Indianapolis, IN
‘Obscene performances’ public funding ban moves forward
INDIANAPOLIS (INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE) — A bill that left the Senate with near-universal support picked up a “barnacle in committee,” as one House Democrat put it last week, leaving the House on a 71-20 vote Monday.
The House additions widen the scope of the underlying bill beyond an effort to replace a criminal term throughout Indiana code to include a focus on obscene performances.
As originally written, Senate Bill 326 would have replaced “child pornography” with “child sex abuse material,” acknowledging that children are being sexually abused in such images. But a House committee added a new provision: barring government entities from using public money to fund, organize or host “obscene performances.”
A House floor amendment, which moved largely along party lines, also added a method of enforcement by allowing people to sue Indiana entities for alleged incidents.
“Language shapes the way we understand and confront these issues and the term child pornography is not only inaccurate, it minimizes the horror of the crimes committed. Pornography implies a level of consent and children cannot consent,” said House sponsor Rep. Andrew Ireland. “… we’re taking an important step to save our Hoosier children.”
The Indianapolis Republican said the language regarding obscene performances would ensure “that public funds are never used to support the exploitation of children.”
Defining something as obscene has to meet a high bar, known as the “Miller Test.” That work must be based on an average person’s reaction and consider the entire work, not just an isolated portion.
But critics maintained that such performances aren’t happening, noting there are already penalties regardless of someone’s government affiliation.
“More and more this General Assembly is taking itself to an alternate reality where it legislates against problems that don’t exist,” said Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington. “We create a strawman and then we knock it down and ‘Look at us! We really solved that problem!’
“The problem never existed. But it appeals to somebody out there, so we do it now.”
Further discussion
Ireland didn’t cite specific instances of obscene performances using taxpayer dollars on Monday nor in his testimony last week when he introduced the penalty language.
It also doesn’t limit such legal action to only Indiana residents, meaning that, according to Pierce, “any person in the universe can sue your local government when they’re offended by somebody and try to make an argument that it’s obscene.”
Pierce was one of the committee members to advance the bill, noting the high bar to meet the state’s obscenity standard, which he dubbed a “barnacle” on the House floor last week. In addition to the Miller test, a litigant would generally need to prove they have been harmed by obscene performances — a barrier meant to tamp down on frivolous lawsuits.
But Pierce said the language eviscerates that and says “we don’t care if they’re harmed or not. We don’t care if they have a direct injury.”
Municipalities may still need to spend their dollars defending themselves from such accusations, which could include plays, poetry and drag shows.
“Keep in mind, anybody involved in this supposed obscene performance that local government might be funding can already be arrested and imprisoned under our current (law),” Pierce continued. “I would think the fear of going to prison would keep local officials from going into the smut-peddling business.”
Ireland agreed with Pierce that such obscene performances “have never occurred and I hope never occur … in part, thanks to this bill.”
“This is nothing new under the sun,” concluded Ireland.
The final vote tally split both parties, though only Ireland and Pierce spoke on the measure. It now goes to the Senate, which must vote to accept or reject the House amendments before the bill can advance.
IndyGo serves 22,000 riders daily who rely on it for jobs and healthcare. The funding is voter-approved and separate from road budgets.
IndyGo paratransit services have possible 57% rate hike
Ryan Malone appreciates IndyGo paratransit rides. He has vision impairments and MS. He talks about the rides and the proposed 57% fare increase.
The April 14 letter titled, “Indianapolis doesn’t prioritize pothole repairs” raises a fair frustration shared by many drivers, but it misrepresents priorities, ignores dedicated funding streams, cherry-picks numbers and overlooks how IndyGo delivers broad, measurable value that helps roads and the city overall.
The 2026 Indianapolis city budget directs unprecedented funding to roads. The Department of Public Works’ most recent capital plan included $218 million for transportation infrastructure in 2026, in addition to key investments in additional snow removal and road maintenance equipment. DPW’s transportation capital funding has nearly tripled since 2016. Since that time, the city has resurfaced 1,279 lane miles and strip-patched 1,169 more.
The city is prioritizing basics; roads got a massive boost even with tighter revenues.
The state funding formula has disadvantaged Indianapolis by using two-lane road mileage and ignoring urban complexity. But House Enrolled Act 1461 shifts to a lane-mile formula and provides $50 million extra annually to Marion County — and state law restricts those funds to construction and reconstruction of local streets.
There are several points aimed at IndyGo that are worth correcting and adding important context the public should understand about this critical city service.
The claim that IndyGo’s $432 million budget “could go a long way toward streets” is the most misleading. The 0.25% income tax was voter-approved in 2016 — with nearly 60% voting yes — specifically and exclusively for public transit. These locally raised dollars leverage up to a 400% federal match, multiplying their impact several times over and ensuring Indianapolis captures funding that would otherwise go elsewhere. Diverting them would break a voter promise.
The “less than 2% uses the bus” stat is a classic distortion. IndyGo’s 2025 ridership included 6.7 million trips, or nearly 22,000 riders Monday through Friday. Transit serves disproportionately low-income, senior, disabled and car-free residents who rely on it for jobs, healthcare and school. It isn’t a luxury — it’s mobility infrastructure.
Public transit isn’t in competition with roads; it complements them. Every $1 invested in public transit generates $5 in broader economic activity. The Red Line alone delivered more than $7 per $1 invested, and IndyGo’s BRT network has already attracted more than $1.2 billion in corridor development.
By completion of the Blue Line, IndyGo will have paved more than 90 miles of Indy streets and built or repaired more than 1,300 ADA ramps. Nearly 7 million riders take cars off the road — fewer vehicles mean less congestion and less wear-and-tear on pavement, directly reducing potholes.
Potholes are real, but scapegoating IndyGo distracts from the actual balanced progress underway. Indianapolis is a world-class city with a great future, and the best is yet to come.
Richard Wilson is treasurer of the IndyGo Board of Directors.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — Purdue University has received a $20 million commitment from the Ricks Family Foundation to establish the Purdue Institute for Healthcare Systems Innovation at the Indianapolis campus.
The institute in the Mitch Daniels School of Business aims to improve health care efficiency and effectiveness, the university said in a news release issued Wednesday afternoon.
Dr. Christina Ricks and her husband, David A. Ricks, the chair and CEO of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co., are the primary leaders of the foundation.
James “Jim” Bullard, a dean for the Daniels School of Business, said in the release, “Considering the health care situation in the U.S. today, there is a clear need for rigorous, market-informed research that challenges conventional thinking and drives new solutions. This institute will allow Purdue to lead that work and make a lasting difference.”
As Purdue works to develop its relatively new Indianapolis campus, the university recently announced that plans for a 12-story apartment building on recently acquired canal property in Indianapolis are now on hold as the university develops its campus, Mirror Indy reported.
This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
INDIANAPOLIS — A woman was critically injured in a shooting on the northeast side of Indianapolis Tuesday night.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the 5500 block of East 41st Street around 8:45 p.m. to investigate a shooting. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult female with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
Per IMPD, the victim was transported from the the scene to a local hospital in critical condition. Police reported that hospital staff later provided them with an update that indicated the victim remains in critical condition.
Investigators believe the shooting occurred inside a residence on 41st Street. One shell casing was found in the front yard of that residence near its driveway. Police do not believe that stray shell casing is related to the shooting in any way.
Law enforcement detained a person of interest during its investigation of the shooting. IMPD has not yet provided any of the detainee’s identifying information like sex, age or name.
Police do not believe the shooting poses any ongoing threat to the public. Investigators are, however, still encouraging area residents to call IMPD at (317) 327-3475 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477 to pass along any information they may have on the shooting.
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