WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, Indiana Congressman Rudy Yakym and Texas Congressman Pat Fallon introduced the Federal Lands Lawful Carry Act, that would end the blanket ban on carrying firearms inside buildings on federal lands.

Under current policy, visitors must disarm before entering facilities such as visitor centers, ranger stations, and restrooms, even if they are allowed to carry in all other parts of the park.

“Hoosiers who can lawfully carry shouldn’t lose that right when they step into a federal park building,” said Rep. Yakym. “This legislation closes a loophole that turns responsible gun owners into accidental criminals and lets park rangers focus on managing our public lands instead of enforcing unnecessary restrictions.”

“Americans’ Second Amendment rights are under assault, and we in Congress must do all we can to ensure that they retain their God given right to bear arms,” said Rep. Fallon.

“That includes the right to bear arms on Federal lands, including forests, National Parks, and lands held by the USACE. I have written Army Secretary Driscoll in the past requesting that he address this issue, and I am proud to join my colleague, Rep. Yakym on his bill that would codify Americans’ rights to carry on such lands.”

The bill is supported by Gun Owners of America, the National Rifle Association, and the Second Amendment Foundation.

Visitors to most federal lands may currently carry firearms in accordance with the laws of the state where the land is located. However, a blanket federal restriction prohibits carrying firearms inside buildings on that same land, including visitor centers, ranger stations, and restrooms. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) land goes further, banning firearms both on the land itself and within its buildings.

The policy is currently being challenged in federal court. Last month, the Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition, joined by a Texas gun owner, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, contesting the ban on carrying firearms inside National Park Service buildings such as gift shops, bathrooms, and museums.

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Indiana K-12 schools must meet new standards before seeking approval to implement a four-day school week.

The model, once favored by rural schools due to a shortage of bus drivers, is spreading nationwide to urban and suburban districts seeking to recruit teachers and students by extending the school day, so students and staff can take Fridays off.

Schools can apply for a flexibility waiver through the Indiana Department of Education to move to a four-day school week.

Now, schools must earn an “A” grade through the state’s A-F accountability model to be considered for a four-day school week waiver.

That’s one of four minimum requirements outlined in House Enrolled Act 1266, which took effect July 1.

The Indiana Department of Education recently issued guidance to schools about the new criteria ahead of the coming school year.

Schools must also offer transportation for students who choose to attend a school operating on a five-day schedule, meet the state’s $45,000-a-year minimum teacher salary threshold, and offer enrichment and remediation at no cost to parents the day school is not in session.

The State Board of Education must then grant approval before a school can transition to a four-day week.

Vinton Elementary pilots four-day week

Vinton Elementary School is entering its third and final year piloting a four-day school week.

The Lafayette-area school, with an enrollment of 408, is the sole school in Indiana operating on a four-day schedule through the state Department of Education’s flexibility waiver for innovation.

School starts at 8 a.m. Monday through Thursday, with dismissal delayed until 3:45 p.m. — a necessity to meet the required 54,000 minutes of instruction each year, which the school accomplishes in a mere 151 days compared to the typical 180 days.

Students attend class on Fridays only when a holiday falls on a Monday, so they don’t miss two days in one week.

The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates 850 school districts operate on a four-day schedule, saving their budgets an average of 0.4% to 2.5% a year.

Principal Cindy Preston is impressed by the results she’s seen thus far: Student disicplinary referrals are down from 495 before the pilot started to 293 referrals last school year.

Staff absences declined from 656 to 398 a year.

Eighty-nine percent of third graders passed their spring assessments last year, up from 73% when the school still operated five days a week.

And a clear majority of parents and staff report they are satisfied with the four-day schedule, Preston said.

Yet she looks at the new criteria and wonders whether Vinton will qualify for another waiver once the pilot expires.

The school already meets two of the four minimum standards for teacher salaries and transportation.

Students are provided free busing to other elementary schools within the Lafayette School Corporation if parents wish to keep them on a five-day schedule.

