka

What it does: The bill adds far more stringent and regular government reviews of the eligibility of Medicaid recipients and adds work requirements in order for someone to be eligible for the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state Medicaid expansion plan. In addition, if the federal government allows, it limits enrollment in the Healthy Indiana Plan.

Status: The Senate gave final approval to the bill on April 17 by a 37-10 vote. It now heads to Braun’s desk.

House Bill 1004: Price-controlling hospitals

Lead author: Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne

What it does: This is one of the key bills seeking to control health care costs in Indiana. This bill does it by penalizing hospitals if they charge prices higher than a certain benchmark. While the House wanted this benchmarking to start right away, the Senate’s version of the bill begins with a two-year price freeze. Both chambers’ versions of the bill eventually threaten to strip hospitals’ nonprofit status for overcharging, but the Senate’s version invokes this threat years down the line.

Status: The Senate approved the bill on April 15 by a 29-19 vote. The House disagreed with the Senate’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee.

House Bill 1461: Road funding and I-465 speed limit

Lead author: Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie

What it does: The bill offers a platter of tools local governments could use to beef up their road budgets. The bill also makes it easier for the state to establish more toll roads, and increases the speed limit on I-465 from 55 to 65 miles per hour.

Status: The House voted 68-17 to agree to the Senate’s changes to the bill. It now heads to Braun’s desk.

House Bill 1393: Illegal immigration notices

Lead author: Rep. Garrett Bascom, R-Lawrenceburg

What it does: The bill requires county jails to report individuals to their county sheriff if the person is arrested for a felony or misdemeanor and there is probable cause to believe the person lacks permanent legal status. It then requires county sheriffs to report the person to proper authorities.

Status: The House gave final approval to the bill by a 58-19 vote on April 16. It now heads to Braun’s desk.

Senate Bill 289: Banning DEI

Lead authors: Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo, Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville

What it does: This bill bans all state spending on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — from trainings to diverse hiring initiatives — at state agencies, educational institutions and health profession licensing boards.

Status: The bill passed the House by a 67-27 vote on April 15. The Senate then disagreed with the House’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee.

House Bill 1006: Prosecutors

Lead author: Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers

What it does: The bill creates a prosecutor review board to investigate complaints against prosecutors that have publicly refused to prosecute certain criminal laws. The Senate amended the bill on April 8 to remove language that would have allowed “noncompliant” prosecutors to be denied funds previously available under a House version of the bill, which Democrats saw as an attack on Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.

Status: The House gave final approval to the bill by a 61-21 vote on April 17. The bill now heads to Braun’s desk.

House Bill 1002: Education deregulation

Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis

What it does: The bill aims to loosen restrictions for Indiana schools and education systems, including by nixing the education credential requirement for the Indiana secretary of education, changing the timing of when teachers are paid and removing certain training and professional development requirements.

Status: The Senate passed the bill by a 31-18 vote on April 15. The House then disagreed with the Senate’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee.

House Bill 1008: Illinois-Indiana boundary commission

Lead author: House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers

What it does: The bill creates a bipartisan group that would explore how Illinois counties could effectively secede from their state and join Indiana by redrawing state lines.

Status: The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 36-13 on April 16 and the House voted 64-23 to agree to the Senate’s changes on April 17. The bill now heads to Braun’s desk.

Senate Bill 482: Chronic absenteeism

Lead author: Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport

What it does: The bill prohibits a public school from expelling or suspending a student because they are chronically absent or habitually truant and expands the number of days for a school to hold an attendance conference about a student’s absences from five days to 10. It also requires the Department of Education to establish best practices for student discipline on chronic absenteeism.

Status: The bill passed the House by an 82-15 vote on April 15. The Senate then disagreed with the House’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee.

Senate Bill 516: IEDC transparency changes

Lead author: Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon

What it does: The bill would require the Indiana Economic Development Corporation make mandatory notifications to local governments if the quasi-government agency seeks to purchase 100 acres or more in a community and provide annual reports on Innovation Development Districts, like the LEAP project in Boone County. Additionally, the bill creates a new entrepreneurship and innovation office and a new role of president of the IEDC.

Status: The Senate unanimously gave final approval to the bill on April 16. The bill now heads to Braun’s desk.

House Bill 1007: Small nuclear reactors

Lead author: Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso

What it does: The bill provides a state tax credit for expenses incurred in manufacturing small modular nuclear reactors in Indiana. The bill could result in costs shifted to utility customers to pay back project expenses before construction starts.

Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 36-13 vote on April 15. It now goes back to the House, which will decide whether to agree to the changes.

The following bills have either been signed by the governor or finished the legislative process.

Senate Bill 1: Property taxes

Lead author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle

What it does: The bill saw a massive overhaul when it passed the House and now includes local government finance reforms in addition to property tax relief. Senate Bill 1 limits how much local governments can raise their property taxes, provides new property tax credits for Hoosier homeowners and allows most cities and towns to establish their own local income tax rates. It also requires school districts to share tax dollars with certain charter schools.

Status: Braun signed the bill into law April 15 after the Senate voted 27-22 to agree with the House’s changes.

Senate Bill 10: Student voter ID

Lead author: Sen. Blake Doriot, R-Goshen

What it does: The bill bans college students from being able to use their student IDs as a form of acceptable voter identification at the ballot box.

Status: Braun signed the bill into law on April 16. It goes into effect July 1.

House Bill 1041: Transgender athlete ban

Lead author: Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland

What it does: This is virtually the same bill lawmakers passed in 2022, which banned transgender girls from participating in girls’ K-12 sports. This year’s bill extends that ban to collegiate athletics.

Status: Braun signed the bill into law on April 16. It goes into effect July 1.

Senate Bill 451: Income tax cut

Lead Author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle

What it does: The bill would further decrease Indiana’s individual income tax rate if state revenues grow by more than 3.5% compared to previous years.

Status: Braun signed the bill into law on April 16. It goes into effect July 1.

House Bill 1208: Sheriff’s commissary fund

Lead author: Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon

What it does: The bill would tighten oversight of commissary funds of county jails, requiring more stringent reporting and training. The bill comes in the wake of the scandal involving former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, who last year was sentenced to 15 years in prison related to taking improper payments from the fund.

Status: Braun signed the bill into law on April 10. It goes into effect July 1.

House Bill 1137: Red Flag expungement

Lead author: Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn

What it does: The bill would allow for a judge to seal and expunge someone’s “red flag” record if a court determines the person to no longer be dangerous. It would only allow a law enforcement officer acting within their job duties to see the sealed record. Currently, if a person’s weapons are seized and a court determines they are not dangerous the case remains public, which advocates say has cost people jobs and other opportunities.

Status: Gov. Braun signed the bill into law on April 3. It goes into effect July 1.

Senate Joint Resolution 21: Constitutional Convention

Lead author: Sen. Andy Zay, R-Huntington

What it does: The resolution is part of a multi-state effort to compell the U.S. Congress to call a convention to amend the U.S. constitution, specifically to enact term limits for people who serve in the U.S. House or U.S. Senate. However, any aspect of the constitution could potentially be amended under such a convention.

Status: The resolution passed the Indiana House on March 17 by a 66-30 vote after being passed earlier in the session by the Indiana Senate. It goes into effect immediately because resolutions do not require the signature of Gov. Mike Braun.

There was no movement on the following bills last week.

Senate Bill 475: Physician noncompetes

Lead author: Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne

What it does: Lawmakers tried in 2023 to outlaw noncompete agreements for Indiana doctors — contracts that prevent doctors from taking jobs at competing hospitals within a certain radius. The compromise that year was to only apply this to family doctors. This year, Senate Bill 475 attempts the ban for all physicians, again, hoping it will encourage competition and reduce prices in the health care market.

Status: The bill passed the House on April 9 by a 71-23 vote, but then on April 10, the bill’s author disagreed with the House’s changes. The bill will go to conference committee.

Senate Bill 143: Parental rights

Lead Author: Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne

What it does: The bill restricts government entities, including school districts and the Indiana Department of Child Services, from intruding on parental rights or keeping information from parents, unless there is a compelling governmental interest.

Status: The Senate officially agreed to the House’s changes on April 8. The bill is now on Braun’s desk.

Senate Bill 4: Water pipeline oversight

Lead author: Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford

What it does: The bill prohibits the construction, operation, purchase, sale and lease of a long-haul water pipeline unless the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission signs off on it. However, the Citizens deal to provide water to the LEAP district in Lebanon is exempted from those rules.

Status: The Senate agreed to the House’s changes by a 45-2 vote on April 8. The bill is now on Braun’s desk.

The following bills are now dead.

House Bill 1531: Immigration enforcement penalties

Lead author: Rep. JD Prescott, R-Union City

What it does: The bill gives the governor power to withhold funding from local governments if the attorney general determines the entity does not comply with federal immigration enforcement. It says federal immigration law can be enforced by local, state and federal officials. The bill also prohibits employers from knowingly hiring someone who is not legally allowed in the U.S.

