What Indianapolis’ BRT Mess Reveals About the Troubling Power of ‘State Preemption’ in Transportation
"While Republican-led state legislatures are vying (and succeeding) at preempting transit projects across the country, “Indiana has been the most aggressive in this regard,"...Perhaps Hoosier hostility toward transit stands out because of how broadly popular the state’s transit projects are with voters"
Holcomb rolls back wetlands protections
"Builders and developers roundly applauded the new measure, saying it would reduce costs and prevent permitting delays. Environmental advocates decried the measure for endangering state’s wetlands...since the 2022 law took effect — 75% of the wetland acres impacted by construction have been lost with no mitigation or replacement of their lost function."
State Senator Aaron Freeman looks at his phone during tearful testimony
"As Cassanda Crutchfield wept, reliving the traumatic event that claimed her beautiful daughter’s life, Freeman kept his focus down on his phone - perhaps buying accessories for one of his five Corvettes. The highest bidder for his empathy was an auto dealer - just a dab, the secret ingredient to that new car smell in every Ray Skillman vehicle."
#INLegis
https://scottaaronrogers.substack.com/p/this-is-why-we-fight
College faculty overwhelmingly opposed to bill seeking to end “viewpoint discrimination”
"Faculty from higher education institutions across Indiana descended on the Statehouse Wednesday to speak out against a contentious bill that would increase lawmaker oversight of state colleges and universities and push speech in the classroom toward “intellectual diversity.”
Note I just sent to the Hoosier Environmental Council concerning SB 52:
As you suggested, I wrote to my senator, Shelli Yoder, who assured me that she also opposed this bill. She suggested that I contact Rep. Jim Pressel and request that he decline to give this bill a hearing in the Roads and Transportation Committee. Is there a possibility you could add that contact information and suggestion to your website? The bill is currently mentioned here:
Your Voice, Indiana’s Environment: Your Questions from HEC’s 2024 Mid-Session Legislative Update - Hoosier Environmental Council
Indiana Legislature wants to cripple university ability to attract faculty
*sigh*
"Senate Bill 202 would require regular reviews of tenured faculty to determine whether they meet certain criteria related to “intellectual diversity"
@INCapChronicle_Unofficial Yes, the books "Exit Here” by Jason Meyers , “Fade” by Lisa McMann, “l8r, g8r” by Lauren Myracle, and “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” by Laini Taylor are very dangerous! Kids, under no circumstances should you go to Loudmouth Books on 16th Street in Indianapolis, for example, to get copies of these books, no matter how easy it is!
State Senator Aaron Freeman's anti-transit, anti-pedestrian bill watered down slightly
"The Senate...added the creation of a task force to study the impact of those lanes.
Critics of the bill say it micromanages Indianapolis city government and could kill the proposed Blue Line, the city’s bus rapid transit system.
In addition to studying the impact of dedicated lanes, the bill was also amended to study the impact of no-turn on red signs."
Senate adds no turn on red language to bill prohibiting dedicated lanes
The Indiana Legislature loves guns
"Certain elected officials and their office employees could soon be allowed to carry a handgun inside the Indiana Statehouse — a right already extended to lawmakers and their staff."
More handguns in Indiana’s Statehouse? Lawmakers seek to expand carry rights
The Indiana Legislature hates schools
"The committee also heard testimony from worried schools and supportive fiscal experts on legislation extending a cap on school operating referendum levies...The biggest losers would be Indianapolis Public Schools, with a loss of $12.5 million, and Carmel Clay Schools, with a loss of $8 million. An additional 21 school corporations could miss out on at least $1 million each."
House panel moves retiree 13th check, hears concerns on school referenda levy cap
The Indiana Legislature hates libraries
"Indiana Republican lawmakers introduced a bill that would drastically change the way public libraries are funded and limit the types of events and activities they can host. The legislation could also potentially result in decreased funding for library services."
Indiana libraries face drastic funding changes, limits to activities in Senate bill
State Senator Aaron Freeman is a big supporter of local governments, unless they don't do what he wants
#HoosierMast #INLegis
Republican state senator moves to void Indy’s no-turn-on-red ordinance
Is there any organization out there that's doing a decent job lobbying in the statehouse against Aaron Freeman and his anti-environment cohorts?
@TransportationHistorian Aaron Freeman is giving Todd Rokita a run for his money as the worst person in Indiana.
@ilinamorato People may remember Aaron Freeman as the big oil flunky who was so badly outmaneuvered by Indianapolis on the No Turn On Red lights issue. He also received an F grade from the Sierra Club for his opposition to conservation and a D for his opposition to sustainable energy.
"The truth is, we aren’t different than everyone around us. The people of this state disagree with Indiana government on both issues. Hoosiers oppose the abortion ban the Indiana General Assembly passed last year. Hoosiers also oppose the ban on marijuana. If the question were asked here like it was in Ohio, the result would have gone straight-up Buckeye. "
A new EPA Rule would require coal and natural gas plants to store 90 percent of their carbon dioxide emissions underground in about a decade. A committee of the state legislature listened to utility lobbyist arguments against the rule this week. They didn't invite anyone to speak who supported the rule.
#HoosierMast #INLegis #Environment
Indiana regulators concerned about technology, speed needed to comply with power plant rule
@wfyi_unofficial Indiana could do more to prioritize attracting, retaining diverse teachers? 🤔 Yes, yes, for example we could stop putting old white guys in the state legislature. #HoosierMast #INLegis
Indiana House Rep. Robert Behning, who received an "F" grade from the Sierra Club for his lack of support of democracy and justice, is insisting that IPS sell two of their closed school buildings to charter schools for $1. Vote him out.
