Indiana Public Radio

01/24/2025

SB 146 would raise the minimum teacher pay from $40,000 to $45,000 per year.

A bill that would raise the floor for teacher pay in Indiana passed out of the Senate Education and Career Development Committee this week. Lawmakers disagreed on how much to raise the pay floor, but the bill still passed committee unanimously. SB 146 would raise the minimum teacher pay from

01/24/2025

Rokita said an influx of undocumented immigrants in recent years is overtaxing Indiana’s resources.

Republican Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sued St. Joseph County Friday, alleging its jail is breaking a new state law by not cooperating with federal immigration officials. Rokita, a vocal supporter of President Trump, held a press conference in the lobby of the County-City Building, momen

01/24/2025

“Just think about this situation, how meaningful it is and how powerful it is to have somebody who’s actually in recovery sitting on the edge of the bed with somebody who’s currently going through detox or having a mental health crisis,” Langhammer said.

Health care facilities are barred from hiring employees who have been convicted of certain criminal offenses, including felony convictions within the last five years related to “controlled substances.” Lawmakers want to introduce an exception for peer recovery coaches. A House committee appro

01/24/2025

R**e kits that are part of a police report in Indiana must be sent to one of the state’s two crime labs.

Indiana has at least 600 r**e kits waiting to be tested at the state’s crime labs. And there are potentially many more in local law enforcement agencies, waiting to be sent to the labs. A House committee unanimously advanced a bill this week to help eliminate that backlog. R**e kits that a

01/24/2025

Sen. Mike Bohacek (R-Michiana Shores), the bill’s author, said the goal is to give the potential law teeth, not prosecute social media companies.

The Indiana Senate advanced a measure Thursday that would require children younger than 16 to get parental permission before creating social media accounts. Despite some concern about the bill's implementation, it was supported by most of the Senate. The bill would require social media compan

01/23/2025

Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers. Host Manoush Zomorodi inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly, ourselves. Tune into NPR's TED Radio Hour during its new program time, Sundays from 4-5 p.m. 🎙

📻: 92.1 FM Muncie, or download the Ball State Public Media app

01/23/2025

The bill’s author, Rep. Brad Barrett (R-Richmond), said many of these changes have been discussed for years, but this year they were “investigated and embraced” as a part of a larger Healthy Indiana Plan, or HIP redesign.

A House committee approved a bill that would make several funding changes to Indiana’s Medicaid expansion program. House Bill 1586 was supported by key health care stakeholders, such as the Insurance Institute of Indiana and the Indiana Hospital Association. The bill’s author, Rep. Brad Barre

01/23/2025

This weekend on The Facing Project, host J.R. Jamison-Pippin is joined by journalist Mark Hertsgaard, whose latest book unpacks the histories of segregation, violence, and systematic oppression toward Black Americans through the lens of the largest mass shooting in New Orleans' history that ultimately led to his friendship with Deborah Cotton and a lesson on empathy.

Tune in to IPR at 1 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday, or access anytime at indianapublicradio.org/thefacingproject, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or NPR Podcasts.

01/23/2025

The bill would create a pilot program to build up to two small nuclear plants in the state.

Several bills that would make Hoosiers pay some of the cost of building small modular nuclear reactors are working their way through the Indiana Statehouse. But a Senate bill that passed committee on Thursday, SB 423, would allow the tech companies driving the need for these plants to share that cos

01/23/2025

One critic of the measure called it a “green light for racial profiling.”

Indiana law enforcement would be required to send notice to federal immigration officials if they have probable cause to believe someone they arrested is an undocumented immigrant. That’s under a bill approved by a House committee Thursday. One critic of the measure called it a “green light f

01/23/2025

Under SB 235, DEI’s definition includes social justice, systemic oppression and antiracism. And it bans taking positions on those issues.

Diversity, equity and inclusion — and a list of policies and beliefs tied to them — would be banned in state agencies, educational institutions and any organization that receives money from the state under a bill approved by a Senate committee Wednesday. Under SB 235, DEI’s definition include

01/22/2025

“Because they’re not able to work right now in this weather, and so until the weather gets better and they can start sometime in the early spring, they’re going to take those barricades down.”

The city of Muncie says drivers on Tillotson Avenue will get a break from construction barriers and lane restrictions. But the relief is only temporary. Last month, Indiana Michigan Power announced it would extend its work on Tillotson Avenue through next summer. Crews found a necessary “underg

01/22/2025

This week on Pop of Culture, we're listening back to some of our favorite interviews from last season. The silk painter and business owner of Carrie Wright Silk talks to us about how she grew her company and lessons she learned along the way. Muralist Holly Sims explains how she goes from concept to color on a wall. And John Morris brings some of his work to our studio to answer the question, "What Are You Working On?"

Tune in this Friday & Saturday at noon, here on IPR, or stream any time at https://indianapublicradio.org/popofculture! You can also find Pop of Culture on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or NPR Podcasts.

01/22/2025

Terminated pregnancy reports, or TPRs, are completed by medical providers following an abortion and include data about the patient and the procedure.

Gov. Mike Braun is ordering the Indiana Department of Health to resume releasing individual terminated pregnancy reports, as it did before the state’s near-total abortion ban took effect. Terminated pregnancy reports, or TPRs, are completed by medical providers following an abortion and inclu

01/22/2025

Braun is also ordering the state to evaluate the value of charity care provided by non-profit hospitals and how it compares to the tax savings those hospitals receive.

Gov. Mike Braun signed a series of executive orders Wednesday that aim to make health care more “affordable, accessible and transparent.” The orders include directing state agencies to prioritize addressing surprise billing, pharmacy benefit managers and high drug prices. Braun said he wan

01/22/2025

The head of Feeding Indiana's Hungry says more than half of people served by the network of food banks were working in the past year.

Seven in 10 Hoosiers served by the network of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry say they skipped meals due to not having enough food. That’s according to their new survey. Emily Weikert Bryant is the executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry. She said more than half of people served by the networ

01/22/2025

Indiana is already in the midst of a five-year reduction of its individual income tax rate.

Indiana is in the midst of a five-year reduction of its individual income tax rate. A bill unanimously approved by a Senate committee Tuesday would continue to cut the rate after that — but only if state revenues grow. Indiana’s individual income tax rate will go down to 2.9 percent in 2027,

01/22/2025

“That any person of color, an immigrant or first generation American, woman or member of the LGBT community hired or promoted did not get there thanks to talent, integrity or hard work, but because simply they checked a diversity box,” Harris said.

The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus said Gov. Mike Braun’s executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion in state government sends a message that Indiana doesn’t care about fairness. Braun’s order said DEI will be replaced with MEI — merit, excellence and innovation. Black Caucus