The YMCA offers on-site daycare at Vinton on Fridays, but few students participate.

Preston said she is exploring options to provide free onsite enrichment and remedial programming on Fridays to qualify for another waiver, but an “A” rating will be more difficult to achieve.

“We’re a high-poverty school,” she said. “We’re about 80-85% poverty, so hitting that mark is very hard. This will be my 15th year as principal here, and we’ve never reached that.”

A spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Education said waiver applications will formally open to other districts following the release of A-F grades later this school year.

The department prioritizes applications “that clearly center on student needs and include thoughtful engagement with families and school staff about the potential impacts,” said Courtney Bearsch, chief communications officer for the department.

Moving forward

Preston said she’s hopeful lawmakers will either grandfather Vinton in or revise the standards so the school can continue its four-day routine, even if it doesn’t receive an “A” rating this year.

The school applied for its initial flexibility waiver to make the district more attractive to families in neighboring districts.

While enrollment declined the first year, Preston said it rebounded the following year. Twenty-six percent of those new students transferred from a neighboring district, she said.

Initial staff concerns subsided as the year progressed, and the school no longer witnessed an influx of parents removing their child from school early for weekend trips, Preston said.

Teachers had time for deeper, uninterrupted instruction. The 90-minute reading block became 120 minutes, she said.

“Even though we’re squeezing five days (into four), teachers feel like they really do have a lot more wiggle room to do more hands-on, deeper dives into instruction instead of just hitting the surface.”

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News Release

NORTHWEST INDIANA — A motorist who was targeted with gunfire while driving on I-80/90 ended up crashing into a truck.

The Lowell Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call from an individual reporting involvement in a crash on eastbound I‑80/94 near Calumet Avenue north of Munster.

The caller said they had been shot at multiple times while traveling in Illinois and that the gunfire continued as they crossed into Indiana. Preliminary investigation indicates that, while attempting to evade the suspects, the caller’s vehicle collided with the rear of a semi‑truck.

Detectives and crime scene investigators were dispatched. Due to the extensive crash scene investigation and evidence collection, several interstate lanes were closed for multiple hours.

Neither the shooting victim nor the truck driver sustained injuries from the gunfire or the collision.

This investigation remains ongoing.

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Indiana Democrats chose Beau Bayh as their secretary of state nominee Saturday, sending the first-time candidate — with one of the state’s most recognizable political names — into a race that party leaders see as their best opportunity for a statewide seat in more than a decade.

Bayh defeated challenger Blythe Potter at the Indiana Democratic Convention after delegates gathered at the Indiana Convention Center to choose the party’s nominee for the November election.

Bayh earned 61% of delegate votes — 1,385 votes to Potter’s 883, according to convention results. Party officials said 2,269 delegates cast ballots Saturday afternoon, with one blank ballot submitted.

“Hoosiers are ready for something different, something better. They’re tired of insider dealing, they’re tired of the corruption. That’s why I’m going to open an independent audit to root that out on day one,” Bayh told reporters after winning the nomination.

“I’m going to be the type of leader in state government that, regardless of whether or not I’ve had the same exact life experience of someone else, is going to try and unify people around what we do have in common, which is our shared identity as Americans and our love of this state.”

The victory sends the attorney and former Marine Corps infantry officer into a general election contest that Democrats hope can capitalize on mounting Republican turmoil surrounding incumbent Secretary of State Diego Morales and an increasingly tumultuous GOP nomination fight.

Democrats also formally nominated Jessica Bailey for state comptroller and Coumba Kebe for state treasurer. Both were uncontested.

‘We are going to win’

The secretary of state contest was the convention’s most closely watched race, pitting Bayh — the son of former governor and U.S. senator Evan Bayh and grandson of former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh — against Potter, a veteran of the Iraq War and Bargersville business owner who built support among grassroots activists and first-time delegates.

In the weeks leading up to the convention, delegates repeatedly described the race as a choice between competing visions for how Indiana Democrats should pursue statewide victories.

