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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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WARSAW — A Republican candidate running for Indiana Secretary of State said during a campaign stop in Warsaw on Saturday that she wants to revamp how Indiana elections are conducted to align more closely with the Constitution. 

Jamie Reitenour met with a small group at the Warsaw Community Public Library and said she wants to pass legislation that would eliminate early voting, mail-in voting, and have all ballots counted that day at the grassroots level.

She said she also wants to eliminate the use of vote centers, which Kosciusko County and most other Indiana counties have adopted, in part, because it allows registered voters to cast ballots anywhere in the county instead of one assigned location.

Reitenour is one of two announced challengers to incumbent Secretary of State Diego Morales seeking the Republican nomination through a party convention this summer. Several Democratic Party candidates are also lining up to run through their convention.

Reitenour earned a bachelor's degree from Southwest Missouri State University, and her career includes working as a mortgage broker and a compliance manager. She and her husband have five children who are homeschooled.

She ran for governor in 2024, finishing fifth among six candidates in the Republican primary.

Morales is finishing his first term in office.

The other announced Republican candidate is David Shelton, who was elected Knox County Clerk in 2018 and also serves as the Knox County Republican Party Chair.

Saturday's event attracted eight people, plus two more who showed up near the end of the discussion.

Six of those ten people said they were running on the Republican ballot on May 5 in hopes of serving as delegates at the convention, which will be June 20 in Fort Wayne.

Reitenour contends that Morales promised to support legislation requiring the use of paper ballots but did not follow through.

She was joined by a representative of Citizens Coalition for Legislative Accountability, who cast doubt on the reliability of voting machines.

She also argues that widespread use of voting machines in recent years has coincided with a decrease in voter participation. 

She was asked whether she's concerned that eliminating early voting and mail-in voting would further suppress turnout.

"I really don't see how people can make an argument that it wouldn't produce more people coming out because you're driving everyone to one time to where everybody is in the same place at the same time," she said. "There's a really good argument that just that alone would increase people's desire to get out and be heard."

She said she believes the secretary of state should have a more direct role in election policy, much of which is currently controlled by the Indiana Election Division and the Indiana Election Commission.

She also supports making Election Day a holiday.

She talked for an hour about election issues and her background, but avoided discussing controversial issues involving Morales over trips out of the country and the hiring of a relative to a six-figure job in the Secretary of State's office.

She said voters are angry, tired, oppressed, and overtaxed, and said, "The last thing they need is a voice that's trying to rival the political rat race with your typical political talk."

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WARSAW — Rob Parker, who has led the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce for ten years, has joined the race for Kosciusko County Council’s at-large seat.

Parker released a statement on Friday, citing a desire to serve the community and help guide the county’s future with "thoughtful, principled leadership.

He’s the third candidate to file for the GOP caucus, which became vacant after the resignation of John Barrett. The other candidates are Will Stockdale and Kyle Tom.

The county-wide caucus is scheduled for 6 p.m., Feb. 10 at the Kosiusko County Courthouse.

Parker brings significant community and organizational leadership experience, including leadership at the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and service on multiple nonprofit and civic boards. Through this work, he has collaborated with business leaders, community stakeholders, and elected officials on issues impacting economic development, quality of place, and long-term community sustainability.

A lifelong resident of Kosciusko County, Parker is a graduate of Warsaw High School. He and his wife, Renee, have been married for 30+ years and are the parents of two married children. Parker says his deep roots in the community give him a strong appreciation for the county’s history, values, and potential.

“I believe democracy is best served when citizens are willing to step forward, be elected, and share in the responsibility of self-government,” Parker said. “Local government matters, and I want to be part of ensuring decisions are made with the long-term best interests of Kosciusko County in mind.”

Parker says his focus will be on responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, fiscal accountability, and sound decision-making that supports families, businesses, and future growthacross the county.

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WARSAW — Longtime Republican leader and bank executive Jean Northenor has died.

Kosciusko County Republican Chair Mike Ragan confirmed her passing.

Northenor was a former chair of the Kosciusko County Republican Party and a top political leader for decades whose reach was often felt in Indianapolis.

She also had a lengthy career with Lake City Bank.

Look for more coverage and information about arrangements soon at News Now Warsaw.

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WARSAW — Some of the biggest names in Indiana Republican politics are hosting a reception for four candidates running for Kosiusko County Council in 2026.

The block of candidates includes Council President Tony Ciriello, Dave Wolkins, Joe Erwin and Brad Jackson, a former county commissioner who confirmed his plans last week to run for council.

Elected officials supporting the block of candidates include Congressmen Marlin Stutzman and Rudy Yakym, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, State Sen. Ryan Mishler, and State Rep. Craig Snow.

The event is open to all residents. Snacks will be served.

RSVPs are requested by emailing kormsby@ryanmishler.com or calling 574-371-7790.

On a related note, the Kosciusko County Republican Party Annual Fall Fish Fry is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 30.

The event will be at the Home & Family Arts Building at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds in Warsaw from 4 to 7 p.m.

It is all-you-can-eat for $14 for adults and $7 for children 5 to 12 years old. Children 4 and under are free.

Carryouts are available.

