Gary residents can legally buy marijuana less than an hour away in Illinois. Back home, they can still be arrested for having it. That contradiction is becoming harder to ignore in Northwest Indiana, where state leaders are once again weighing cannabis policy while leaving current laws largely unchanged. Indiana remains one of the few Midwestern […]
Indiana General Assembly
Posted inEducation, Health, Politics & Policy, Utilities
Gary Lawmakers Warn New Laws Could Raise Energy Bills, Cut Medicaid Coverage
Gary residents could soon feel the effects of new state laws on everything from health care coverage to energy bills and public schools, local lawmakers warned last week. At a legislative town hall Saturday in Gary, state Sen. Mark Spencer and state Reps. Earl Harris Jr. and Vernon Smith walked residents through the changes, highlighting […]
Posted inHigher Education, Partner Content
Indiana’s Targeting of Degrees With Low Earnings Could Eliminate These Programs
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters Indiana lawmakers are moving to eliminate state college degrees that aren’t earning graduates enough on the job market, mirroring the federal government’s targeting of career programs delivering poor results. SB 199 appears to only apply to a handful of degrees at […]
Posted inUtilities
As Utility Bills Rise, Northwest Indiana Lawmakers Want More Help For Families
As Northwest Indiana residents’ utility frustrations mount over triple-digit increases, legislators, too, are feeling the pressure to use the tools at their disposal to help provide relief. At the Statehouse on Thursday, lawmakers debated the details of House Bill 1002, a proposal intended to help customers manage higher utility costs through expanded payment plans, assistance […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Government
What’s at Stake for Gary in Indiana’s 2026 Legislative Session
Gary residents once again have a lot at stake in this year’s state legislative session, from proposals targeting diversity initiatives to changes in Medicaid eligibility and renewed efforts to lure the Chicago Bears to Northwest Indiana. As lawmakers move deeper into the session, several high-impact bills have already advanced, while others have stalled or failed […]
Posted inEducation, Partner Content, Politics & Policy, State Government
From Cellphones to STEM: What Indiana Lawmakers Are Debating in 2026
This story was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Stricter cellphone bans, more focus on STEM and increased school “efficiency” are shaping up as some of the highest-priority education debates Indiana lawmakers will tackle during a fast 2026 legislative session that starts back up next week. The session will be shorter than usual — […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Government
Senate Rejects Early Redistricting; Indiana Voters Remain in Current Districts
In a 31-19 vote, Indiana’s controversial early redistricting push hit an unexpected wall Thursday, as the state Senate declined to move forward with a vote that would have finalized a new congressional map targeting the state’s two Democratic-held districts in Northwest Indiana and Indianapolis. The House passed the plan earlier this week, but the Senate’s […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Indiana Redistricting Plan Could Leave Gary Residents Without a Voice in Congress
For nearly a century, voters in Gary have helped choose who represents Northwest Indiana in Congress. Under a proposed redistricting map now moving through the Statehouse, that influence would be diluted across a far larger, nine-county district. The proposed congressional map advanced by Indiana House Republicans would dismantle Northwest Indiana’s current district and disperse Gary’s […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, State Government
House Passes Redistricting Plan That Dilutes Black Votes in Gary
After months of partisan standoff, public outcry and pressure from the White House, the Indiana House of Representatives voted 57-41 on Friday to pass House Bill 1032, a congressional map that could reshape the state’s political landscape for decades. Frustration and discontent echoed through the Indiana Statehouse as hundreds of Hoosiers crowded outside the House […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Government
After Backing Off, Indiana GOP Expected to Reopen Congressional Redistricting Fight
Indiana lawmakers will return to the Statehouse on Dec. 1 for a rare early start to the 2026 legislative session, where Republicans are expected to revive a proposal to redraw the state’s congressional map mid-decade in a move Democrats say will destabilize elections and undermine representation in Northwest Indiana. The announcement from House Speaker Todd […]