Supporters argued that Bayh offered the party its strongest chance to hold statewide office again, pointing to his fundraising strength, name recognition and ability to appeal to voters beyond the Democratic base.

Potter supporters, meanwhile, took a more grassroots approach, arguing that the party needed a more progressive strategy to energize voters and build support among Hoosiers who have become disengaged from politics.

She told delegates in her pre-vote address that her top priority, if elected, “will be protecting Hoosier voters and challenging barriers that Republicans have put in their way.” Doing so would include “dramatically” expanded voter education programs, non-partisan voter guides and working with county clerks to increase turnout.

“Indiana Republicans have done everything in their power to drive away voting and voters’ rights. I will do everything in my power to stop them,” Potter said.

“We cannot engage with voters by doing things the same way we’ve always done with them,” she continued. “Hoosiers are asking our state for change — asking our country for change. And we cannot be the party of change if you continue to do things the same old way.”

Bayh entered the convention with a substantial fundraising advantage. Campaign finance reports showed he had nearly $1.9 million on hand at the end of the first quarter, compared to roughly $66,600 for Potter.

Throughout his campaign, Bayh centered his message on restoring trust in an office he said had been damaged by controversy under Morales. He has pledged to conduct an independent audit of the Secretary of State’s office, expand voter participation and increase transparency in state government.

He has also emphasized election security measures, including support for Indiana’s voter identification requirements.

“We are going to win. Not just because everyone in this room wants it to be true and will work like hell to make it true … but because Hoosiers are demanding change. Because Hoosiers are ready for something different, something better,” Bayh said in his address before delegates cast their ballots. “We are ready for honest government and we are ready for accountability.”

Convention Chair Robin Winston emphasized that — regardless of the nominee — members of Indiana’s Democratic Party “are more alike than we are unalike.” He pointed, for example, to the party’s cohesion on civil liberties for immigrants, Hoosiers’ access to healthcare, better working conditions for teachers and support for union jobs.

“Our job and our fight is not in this room,” he told delegates. “Our job today is to nominate canid for this winning in November.”

The road to November

The Democratic nominee now advances to a general election campaign that’s likely to heat up even more ahead of November.

Morales, elected in 2022, has faced increasing scrutiny over his office management, including spending of state dollars, hiring decisions and no-bid contracting deals.

The controversies prompted several prominent Indiana Republicans — including U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and Attorney General Todd Rokita — to withdraw support for Morales last month and encourage him to step aside.

Republican delegates will choose their own nominee June 20 at the state GOP convention in Fort Wayne. Morales faces challenges from Max Engling, David Shelton and Jamie Reitenour.

“I assume you will agree with me that it is fundamentally wrong for a secretary of state to buy a luxury vehicle, to bring people in his family on payroll, have no-bid contracts, and think that he’s an economic development official,” Winston said Saturday afternoon. “That is fundamentally wrong,” Winston said.

Former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is also seeking to run as an independent in the race.

Karen Glowacki, a Democratic delegate from Hamilton County, told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that Bayh “has the strategic vision and the integrity to bring our state together.”

“We have a real opportunity, I think, for the first time in a very long time to put a Democrat in state leadership,” Glowacki said after Saturday’s convention.

White County delegate Martha Osten — who previously campaigned for Bayh’s father and grandfather — expressed similar confidence in the younger Democrat.

“I believe that he truly wants to do what’s best for the people of Indiana, and he comes from a long line of public servants, as do I,” she continued. “I just admire him and respect him for doing the same and carrying on the family legacy, as well as his dad and grandfather served us well, and I really believe he has the heart to do so, as well.”

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Gov. Mike Braun not only extended the suspension of the sales tax on gasoline another 30 days Wednesday — he paused the state gas tax, as well.

The latter is 36 cents per gallon, meaning Hoosier motorists will save 59.3 cents a gallon for the next month.

