Indiana
Controversial ‘puppy mill’ bill passes Indiana House
![Controversial ‘puppy mill’ bill passes Indiana House Controversial ‘puppy mill’ bill passes Indiana House](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2023/05/16/PIND/ad0f46cc-9732-4dd5-8c60-f1c7ea07d51d-9caa95ee-78dc-4a52-9f67-3ed6ab153303.jpg?auto=webp&crop=314,177,x0,y63&format=pjpg&width=1200)
The Indiana House on Monday passed a bill to prevent cities from banning the sale of dogs at pet stores, nullifying ordinances in 21 municipalities that sought to put a dent in unethical puppy mills and increase shelter adoptions.
House Bill 1412 was approved by a 59-36 vote and now moves to the Senate for consideration.
While nixing dog sale bans, the bill would also require pet stores to keep detailed records of the dogs they buy and sell and meet new maintenance standards. The stores, along with animal care and rescue operations, would register with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, which could make random inspections and fine retailers if they violate the law’s provisions.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Beau Baird, R-Greencastle, called it an “anti-puppy mill” law that increases “transparency and responsible breeding practices.”
“It centralizes and improves pet standards in the community,” said Jonathan Lawler, a spokesman for the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare, an organization representing animal owners and breeders.
It is the second attempt in as many years at restricting the cities from regulating pet stores. A bill last year failed to get a vote in the House. But that legislation didn’t include any industry regulations and it didn’t touch the cities that already had banned dog sales in stores. There is no such grandfather clause in this year’s edition. Indianapolis and Carmel are among the cities that stand to have their pet store bans revoked.
Critics said the legislation was another usurpation of local control by the Indiana legislature and the enforcement provisions are too much for the Board of Animal Health to handle because the bill provides no funding for additional inspectors.
“The board doesn’t have the manpower to handle all this,” said Adam Aasen, a Carmel City councilor. “The pet stores know this and are telling us what rules they want to follow.”
Rep. Kyle Miller, D-Fort Wayne called the legislation an “unfunded mandate on an already understaffed” agency.
The registration fees will go into the Board of Animal Health coffers, as will fines assessed for violations of the bill’s safety provisions. But Rep. Matt Pierce D-Bloomington said on the House floor the agency can’t collect the fines if it doesn’t have the workers — and there is no requirement — just the option — to conduct inspections.
“If you aren’t doing inspections you can’t collect fines,” Pierce said. “We will be chasing our tail, so to speak.”
Rep. Chris Campbell D-West Lafayette said the bill is not only “unfeasible,” it takes away the localities’ ability to address puppy mill profits with their own laws.
“We need to let them decide since it doesn’t look like inspectors will be funded,” he said at the House session.
Pierce and Campbell conceded the legislation was well-intentioned in cracking down on puppy mills but urged the house to delay consideration until next year’s budget session when the Board of Animal Health could be properly funded.
The bill’s supporters, which include pet stores, said the measure provides a much-needed crackdown on under-supervised puppy mills and helps to ensure breeders treat dogs well and that retailers purchase pets from reputable breeders.
Baird said it also “empowers consumers by providing them with essential information” because pet stores will be required to keep records of a dog’s health and purchase history.
Lawler said the bill requires stores to take back dogs that have been sold if the owners decide they can’t handle them.
“There needs to be some type of impulse protection in case the consumer doesn’t fully grasp the commitment required but also to protect them if the dog is unfit due to illness or disease,” Lawler said.
The Council for Animal Welfare said there are 26 pet stores in the state that sell animals and 14 of them sell dogs. A representative from Uncle Bill’s Pet Centers testified at a House committee meeting in favor of the bill as did a representative for the Ohio-based chain, Petland.
Uncle Bill’s has two stores in Indianapolis and one in Fishers, which sells dogs. Petland has a store in Westfield. Carmel passed its ordinance outlawing puppy mill sales even though it has no stores that sell dogs or cats.
The cities with sales bans argued they would increase pet adoptions at overcrowded animal shelters if people did not have the option to buy dogs at stores.
The Legislative Services Agency said there are 192 commercial dog breeders, 113 animal rescues, 107 private animal shelters, 32 public animal shelters and six commercial dog brokers in Indiana.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society and the Association of Indiana Municipalities were among those testifying against the bill.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418 or email him at john.tuohy@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook and X/Twitter.
