Indiana

One city's long and historic lawsuit against the gun industry appears to have met its end

After surviving 25 years of appeals, Gary, Indiana's efforts to hold firearm manufacturers responsible for illegal gun sales is likely over after the governor signed a bill aimed at extinguishing the suit.

  • By Vernal Coleman, ProPublica

How to make skills-based hiring work

Now that many public sector jobs no longer require a four-year degree, agencies are reframing how they recruit and train new workers, especially for IT jobs.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Friendly competition heats up energy conservation among neighbors

Indiana saw a 30% reduction in residential energy use across four cities after deploying the MySmartE system that incentivizes households to conserve energy.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Counties use high school students as poll workers to shore up staff

Aging poll workers leaves some Indiana communities short-staffed during election time. A statewide program helps fill those workforce gaps by recruiting high school students to help with administrative tasks during elections.

  • By Whitney Downard, Indiana Capital Chronicle

How improvements in onboarding can lower employee turnover

One of the greatest challenges confronting state and local governments is a badly understaffed workforce. Here’s one technological and personal way to confront that problem.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Indiana, other states increasingly restricting foreign land buys

Indiana was the only state to enact a law restricting certain foreign investments in its agricultural land in 2022, but more are taking action by blocking specific governments or political parties.

  • By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, States Newsroom

Reducing Gun Violence: A Complicated Problem Can’t Be Solved With Just One Approach

Indianapolis is trying programs ranging from job skills to therapy to violence interrupters to find out what works

  • By Thomas D. Stucky, The Conversation

Indiana Opens Special Session to Debate Near-total Abortion Ban

Lawmakers convene to introduce a near-total ban, just weeks after a 10-year-old had traveled to Indiana to receive an abortion unavailable in her home state.

  • By Mariel Padilla, The 19th

How Right Wing Candidates Fell Short Trying to Overtake a Solidly Republican Legislature

A primary fight that played out in Indiana on Tuesday pitted social conservatives against establishment GOP incumbents.

  • By Daniela Altimari

Snowy Roads Will Be Cleared, But It Will ‘Take Extra Time’

The ongoing labor shortage has exacerbated existing plow driver hiring problems, transportation officials said.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

5 Midwest States Form Electric Vehicle Pact

They plan to work together building out charging infrastructure and on other issues. The agreement comes after Ford unveiled plans for big electric vehicle investments in another region.

  • By Bill Lucia

Judge Blocks Maryland from Cutting Federal Unemployment

Twenty-six states plan to stop providing supplemental $300-a-week unemployment payments before the program ends in September. Jobless workers in five states have challenged the decisions.

  • By Andrea Noble
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Indiana Must Continue Federal Unemployment Payments, Judge Rules

The ruling is the latest development in a lawsuit over Gov. Eric Holcomb’s decision to prematurely curtail the state’s participation in the expanded benefits. More than two dozen states have made similar moves.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

One State is Poised to Shield Businesses from Covid-19 Lawsuits

Indiana legislators approved the measure on Monday, sending it to Gov. Eric Holcomb. Lawmakers in a number of states are weighing proposals to protect businesses from liability related to Covid-19.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

‘Vaccine Tourism’ Leads to Tighter Eligibility Checks

States’ rollout of the coronavirus vaccine has been uneven, and left some people searching for appointments across state lines. Health officials say it’s a problem given scarce resources.

  • By Andrea Noble

Republicans in State Legislatures Look to Toughen Rioting Penalties

Indiana is one of nearly two dozen states where proposals along these lines have emerged in the wake of last year's protests over racial justice and police misconduct. Critics are raising constitutional rights concerns.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Timing of Covid-19 Vaccine for Health Care Workers Depends on Where They Live

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Kansas and Missouri plan to rely on the honor system to comply with priority distribution of coronavirus vaccines ... Employees in one Louisiana city will receive a one-time lump-sum hazard payment ... Indiana lawmakers hope to shield businesses from Covid-19 lawsuits.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

The Pandemic Hasn’t Stopped This School District From Suing Parents Over Unpaid Textbook Fees

When the pandemic started, several school districts in Indiana halted the long-standing practice. But one district has filed nearly 300 lawsuits against parents, and others also have returned to court.

  • By Kim Kilbride and Ellis Simani, ProPublica

How to Fairly Use Algorithms to Make Tough Decisions

COMMENTARY | With computer power increasingly used to guide policies adopted by states and local leaders, governments need to take steps to ensure the underlying algorithms aren’t biased.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

One State Will Deploy National Guard to Nursing Homes

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said the National Guard will take over employee health screenings, data entry and other tasks to allow staff members to focus on patient care.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

How Planning to Protect Data Privacy Helped One State’s Covid-19 Response

By creating standardized data sharing agreements that cover privacy issues unique to each state agency, Indiana officials say they were able to streamline requests to share data with the public.

  • By Andrea Noble