Indiana Senate votes to override local rental rules ban veto

(Sam Householder/Elkhart Truth)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Republican lawmakers have taken the first step toward overriding the Indiana governor’s veto of a bill blocking cities from regulating rental properties, which opponents argue would prevent local officials from protecting tenants from abusive landlords.

The state Senate voted 30-17 Monday to override the veto that Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb issued in March following last year’s legislative session. The bill’s supporters say it avoids a “hodgepodge” of local regulations. Holcomb’s veto can be overridden by a simple majority in both the Senate and the House, which has not yet scheduled a vote.

Holcomb says the bill shouldn’t be adopted during a pandemic.