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Indiana
Private colleges bring students to Indiana. We need state support. | Opinion
Why not use incentives to encourage students to grow roots here and become Hoosiers for life?
Gotham, Marley, Sycamore––3 shipping containers made into rentals
Owner JB Rapp has turned old shipping containers into luxury short-term rentals. Look inside these homes in the 2700 block of N. College Ave.
IndyStar
Indiana and Indiana businesses — from the smallest not-for-profits and startups to the Fortune 500s — need talented college graduates who have the skills needed for today’s world.
Indiana is an attractive destination when it comes to recruiting students to its universities and colleges. But our advantage evaporates when it comes to retaining these graduates; we rank 40th in the country in terms of college graduate retention. Since the Indiana Commission for Higher Education started tracking this metric more than five years ago, this problem of brain drain among the best and brightest is not merely persistent, it is getting worse.
Somewhat surprisingly, this is not a new phenomenon. A landmark (and eye-opening) 1999 study conducted by the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute found that Indiana retained its graduates at a rate almost 30% below the national average. Almost 25 years later, the National Bureau of Economic Research estimated Indiana was a net exporter of college graduates, the 11th worst state in the nation.
This trend is particularly troubling because business investment in Indiana is growing at a record pace, at least partly because of our business-friendly environment. According to the Indiana Economic Development Corp., 2024 marked the eighth consecutive record-breaking year bringing in more than $39 billion of capital investments. The question is whether Indiana can support the talent needs required to buttress and grow these investments in industries that increasingly require college level skills.
To its credit, Indiana retains 67% of Hoosier graduates who earn a bachelor’s degree at an Indiana college or university. However, that number is only 15% for non-residents, according to Indiana’s latest State of Higher Education report.
If you are looking for a silver lining, private institutions like the University of Indianapolis are far more successful in retaining their graduates. More than 90% of our college graduates last year had a positive career outcome — either by finding a relevant job in their field or going onto graduate school. And more than 91% of our undergraduates who chose the employment route remained in Indiana.
But it’s not just UIndy. Private institutions across Indiana retained 71% of their bachelor graduates after one year, and almost 70% five years after graduation, according to data from the Independent Colleges of Indiana. Compare that to Indiana’s public postsecondary institutions which retained 61% of baccalaureate graduates after one year from 2007 to 2018.
Much has changed since 2018 and there are some clear signs of progress, but the challenge remains. We are a net importer of students but a net exporter of those successfully completing their education. Private institutions, including UIndy, also attracted 44% of their freshmen from outside Indiana — which means they are net importers of out-of-state students. That statistic alone should make us think about how we might change the flow from a brain drain to a brain gain.
So what can be done to support private colleges that are bringing talented students to our state? I urge our state lawmakers to recognize the importance of all 29 independent colleges of Indiana: Include them in the conversation around talent development and support them with financial assistance and legislative decisions.
This is not an emotional argument. It is supported by the math. Consider this return on investment data: For every dollar that the state provides to ICI institutions, the state of Indiana gets $70 worth of economic impact. In addition, ICI institutions contribute $1.6 billion in salaries, wages and benefits for their employees.
Their graduates represent 29% of all Hoosier baccalaureate degrees and 36% of all STEM and nursing degrees — no small feat considering the well-earned respect Indiana’s public universities and colleges have in these fields. But while 31% of ICI students are eligible for a Pell grant based on financial need, just 21% of ICI students receive a state grant. Furthermore, the average cost to Indiana taxpayers for each public college bachelor’s degree is more than 10 times higher than an ICI bachelor’s degree ($56,524 vs. $5,436).
Would it not be a worthwhile investment to entrust additional appropriations with those who are bringing young minds to Indiana and keeping them here? Independent colleges and universities bring talent to Indiana, help them develop the skills needed by Hoosier employers and work intentionally to provide them experiential learning opportunities, many of them with our local employers, during their educational training.
There is ample evidence that if students are exposed to experiential learning opportunities such as internships, work-based learning and project-based learning with employers while in college, they are much more likely to stay engaged with the same employers beyond graduation.
We know that incentives like the Hoosier Business Investment Tax Credit or the Headquarters Relocation Tax Credit are attractive tools to encourage investment in Indiana. Why not use similar incentives to encourage people and students to grow roots here and become Hoosiers for life?