The 30-day tax suspensions, combined, are expected to cost state coffers $104 million and local units $52 million. Braun’s initial 30-day suspension of the 7% sales tax on gasoline came at a separate $50 million revenue cost.

“Making life more affordable for Hoosiers will always be my top priority,” Braun said Wednesday. “Suspending both the gas tax and excise tax gives Hoosiers meaningful relief for the next month.”

The current 30-day sales tax suspension was set to end May 8.

Braun said the energy emergency will give Hoosiers a 12.4% discount on the average price of gasoline in Indiana.

When Braun took action in April, the average cost for a gallon of gas in Indiana was $4.14, according to AAA. That price has now risen to $4.76.

Braun also announced Wednesday that he will increase the mileage reimbursement rate for state employees who utilize their own vehicles for work-related travel. Details on that increase will be shared once confirmed by the governor’s office.

This story will be updated.

* * *

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.

You can read the original version of the story here.

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WARSAW — State Sen. Ryan Mishler said he expects the Chicago Bears will likely decide on their future stadium in May or June, and continues to express confidence that they might choose Hammond. 

Illinois lawmakers are still in session and trying to develop a stadium plan outside of downtown Chicago, something they've been working on for three years.

At the same time, the Bears are considering a plan developed over three months by Indiana lawmakers for a new stadium in Hammond.

Earlier this month, the state of Indiana announced a new arrangement with the owners of the Indiana Toll Road that will funnel $700 million to seven northern Indiana counties for infrastructure improvements.

Some of that could be used in Lake County for related infrastructure near the proposed stadium site. 

Mishler said the new agreement should not be viewed as another inducement.

“It does look like we did it for that, but I can tell you the administration, the previous administration, was coming to me about the toll road. So it was even before this administration started. So it's two separate things, but another option for us to use for something up there,” Mishler said.

He said the Bears would like to have a new stadium ready by 2030, so construction would have to begin soon.

Mishler, who represents parts of Kosciusko County, said he thinks they made a good impression with the Bears.

“I think they're very impressed with how we operate, how we work together, get things done, and they're not used to a government that operates that way," Mishler said.

"I think that is a great compliment," he said.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Bob Kevoian, longtime co‑host and co‑founder of “The Bob & Tom Show,” died at 75.

Kevoian died Friday at his home after receiving treatment for gastric cancer. He announced the diagnosis in 2023 and later created a podcast to document his experience.

Kevoian launched “The Bob & Tom Show” with Tom Griswold in Indianapolis in 1983.

The program entered national syndication in 1995 and grew into one of the most widely distributed morning radio shows in the country. It aired on hundreds of stations and built a large national audience over several decades.

Kevoian retired from the show in 2015. That same year, the National Radio Hall of Fame inducted him. Over his career, the program earned multiple industry honors, including the Marconi Award and the Kurt Vonnegut Humor Award.

Before his diagnosis, Kevoian stayed involved in creative projects and continued to appear at industry events. After retiring, he spent much of his time traveling with his wife, Becky, and camping in their Airstream RV.

Memorial service details are expected to be announced later.

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By Niki Kelly and Mackenezi Klemann
Indiana Capital Chronicle

Gov. Mike Braun issued an executive order Wednesday to enact a 30-day suspension of the 7% sales tax on gasoline — with the potential for extensions.

“I am declaring a gas tax holiday to give Hoosiers relief from the pain at the pump from high gas prices,” Braun said in a news release. “Affordability is my top priority.”

The order is in effect now through May 8. Braun called on retailers to pass savings directly to customers, noting the state will be monitoring prices to make sure.

Taxes on fuel in Indiana are made up of the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, the state excise tax of 36 cents per gallon and the 7% state sales tax.

The current average cost for a gallon of gas in Indiana, according to AAA, is $4.14 — of which about 17 cents is attributable to the sales tax.

Braun estimated savings for Hoosiers could reach $50 million a month. He will revisit the emergency declaration in 30 days.

Attorney General Todd Rokita also announced that his office will actively monitor fuel prices across the state and enforce price gouging protections.