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Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith on Friday landed himself in hot water with supporters over social media posts about Haitian asylum-seekers.

Beckwith, a pastor at Life Church’s Noblesville campus, met with Haitian pastors on Thursday to talk about “faith and family.”

[caption id="attachment_118839" align="alignright" width="440"] Above is a sample of reactions to Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith's comments about Haitians.[/caption]

“Their people have endured earthquakes and violence, and now more than 40,000 are seeking asylum here in Indiana,” he wrote on X. “We spoke about barriers of language and culture while also discussing the power of faith and family.”

“What I saw was not a community asking for a handout, but people determined to work hard, raise their children to become contributors to the great Hoosier state, and assimilate to the American way of life,” he added.

His office told the Capital Chronicle that immigration was a small part of the discussion, and that Beckwith supports the end of temporary protected status for Haiti. In comments on X, he also said he directed the pastors to encourage self-deportation for any congregants in Indiana illegally.

But backlash from fellow conservatives was swift.

X users swarmed to the comment section, accusing Beckwith of trying to bring 40,000 Haitian nationals to Indiana. Some called for his deportation to Haiti.

Conservative news figures from across the country amplified the post.

Beckwith backtracked, at first.

“Ultimately, advocating for firmness does not mean abandoning love,” he wrote in one reply. “I was letting these pastors know that they have a responsibility to care for their own community. It is their job to do that — it is not our job to fund them.”

And he got direct.

“I am not advocating for us to have Haitians come to America or Indiana,” Beckwith wrote in another reply. “I am saying that if Haitians come to our state, they must do it legally, learn English, and assimilate to our culture.”

Then, he turned off the comments to his official X account and deleted his original post and replies. Another wave of commenters seethed.

“I believe the post was widely misconstrued,” Beckwith told the Capital Chronicle via a spokesperson. “The original post wasn’t clear, and words were getting misconstrued, therefore, we deleted the post.”

Critics flooded comments to his personal X account instead.

“This guy asked to come on my show for well over a year,” conservative talk show host Steve Deace wrote. “We finally booked him as a positive example of Christian conservative leadership to our audience. Had I known he advocated this, I would’ve never done so.”

“I’m not calling for them to come to the US… I’m saying that are already here because of the idiotic policies of the previous administration… which I condemn!” Beckwith replied.

“I’ve been the most supportive statewide elected official of the Trump immigration policies in the entire state of Indiana and that has not changed,” he concluded.

Senior Reporter Casey Smith contributed.

* * *

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 — More than 60 people turned out for a Labor Day rally in downtown Warsaw, decrying rising prices in various parts of the US economy.

Monday’s overarching theme concentrated on economic issues, including the cost of housing, groceries, insurance, and taxes.

Robert Osbun, the Kosciusko County Democratic Party treasurer who helped organize the rally, contends President Trump is ignoring the economy.

Trump promised to lower prices on Day One. Instead, he’s done anything but that. Instead, he’s focused on DEI, harassing immigrants, and invading cities,” Osbun said.

“He’s done nothing to help working families,” he said.

Osbun said many of Indiana’s Republican leaders, including Congressmen Rudy Yakym andMarlin Stutzman, US Sens. Jim Banks and Todd Young and” Gov. Mike Braun are “too afraid of Trump’s retributions to stop the attacks on the economy and Democracy.

The protest, one of many organized locally in the first nine months of President Trump’s second term, also drew attention to other issues, including efforts by President Trump to push Indiana Republicans into considering a mid-decade congressional redistricting, which one protester said is a form of election fraud.

One woman at the protest said such a move is tantamount to election fraud.

She said she thinks Gov. Mike Braun will push forward with calling for a special session to order the redistricting regardless of public opinion.

“They no longer measure whether it’s popular or not. They just do what the orange guy says," the woman said. 

Brian Smith, who serves as the Democratic Party's 2nd District Congressional Chair, also took a shot at Congressman Rudy Yakym's opposition to the electric vehicle tax credit that would have benefited Slate Auito as it begins production next year in Warsaw. As a result, the company has had to raise its base to $25,000.

“What Rudy Yakym is doing – his votes in DC – specifically the bill that repeals the EV tax credit, is negatively impacting our city in Warsaw and his district.”

A few agitators showed up once again, occasionally revving engines. blaring horns and squealing tires near protesters lined North Detroit Street across from the library.

Warsaw Police maintained a presence near the protest area. One person was pulled. Another was detained and cited for violation of the city noise ordinance.

The one who was ticketed told News Now Wasaw he was given permission by somebody at the Pak-a-Sac gas station and that that gave him the right to honk his horn for long stretches of time because he was on private property.

Police then arrived and cited him for the noise violation.

Similar protests were held in South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Niles, Michigan.

Below are a few photos of protesters and (at the bottom) a counter-protester who was cited for a violation of the city's noise ordinance. News Now Warsaw photos by Dan Spalding.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="118086,118090,118089,118096"]

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WARSAW — Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, who has quickly become an outspoken Republican leader in state government, will host a town hall meeting in Warsaw Tueday night.

It will mark the eighth town hall since Beckwith and Gov. Mike Braun took office less than six months ago.