For example, Maine offers an Educational Opportunity Tax Credit for students and employers making educational loan payments at both in-state and out-of-state institutions. The Michigan Economic Development Corp. promotes its talent pipeline with the Michigander Scholars Program to meet the needs of the tech workforce with scholarships of up to $10,000 to students who commit to stay in-state for 12 months.
More investment is needed at the private institutions that are educating and training the future Hoosier workforce. Just like the long-lasting benefit brought by a tax incentive for a physical building, it only makes sense to support this with dollars and cents. It’s imperative for us to work together, public and private, to solve our ongoing brain drain problem to create a stronger Indiana for us all.
Tanuja Singh is the 10th President of the University of Indianapolis.
Indiana
Indiana at No. 11 Michigan State Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats
![Indiana at No. 11 Michigan State Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats Indiana at No. 11 Michigan State Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats](https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fd8797a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1440x810!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhdliveextra-a.akamaihd.net%2FHD%2Fimage_sports%2FNBCU_Sports_Group_-_nbcsports%2F201%2F875%2FMSU-Ore.jpg)
The Big Ten men’s basketball season continues tonight as the Hoosiers of Indiana (14-10, 5-8) travel to East Lansing to take on the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans (19-4, 10-2).
Spartans’ Head Coach Tom Izzo is on the precipice of history. He won his 353rd career Big Ten game 86-74 Saturday against Oregon. The win tied the legendary coach with Bobby Knight for the most wins in the history of the Big Ten.
The Spartans sit in second place in the Big Ten, just 0.5 games behind the Purdue Boilermakers. Sparty snapped a modest two-game losing streak Saturday at the Breslin Center with an 86-74 win over the visiting Oregon Ducks. Michigan State outscored Oregon 50-24 after halftime.
Indiana has lost five straight and Head Coach Mike Woodson is paying the ultimate price as the rumors are growing louder he has agreed to step down after the season. The Indiana alum has been unable to get the team to come together despite having Top 25 talent on this roster.
The Spartans’ record in their last ten games is 8-2 while the Hoosiers’ record is 3-7 in their last ten. Indiana is 2-5 on the road this season while Sparty is 12-0 at home.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch Indiana at Michigan State
- Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025
- Time: 9:00PM EST
- Site: Jack Breslin Students Events Center
- City: East Lansing, MI
- Network/Streaming: Peacock
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for Hoosiers at Spartans
- Odds: Hoosiers (+500), Spartans (-700)
- Spread: Spartans -11.5
- Total: 148.5 points
Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Expert picks & predictions for Indiana at Michigan State
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Hoosiers at Spartans Best Bets
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Hoosiers & Spartans game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Indiana at +11.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 148.5.
Indiana at Michigan State: Top betting trends and recent stats
- Michigan State has won 18 of its last 20 home games, while Indiana has lost 7 in 8
- The Under is 11-7 in Michigan State’s home games and Indiana’s road games combined this season
- Michigan State has covered the spread in 4 of its last 5 home games against teams with worse records
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Indiana
How To Watch Indiana Basketball Against Michigan State Tuesday
![How To Watch Indiana Basketball Against Michigan State Tuesday How To Watch Indiana Basketball Against Michigan State Tuesday](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3062,h_1722,x_0,y_1056/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/hoosiers_now/01jkrppvkgth849dj1ar.jpg)
A season that started with high expectations has taken a turn for the worse lately, as Indiana has lost seven of its last eight games. The Hoosiers were picked second in the preseason Big Ten poll, but now they’re looking for a new head coach for next season after Mike Woodson announced Friday his intentions to step down after the season.
On the other side, Michigan State is in the heat of the Big Ten race at 10-2 in conference play. The Spartans lost back-to-back games for the first time all season at USC and UCLA to begin February, but they got back on track Saturday with a win over Oregon.
The home team has won the last four matchups between Indiana and Michigan State, and a Spartans win Tuesday would give Tom Izzo the most Big Ten wins in history, passing Indiana’s Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight.
*** LIVE BLOG: Once the game starts, CLICK HERE to read our live blog written by Jack Ankony, including live updates, highlights and thoughts on the game.
Leading scorers
Indiana Hoosiers
Michigan State Spartans
KenPom rankings
Projected score: Michigan State 79, Indiana 68. KenPom gives Michigan State an 83% chance of victory.
Indiana Hoosiers
Michigan State Spartans
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