The Marion Superior Court ruled that the Indiana General Assembly has the authority to convene emergency legislative sessions without the governor’s consent under House Enrolled Act 1123.

Gov. Eric Holcomb filed the lawsuit, claiming the new law was unconstitutional because it impermissibly infringes upon his constitutional authority.

Marion Superior Judge Patrick Dietrick ruled that the General Assembly now has complete authority to set the rules governing the timing of its sessions.

It may extend its session, as it did this year to complete the redistricting process, or enact measures such as HEA 1123, giving it the ability to commence a session limited to a specified agenda.

Gov. Holcomb is expected to appeal the decision.

Lawmakers recessed the 2021 session early rather than adjourning sine die.

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed House Bill 1372 into law extending the legislative session until November 15 in order to vote on redistricting because the coronavirus pandemic postponed 2020 census results.

Though the session has never been extended, the Indiana Constitution states the length of the legislative session is set by law, so the move is not unconstitutional.

House Bill 1372 states the current April 29 deadline will still be in place for future long sessions, and in all other aspects, the legislative session will act as though it is adjourning for the year, including fundraising.

House Bill 1372 permits lawmakers to start fundraising again on April 29, instead of on the usual day when the General Assembly adjourns the session sine die.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Rep. Holli Sullivan will replace Connie Lawson as the new secretary of state.

Lawson, Indiana’s longest-serving secretary of state, was appointed in 2012 and won elections in 2014 and 2018.

Sullivan, who has represented House District 78 since 2014, will serve as the state’s chief election officer until the next election in 2022.

Sullivan also serves as the current vice chair of the Indiana Republican Party.

Lawmakers convened the 122nd Indiana General Assembly with several adjustments due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

These changes include moving the House of Representatives to the Government Center South building and installing plexiglass barriers in Senate.

Neither chamber is requiring masks despite a push by House Democrats on Organization Day for a mask mandate.

Republicans also have supermajorities in both chambers.

Lawmakers will be focusing on writing the two-year budget, which must be done by June 30.

Additionally, they will redraw legislative and congressional district lines when the state receives the population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb was reelected in the biggest statewide race on the ballot this year.

Holcomb defeated Democrat Dr. Woodrow A. Myers by roughly 28 percentage points, and third-party Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater by over 45 percentage points as of Wednesday morning.

At the time of this post, 74% of votes are counted.

The Lobby Registration Commission is extending the first period activity report filing deadline from May 31 to July 15.

First period activity reports cover the period from November 1, 2019, to April 30, 2020.

Any late fees imposed for reports filed June 1 to July 15 will be waived, but reports filed after July 15 will be subject to late fees.

The Lobby Registration Commission staff will continue to work from home in compliance with Executive Order 20-18, issued by Gov. Eric Holcomb to extend Indiana’s stay-at-home order until April 20.

The Election Commission has suspended the normal requirements for absentee balloting in the June 2 presidential and state primary elections.

Gov. Eric Holcomb postponed the presidential and state primary elections to June 2 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Indiana Election Commission Order 2020-37 authorizes the temporary suspension of the state’s statutory absentee voting eligibility requirements.

This will allow all voters to cast their ballots by mail.

The Lobby Registration Commission staff will be working from home until April 7 to comply with Executive Order 20-09, issued by Gov. Eric Holcomb on March 24.

Certain procedures have been changed until further notice.

During this time, any reporting or lobbying law questions should be emailed to Ed Ferguson at eferguson@lrc.in.gov.

Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and all other inquiries may be submitted by email to Amy Nicholson at amynicholson@lrc.in.gov.

MOUs must include a current phone number and contact name.

Submitters will be contacted via telephone to provide the social security number.

Executive Order 20-09 also extended the expiration date for any state agency-issued license, certification, or permit expiring during the public health emergency to May 22.

Gov. Eric Holcomb issued Executive Order 20-07 today, postponing the May 5 presidential and state primary elections to June 2.

The governors order is due to the state of emergency he declared on March 6 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The second regular session of the 121st General Assembly adjourned sine die on March 12, after a 14-hour session.

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed 25 of the 45 bills received in the last two days of the session.

This is including one providing for electronic filing of campaign finance reports by candidates and committees.

Additionally, Holcomb signed a bill preventing the state and political subdivisions from contracting with a “prohibited person”.

This is officially defined as a person designated as posing a national security threat to the integrity of communications networks.

As a result, the remaining acts passed by the Legislature become law on the eighth day after presentment if Holcomb does not sign or veto them.

Allen Superior Court Judge Jennifer DeGroote blocked the city of Fort Wayne from enforcing a pay-to-play ordinance.

The ordinance restricts how much money the owners of companies could give elected officials and still bid on city contracts.

Under the ordinance companies are forbidden from bidding on a city contract if any owner, partner, or principal who owns more than 10% of the company gave more than $2,000 to the political campaign of a person with the responsibility of awarding contracts.

Judge DeGroote’s ruling stated the ordinance was superseded by state law, specifically the Home Rule Act.

The Home Rule Act grants municipalities the ability to self-govern in areas not covered by the state.

Under state law, elections are the domain of the Indiana Election Commission.

Allen Superior Court Judge Jennifer DeGroote heard arguments on Wednesday in a case focused on a 2018 Fort Wayne City Council ordinance.

The ordinance limits financial contributions of contractors and their family members to political campaigns in Fort Wayne.

The measure prohibits business entities from bidding on city contracts if any officer, partner, or principal with more than 10% ownership has donated more than $2,000 to a campaign of someone with ultimate responsibility for awarding city contracts.

Kyle and Kimberly Suzanne Witwer filed the suit in April challenging the ordinance and requesting a judge block it’s implementation.

While no ruling was made on Wednesday, both sides must submit proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law by Friday.

There could be a potential ruling next week.

The main issue being considered at this time is whether state contribution laws make this ordinance unnecessary.

More ethics and campaign finance changes happening at the state level. Check out which states are making moves in today’s NYCU Video Digest!

The first regular session of the 121st Indiana General Assembly adjourned sine die on Wednesday, April 24.

The legislative session lasted 112 days, with adjournment coming five days before the statutory April 29 deadline.

During the last day of the session, legislators approved more than three dozen bills including a two-year state budget.

Additionally, the legislature passed a gaming bill that legalizes sports wagering.

The second regular session of the 121st General Assembly is scheduled to convene on January 2, 2020.

An organization day scheduled for November 9, 2019.