Gov. Eric Holcomb announced he plans to call Indiana lawmakers back into a special session this month to distribute $1 billion in tax relief to Hoosiers due to inflation.

The special session also would open the door for lawmakers to pass legislation addressing other issues.

The governor’s office said lawmakers could decide if they wanted to address other issues at the special session.

No date has been set for the session to begin but Holcomb stated it would be before the end of June.

In a unanimous ruling, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled the bill giving the General Assembly the ability to call itself into special sessions was unconstitutional.

House Enrolled Act 1123 was passed with a veto override in 2021, and Gov. Eric Holcomb filed a lawsuit claiming the new law was unconstitutional because it impermissibly infringed upon his constitutional authority.

The ruling states that under the constitution, only the governor has the power to call a special session and only a constitutional amendment can give that power to lawmakers.

The second regular session of the 122nd Indiana General Assembly adjourned sine die on March 8 after passing House Bill 1242 and Senate Bill 348.

Senate Bill 348 requires campaign finance reports to be filed electronically and allows for electronic signatures.

House Bill 1242 requires the Department of Administration to adopt administrative rules to establish a goal to procure in each state fiscal year at least 1.5% of state contracts with state agencies from minority business enterprises, nonprofit agencies for individuals with disabilities, veteran-owned small businesses, and women’s business enterprises.

Indiana lawmakers canceled the one-day special session scheduled for November 29, and Gov. Eric Holcomb has extended the COVID-19 emergency.

The session’s agenda, ending the public health emergency, has been delayed to the January legislative session.

The Indiana Supreme Court decided to hear Gov. Holcomb’s challenge to House Enrolled Act 1123, permitting the Legislature to call itself into special session.

Oral arguments are scheduled in April after the Legislature ends its session on March 14, 2022.

If the General Assembly called itself into a special session, any laws passed could be subject to a constitutional challenge.

Indiana lawmakers have called for a one-day special session on November 29 to consider legislation to end the current COVID-19 public health emergency order in place since March 2020.

Gov. Holcomb has stated he will allow the public health emergency to expire if lawmakers approved steps that would allow the continuation of enhanced federal funding for Medicaid expenses and food assistance programs, and also maintain the childhood vaccination authorization.

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.