INDIANAPOLIS — As the saying goes, nothing is truly dead in the Indiana General Assembly.
Until “sine die,” that is. What is sine die? It’s an insider term that is Latin that’s roughly translated as “that’s all folks.”
This is the part of the legislative session where dead bills sometimes get resurrected. That’s happening this year with what’s known as constitutional carry.
After House Bill 1077 died in the Senate, its language was brought back by a conference committee this week as the new Senate Bill 209.
It’s a process that’s legal and it means the bill could quickly go to both the House and Senate with no more public comment and no amendments.
That would mean no more scolding from Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter, as happened last week.
Gov. Eric Holcomb hasn’t said whether he would sign the bill into law, but it probably doesn’t matter. The Republican supermajority could override his veto with a simple majority vote.
There was concern among teachers and civil rights activists that similar maneuvers would bring back House Bill 1134, the bill aimed at putting restrictions on teachers when it comes to talking about racism and LGBTQ issues in the classroom.
But, for now, HB1134 appears to be remaining dormant.
After the bill’s first death, Senate Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville said there was a chance parts of it could be inserted into other bills by a conference committee.
However, this week, House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said if that happened, House Republicans would be unlikely to go along with it.
Republicans in the House are still not happy with what they saw as a watering down of the bill in the Senate, which removed some of the rules teachers would have to follow. Senators also took away the possibility that parents could sue teachers over lessons the parents didn’t like.
-
Advocates push for more teen support after Carmel shooting leads to five arrests
The shooting happened Saturday in the 1100 block of Golf View Drive. Carmel Police stated that the incident originated from an attempted robbery. Four of the suspects are 17 years old, and one is 14.
Parents express safety concerns following rape investigation at Tarkington Park
Parents and residents in the Butler-Tarkington area are sharing concerns after a recent sexual assault occurred at their local park.
Deteriorating sidewalks in Indianapolis neighborhood spark community outcry
Residents of Indianapolis' east side are urging city officials to address the deteriorating conditions of their sidewalks as Mayor Joe Hogsett prepares to present his 2026 budget on Monday night.
INDOT seeking input on Indiana State Rail Plan
According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Hoosier state is ranked fourth nationally in the number of freight railroads, making rail a critically important economic driver.
