Indiana

Indiana's Mitch Daniels to Co-Chair Panel Reviewing Space Program

Associated Press — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Former Indiana governor, now Purdue University President Mitch Daniels, has joined a panel that will make recommendations about the future of the nation's space program.

The Committee on Human Spaceflight is part of the 2010 NASA Authorization Act. Its purpose is to review the space program's long-term goals and direction and suggest ways to sustain it.

Daniels says Purdue has a long history with the space program and that he's honored to serve on the panel. Purdue's alumni include astronauts Virgil `Gus' Grissom, Roger Chaffee, Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan. Armstrong was the first man on the moon, and Cernan was the last.

Daniels will serve as co-chairman of the committee through June 30, 2014.

Indiana Seeing Surge in Gun-Permit Applications

Associated Press — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:57:43 +0000

Indiana State Police are seeing a surge in gun permit requests amid the national gun-control debate sparked by December's deadly Connecticut school shooting.

The Indianapolis Star reports state police are now seeing up to 4,000 permit requests each week. That's three times the number the agency was handling at the same time last year.

Indiana residents make online gun permit applications to the State Police, but those applications are funneled to local police agencies for inspection, fingerprinting and background checks.

Each of those applications must be reviewed and approved or rejected by the local police chief, town marshal or county sheriff.

Court Rules Indiana's Ban on Sex Offenders Using Facebook Unconstitutional

Associated Press — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:53:38 +0000

An Indiana law that bans registered sex offenders from using Facebook and other social networking sites that can be accessed by children is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.

The 7th U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Chicago overturned a federal judge’s decision upholding the law, saying the state was justified in trying to protect children but that the “blanket ban” went too far by restricting free speech.

The 2008 law “broadly prohibits substantial protected speech rather than specifically targeting the evil of improper communications to minors,” the judges wrote.

Pence Set to Be Sworn in as New Indiana Governor Monday

Kentucky Public Radio's Rick Howlett — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 08:50:00 +0000

Indiana’s new governor will be sworn in Monday at the statehouse in Indianapolis.

Republican Mike Pence will become Indiana’s 50^th governor during an 11 a.m. ceremony, taking the oath of office along with Lt. Gov.-elect Sue Ellspermann and Attorney General Greg Zoeller.

Pence spokeswoman Christy Denault says the new governor will deliver his inaugural address and then get right to work.

"At 11:53 we expect to conclude, turn around and walk through those doors, and then Gov. Pence will walk straight to his office and we have some order of business to begin immediately, says Denault. "He’ll be signing executive orders that day, first day executive orders."

Pence will deliver his State of the State address to the Indiana General Assembly on January 22.

Outgoing governor Mitch Daniels will report for duty Tuesday as the new president of Purdue University.

Income Tax Showdown Could be on the Horizon in Indiana

Kevin Willis — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:08:16 +0000

Despite the fact Republicans control the Indiana Governor’s mansion, House, and Senate, a standoff appears to be brewing over Governor-Elect Mike Pence’s plans to cut income taxes. Pence takes office January 14^th, and is admitting he has no budget experience at the state level.

However, Pence is a conservative Republican and a veteran of some bruising federal budget battles over his eleven years in the U.S. House. The Columbus, Indiana native has promised that pushing a 10% income tax cut will be his top legislative priority next year.