#HoosierMast #CharterSchools #INLegis
IPS says they don't have to sell closed school for $1, lawmaker disagrees
Lax ethics rules allow Indiana lawmakers to ignore potential conflicts of interest
"The Indiana General Assembly is passing more laws tied to environmental matters, while many of those same lawmakers have economic interests in the building trades, utility companies and real estate firms, and receive large sums of campaign donations from the industries that stand to benefit most from the laws."
Lax ethics rules allow Indiana lawmakers to ignore potential conflicts of interest
Just two Indiana state legislators received an "F" grade from the Sierra Club for their work in destroying the environment, encouraging pollution, and toadying up to Big Oil interests: Senator Travis Holdman of district 19, and Representative Todd Huston of district 37.
State Pols Make Safe Streets Activists in Indianapolis See Red over Right Turns
"State leaders in Indiana have blocked the state’s largest city from banning right turns on red even though it would help increase safety for the city’s most vulnerable road users — just the latest example of a state bigfooting city officials over basic street safety...drivers turning right pose a clear danger for pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users."
State Pols Make Safe Streets Activists in Indianapolis See Red over Right Turns — Streetsblog USA
@atrupar Definitely something we see here at home too - the state has told Bloomington they can't annex property and told Indianapolis they can't outlaw right turns on red.
Indiana state lawmakers.
@IndyStar_Unofficial Indiana legislature is the worst. #INLegis
Book banning planned by the state legislature
Disseminating to minors any matter that is “harmful to minors” is a felony, but if it's disseminated by educators, or with an educational purpose, it's legal. The Indiana State Legislature is considering removing those exceptions.
Steve Hinnefeld drops this in as a by-the-way, but man 🤨
"Conflicts of interest are common Indiana’s citizen legislature, where many lawmakers have careers or businesses that may want favors from state government. There are builders on the regulatory committees, educators on the education committees, lawyers on the justice committees, etc."
Here's a discussion about the Supreme Court's ambition of creating a Christian theocracy in America, a goal shared by the Indiana state legislature. #INLegis
A Indiana state Senate bill aims to ensure Indiana doesn’t transition away from coal “too quickly”.
Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) is sponsoring the bill, which prevents coal plants from closing down just because they're environmental disasters or way more expensive than renewables or even gas. She wants them to stay open as long as they have a useful life.
Indiana uses more coal than any state other than Texas.
#INLegis #HoosierMast #coal #ClimateCrisis
Bill aims to prevent reliability issues when coal plants close early
The Indiana State legislature is requiring public schools to make textbooks free, while not giving them any additional money to pay for them. Private schools, of course, can continue to charge as much as they like for books.
#HoosierMast #INLegis #PublicEducation
Indiana has two different housing problems: oversupply in rural counties; undersupply in the cities. Better transit would seem to be the ideal solution, but the legislature has plans to subsidize builders instead, because who ever heard of transit giving campaign contributions?
#HoosierMast #UrbanPlanning #INLegis
Indiana couldn't set stricter coal ash rules than federal ones under state House bill amendment
The bill would make it so the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation doesn’t have to follow new state rules for its ponds at its Clifty Creek coal plant until it can meet federal requirements.
The waste leftover from burning coal can have toxic heavy metals like mercury, cadmium and arsenic that can pollute local drinking water sources.
Indiana couldn't set stricter coal ash rules than federal ones under state House bill amendment
House Republicans vote to block public funding from Kinsey Institute at Indiana University
Rep. Lorissa Sweet (R-Wabash) offered the amendment to the state budget bill and alleged, without proof, that the institute and IU are currently sheltering sexual predators.
#HoosierMast #IndianaUniversity #InLegis
House Republicans vote to block public funding from Kinsey Institute at Indiana University
Indiana lawmakers sidestep climate solutions conversation yet again
I particularly like this line from the article: "The committee’s chair, Sen. Rick Niemeyer (R-Lowell), told youth activists with Confront the Climate Crisis not to get discouraged." Yes, youth activists, we in the legislature will be long dead by the time it's a real issue, so there's no need to worry at all!
#HoosierMast #InLegis #ClimateCrisis
Indiana lawmakers sidestep climate solutions conversation yet again
Michael Hicks on Indiana hospital monopolies
"Prices for routine medical procedures are among the highest in the world...The monopolization of Indiana’s healthcare industry is so extensive that the six biggest hospital systems are no longer really hospital systems. They are in fact, diverse conglomerates that have acquired so many physician practices, clinics and outpatient services that no new hospital system can enter the market."
#HoosierMast #hospitals #INLegis
The US Dept. of Transportation just announced Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grants. Not a penny for Indiana though. We prefer unsafe streets.
via @broad
Indiana is failing to put enough money into its air pollution prevention program. Republicans love that!
If they don't put more money into it, the federal government will take it over. Republicans hate that!
How will they resolve the quandary???
@mobileharv There was discussion of a second loop around Indianapolis some years back. Died a quick death thankfully but with our crazy legislature you never know. #HoosierMast #Inlegis
Senate panel to consider ‘universal voucher’ bill
"An Indiana Senate committee will consider a proposal this week for a universal private school voucher program that would be open to any elementary or secondary-age student in the state."
Vouchers are terrible public policy.
#INLegis #HoosierMast #privateschool