“Hoosiers deserve the full relief intended by this emergency measure and we will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the removal of the tax translates into lower prices at the pump — and that consumers are not taken advantage of during this time,” Rokita said in a news release. “If a consumer suspects that a gas station in Indiana is still charging tax during the suspension, they should file a consumer complaint with our office.”

History of suspending gasoline sales tax

In 2000, then-Gov. Frank O’Bannon suspended the sales tax on gasoline for two 60-day periods heading into an election. It saved motorists more than $46 million.

At that time, gas was nearing $2 a gallon; the savings were between 8 and 10 cents per gallon.

O’Bannon cited a 1981 statute allowing him to declare an energy emergency if “an existing or projected shortfall of at least eight percent (8%) of motor fuel or of other energy sources that threatens to seriously disrupt or diminish energy supplies to the extent that life, health, or property may be jeopardized.”

The law doesn’t specifically mention fuel taxes, but it allows the governor to “suspend the provisions of any state statute regulating transportation or the orders or rules of any state agency if strict compliance with any of the provisions would prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with the energy emergency.”

Authority unclear

But in 2007, then-Gov. Mitch Daniels asked the Attorney General’s Office whether he had the authority to suspend the sales tax on gas.

The letter, signed by then Chief Deputy Attorney General Gregory Zoeller, said it was “clear that a suspension of a sales tax is not among those powers enumerated by this statute nor does it fall with the same category of those within the 1981 act.”

“Without further legislative action granting the governor the authority to suspend the gas tax, we agree that this authority is not within the intent of the 1981 statute,” the letter continued.

A message to Rokita’s office seeking clarity on authority wasn’t immediately returned. All AG opinions are non-binding.

“We feel this is within the latitude of what I’m able to do,” Braun told reporters Wednesday, citing the cumulative effect of inflation.

“The emergency was created by conditions outside our control,” he said, “and that was done in D.C. — not particularly on fuel, but in many of those years it was way above $4. We’ve been carrying that burden for a long time.”

The executive order said the ongoing war with Iran “has threatened the global supply of oil,” with 20% to 25% of the world’s crude oil production shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have blocked the strait in recent weeks.

When asked about the 8% shortage requirement, the governor’s office cited the executive order.

Braun praised President Donald Trump for negotiating a two-week ceasefire with Iran, which he said should lead to lower fuel prices over time.

“This is big news,” Braun said. “You can already see it in the markets. We’ll begin to see that peace dividend over time, and there’s now clarity in terms of what they’re doing.”

Legislative reaction

Half a dozen Senate Republicans released statements supporting the move, including the chamber’s leader.

“Senate Republicans have led on issues of affordability for years, resulting in one of the lowest costs of living in the country for Hoosiers, but the recent spike in gas prices is still leaving many Hoosiers feeling undue pressure on their budgets,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville. “With affordability top of mind right now, I’m supportive of temporarily suspending the state’s sales tax on gas.”

Many of those in support are facing primary challenges and have been attacked for earlier votes to raise the gas tax.

Markle Republican Sen. Travis Holdman, who is locked in a tough reelection race, called on Braun to suspend the gas tax moments before he did so.

“Despite everything we have done at the Statehouse to maintain our state’s low cost of living, the current price of gas is adding too much pressure on Hoosiers and their wallets,” Holdman said. “Today, along with some of my colleagues, I am calling on Gov. Braun to provide relief at the pump for Hoosiers by using his legal authority to suspend the state’s tax on gas.”

House Democrats backed the suspension on Wednesday but questioned the timing.

House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, noted the caucus repeatedly called for a suspension back in 2022, when gas prices jumped amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I want to be clear: House Democrats support this suspension, but Gov. Braun and Statehouse Republicans are only cleaning up a mess that they helped create,” GiaQuinta said in a Wednesday news release. “Hoosiers are tired of unstrategic and unfocused foreign wars that cost American lives, drive up gas prices and raise the cost of living.”

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