Status: This bill died after it failed to receive a hearing in the Senate’s Committee on the Judiciary. Republican Sen. Liz Brown, who leads that committee, released a statement on March 31 in which she expressed reservations about how to enforce the bill.

Senate Bill 11: Social media for minors

Lead author: Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores

What it does: The bill requires parental consent for social media use for people under age 16, and allows Indiana’s attorney general to sue social media operators that don’t comply.

Status: This bill died in the House after it failed to receive a hearing before the deadline for bills to pass legislative committees on April 10.

Senate Bill 523: Chaplains in public schools

Lead author: Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport

What it does: The bill would allow public schools to hire or bring in on a volunteer basis religious chaplains, with an eye toward alleviating the burden on school counselors.

Status: This bill died in the House after it failed to receive a hearing before the deadline for bills to pass legislative committees on April 10.

Senate Bill 13: Spinning

Lead author: Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville

What it does: The bill makes intentional and reckless skidding while driving, known as “spinning”, a Class B misdemeanor and increases the penalties further if the spinning endangers, injures or kills another person. If the bill becomes law, a person found spinning could have their vehicle seized in a civil forfeiture.

Status: This bill died in the House after it failed to receive a hearing before the deadline for bills to pass legislative committees on April 10.

Senate Bill 518: Sharing property tax dollars with charter schools

Lead author: Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger

What it does: The bill would require all traditional public-school districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools, to share property tax revenue with charter schools in their attendance boundaries, if 100 or more kids leave the traditional district for charter schools, starting in 2028.

Status: The language from Senate Bill 518 was amended into Senate Bill 1, the signature property tax relief bill.

Senate Bill 284: Shrinking early voting

Lead author: Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville

What it does: The bill would have shrunk Indiana’s period for early in-person voting from 28 days to 14 days. It died on Feb. 19 after Byrne said he did not have the support to advance the bill.

Status: Died in the Senate on Feb. 19 after the author did not open it for amendments by the deadline.

Senate Bill 201: Closing Indiana’s primaries

Lead author: Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton

What it does: By requiring voters to register with a political party in order to vote in that party’s primary, this bill would have made Indiana a closed-primary state. It died on Feb. 19 after Gaskill said he did not have the support to advance the bill.

Status: Died in the Senate on Feb. 19 after the author did not open it for amendments by the deadline.

House Bill 1432: Online gambling

Lead author: Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Logansport

What it does: The bill would have allowed people to play online poker and other casino games virtually and allow the Hoosier Lottery to operate virtually as well.

Status: The bill died after not receiving a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee before the Feb. 17 deadline.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.

Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com.

Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, by IndyStar political and government reporters.

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Indiana

Indiana’s Curt Cignetti cashes in on title run with 8-year extension worth $13.2 million per year

Published

3 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Indiana’s Curt Cignetti cashes in on title run with 8-year extension worth .2 million per year

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is cashing in on his first national championship run — even more than initially expected.

Athletic department officials announced Monday that the two-time national coach of the year has signed a memorandum of understanding on an eight-year contract extension, paying him an annual average of $13.2 million — or an increase of about $1.6 million per year from what school officials said Cignetti would earn when he first agreed to the extension in October.

School officials released the document Cignetti signed Feb. 4.

He joins Georgia coach Kirby Smart and LSU coach Lane Kiffin as the only active Football Bowl Subdivision coaches to receive paychecks of $13 million or more. The payouts could be even higher if Cignetti earns bonuses for winning Big Ten or national coach of the year honors in addition to playoff appearances and conference titles. The 64-year-old Cignetti already has said he hopes to retire at Indiana.

The new deal calls for a base salary of $500,000 per year through the 2033 season and a $1 million retention bonus on Nov. 30 of each year, starting this fall. The remaining portion of the $105.6 million will be collected from outside, promotional and marketing income.

Cignetti initially agreed to an eight-year extension worth $92.8 million — an annual average of $11.6 million — but university officials agreed to modify the deal as the Hoosiers remained undefeated and pursued the first football national championship in school history.

It’s the third time Cignetti has received a raise since he took over the losingest program in FBS history in November 2024. All he’s done since arriving is produce the two best seasons in school history while becoming one of college football’s fan favorites for his quick quips and unique facial expressions. Players have embraced him, too, telling many of their favorite Cignetti tales.

