Elections & Politics

Moms Demand Action and other gun control activists from across Indiana gathered at the Statehouse Saturday to demand state and federal policymakers pass legislation to reduce gun violence.

A bipartisan group of local and state officials joined the crowd to talk about what they and activists can do to reduce gun crime in Indiana – including passing federal red flag legislation and limiting access to firearms.

During his remarks, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett signed the Mayors Against Illegal Guns statement of principles from the gun control advocacy group Everytown. 

A healthcare consultant and former hospital administrator is headed to the Statehouse to replace outgoing Republican state representative Kevin Mahan.

Ann Vermilion of Grant County was until recently the longtime administrative director of Marion General Hospital, where she helped an effort to decrease the number of opioid prescriptions written.  She now runs a healthcare consulting business.

Vermilion asked a GOP caucus to select her because she’s passionate about rural Indiana and party values.

It’s unlikely Tippecanoe County will have new election machines to use in the 2020 election.

Election Board Chairman Randy Vonderheide calls it “very unlikely” machines can be purchased, certified and made compatible with existing e-pollbook software before the end of the year.

County Clerk Julie Roush says Indiana law mandates each county to take those steps by the end of the year preceding an election. So the deadline for the 2020 presidential cycle would be December 31, 2019.

Though Tippecanoe County Election Board members say they’re happy Purdue University is going to modify its identification cards, members Thursday indicated some current students might still be unable to vote unless they obtain a different ID.

Local election officials have, for more than a decade, allowed Purdue IDs to be considered valid forms of photo identification under the state’s voter ID law. But Election Board member Kent Moore says state leaders have adopted a new interpretation of statute.