The town hall will be at Warsaw City Hall council chambers. It starts at 6:30 p.m., and the public is welcome to attend.

Traditionally, the lieutenant governor serves as the president of the Indiana Senate and becomes acting governor if the incumbent is incapacitated or unable to lead for various reasons.

The position also traditionally has had oversight roles of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, Office of Energy and Defense Development, and the Office of Tourism Development.

But Beckwith is more than happy to address any issue and appears to enjoy engaging with anyone on any topic.

Questions at previous town halls have touched on the legislative session, property taxes, the Bible, separation of church and state, LGBTQ rights, constitutional issues, and race relations, according to coverage by Indiana Capital Chronicle and The Indiana Citizen.

A town hall in New Albany recently focused on property taxes, according to a post on his Twitter account.

Beckwith also recently weighed in on the idea of expanding tolls onto Interstate highways and described his opinion as a "Hard Pass."

"Sometimes discussions get heated, but that only shows how much Hoosiers care about our state and I welcome that passion," Beckwith said in a statement about his town halls posted on Twitter.

The gathering in the city council chambers in Warsaw city hall is set for 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public.

Beckwith has hosted seven other town halls since taking office in January. The event in Kosciusko County is the first one in norther Indiana.

In a news release, Beckwith said he’ll take questions on a full range of issues.

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About 40 witnesses from across the state — including more than a dozen embroiled in contentious Hamilton County elections — weighed in Wednesday on legislation upending Indiana’s nonpartisan school board system.

Amendments are possible before a vote, per the House election panel’s leader.

Senate Bill 287 would require school board candidates to declare a political party and run in primary elections. They’re currently nonpartisan.

Author Sen. Gary Byrne said he aimed to boost transparency for voters.

“It’s already a partisan position, but it’s just hidden,” Byrne, R-Byrneville, said. “… The people that I believe is opposed to this, they want to keep it hidden so they can get their votes in easier.”

Numerous witnesses said board members and candidates conceal their political leanings from constituents, including Dina Ferchmin, who campaigned as a conservative in a recent, unsuccessful bid for Carmel Clay Schools’ board.

“Right now, school board candidates can hide their true beliefs, erase their online history and present themselves as neutral figures with no political leanings,” Ferchmin said.

She accused her opponents of doing just that — but said their campaign materials listed them alongside Democratic candidates and were distributed by Democratic volunteers.

She dismissed calls to “keep politics out of schools,” adding, “That ship has sailed. Politics are already embedded in the curriculum, and they lean left.”

Others from the community rejected such arguments.

“I think you’re getting a false narrative,” Kristina Wheeler, a new member of the Carmel Clay School board said. “And that is that if people had only known what was happening … that the outcomes would have been different.”

“I assure you that the voters in Carmel and throughout Hamilton County know exactly who they voted for. … A lot of this, I think, frankly, comes off as sour grapes,” Wheeler said. She highlighted endorsements from both sides of the aisle.

Jennifer Cashin leads the nonpartisan political action committee Support CCS that backed Wheeler and another candidate over Ferchmin and another opponent. She pushed back when witnesses Wednesday referred to the group as Democrat-aligned.

Cashin said she’s a lifelong Republican and argued that school-related disagreements among Carmel Republicans show how letters behind candidate names won’t “tell you how that person is going to support our school districts.”

Several witnesses said they don’t subscribe to any party.

The legislation “will crush the hopes of people … who want to help but don’t want to get tangled in partisan politics,” said Washington Township Schools board member Steven Thompson. “… I don’t even know what my political party is, to be honest.”

Several working for the judiciary or for federal employers – like the military – said Indiana’s Code of Judicial Conduct and the Hatch Act would bar them from taking partisan elected office, ending their school board service.

Byrne, the bill’s author, said his other goal was to give voters more information and thereby boost turnout.

“They get in (the voting booth), they just may have not seen that information, and they don’t know what to do. It’s best if it’s on the ballot,” Byrne said.

“It’s just one more piece of information,” agreed Rep. Kyle Pierce, R-Anderson. He noted that other specialized elected roles like coroner or surveyor are partisan.

Democratic lawmakers and some witnesses feared Hoosiers would research candidates less, with Carmel resident Jim May accusing supporters of targeting the votes of “wholly uninformed” Hoosiers.

Cecilia Poynter with MadVoters suggested lawmakers address transparency concerns by banning school board candidates from putting partisan indicators on their materials, and help voters by requiring school district websites to include links to candidate information.

Senate Bill 287 would also raise board member pay from the current $2,000 maximum by tying compensation to 10% of starting teacher salaries. The state has a $40,000 minimum — which would double school board pay — but new Gov. Mike Braun wants to land at $45,000.

Wesco, R-Osceola, told reporters the group would revisit Senate Bill 287.

He expected several amendments to be offered, saying it’s “down to a discussion” between this version of the legislation and a simpler, House-originated take that the chamber killed in a deadline last month. Wesco indicated a preference for that draft.

Asked if the idea would get to the House floor for a vote, Wesco said, “I think it’s possible. We’ll have to see.”

Previous attempts to make school boards partisan have failed.

* * *

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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