Just ask tight end Riley Nowakowski, who recounted his favorite Cignetti story during the recent NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

“I think (Alberto Mendoza) was in the game, and he pulled like four runs in a row,” Nowakowski said, referring to last season’s victory over Illinois. “He kept pulling it, kept pulling it, kept pulling it, and then after the fourth time, it was a terrible read. So in the middle of the game, (Cignetti) tells our coach, ‘Get (Alberto) over here.’ Bert’s like, ‘What, it’s the middle of a game, what are you doing?’ And (Cignetti) goes, ‘We’re not paying you to run the ball, hand the ball off, right? We’re up like 70 points, but he’s pissed off, yelling at Bert, and (Cignetti) just turned back at me and gave me one of his little smiles, and he was just like, ’You like that now?’”

Cignetti wasted no time delivering on his promise to win after leading James Madison to the most successful transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the FBS.

The son of Hall of Fame coach Frank Cignetti and a former Alabama assistant led Indiana to a school record 11 wins and its first College Football Playoff appearance in his first season with the Hoosiers.

Last season, he outdid that mark by producing the first 16-0 mark in major college football since the 1890s. The Hoosiers also won their first outright Big Ten crown since 1945, beat Miami on its home field to claim the national title and shed the label of having the most all-time losses in FBS history.

Mendoza’s older brother, Fernando, also became the first Indiana player to win the Heisman Trophy and is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

The reward: A record nine players, including Mendoza and Nowakowski, attended the recent combine in Indianapolis while Cignetti got another pay raise and school officials continued to invest heavily in keeping the coach’s staff together.

Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines each agreed to three-year contract extensions worth about $3 million per year in December, making them two of the highest-paid assistants in the FBS. Haines won this year’s Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach.

Indiana will begin next season with the longest winning streak (16) and longest home winning streak (15) in the FBS. Cignetti has never lost a home game with the Hoosiers, who open defense of their league and national titles at home against North Texas on Sept. 5.

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What Tom Izzo said after Michigan State’s win over Indiana

Published

15 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

What Tom Izzo said after Michigan State’s win over Indiana

Michigan State basketball went into Assembly Hall on Sunday afternoon and controlled the Hoosiers from start to finish, earning a 77-64 victory. The win goes a long way in almost virtually confirming that the Spartans will have a triple-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, while also bolstering the Spartans case to get a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

For the second straight outing in the state of Indiana, MSU head coach Tom Izzo came away pleased with his group, and expressed that to the media:

“Well, to be honest with you, for once, we got off to a good start. We haven’t been doing that. We decided to try to go inside, Kohler (had) been struggling, we thought we’d try to get him going. We get that 10-point lead and it kind of stayed that way.
“We did not do a great job of building on it, it’s because they’re a good team. Everybody asks me, ‘Are they good enough to be in the tournament?’ Read my lips: hell yes. It’s just that somebody’s got to lose some of these games. The league is so good.”
“I’m proud of my guys, because coming back from that Thursday-Sunday deal, both on the road, I thought they showed a lot of character. I’m proud of my staff, those preps are not easy at this time of year. Kur came off the bench and really sparked us after making more than a few mistakes.”
“What I appreciated about the game is I thought Jeremy took over. Everything we asked him to run early, to go into Jaxon, he did a great job of. I thought Kur, who’s a sophomore now, took a big step forward after not playing very well the 5 minutes he was in there early and falling down and giving up 3s, and then he bounced back. That’s kind of what you’ve gotta do.”
“We did it a little different way. We said this will be kind of like the NCAA Tournament where you’ve got a one- or two-day prep, one-day prep, so I think it was good for us. I’m really proud of them, but I don’t want to be proud of them until I’m done playing.”
“All in all, guys, we’re in spring break, which means you can practice like 100 times, and nobody arrests you or anything. But our guys deserve some time off and we’ll get some things done tomorrow. “

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Rex_Linzy

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Coast Guard investigates death of mariner working barge in Jeffersonville

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Coast Guard investigates death of mariner working barge in Jeffersonville

U.S. Coast Guard officials are investigating March 1 after a mariner died while working on a barge in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

An incident involving the mariner occurred the afternoon of Feb. 27 at mile marker 597 of the Ohio River, said Lt. Cmdr. Steve Leighty, public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Ohio Valley Sector. Leighty declined to provide further details about the mariner and the circumstances of their death, citing the ongoing investigation.

Officials with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office are also investigating the incident, Leighty said.

Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@usatodayco.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter

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