Legislative Services Agency

State lawmakers want to figure out how to identify and help school corporations before they fall into financial distress.

Monday a study committee heard about possible ways to evaluate a district’s income and debt.

The state’s Legislative Services Agency, a bipartisan legal analysis group, offered different indicators and methods to analyze those indicators, such as outstanding bond debt and income, to figure out if a district is fiscally sound or trending into trouble.

The Owen County Prosecutor says he hasn’t decided whether to pursue the death penalty for the man accused of raping and killing one-year-old Shaylyn Ammerman.

In order for a case to qualify for the death penalty, it must meet at least one of 18 circumstances outlined by the General Assembly. One of those circumstances is murder of a child.

Assistant Executive Director of the Indiana Public Defender Council Paula Sites says fewer county prosecutors are pursuing capital punishment.

State education and legal officials are looking into a potential problem with the law that mandates schools receive annual A-through-F accountability grades.

The law that mandates the state gives schools A-F grades each year has been around since 1999, but the law has been tweaked several times over the last few years, as policy changes around standards and testing arose.

A House committee Tuesday approved legislation that opponents say will prevent state agencies from enacting much-needed protections.  But proponents argue it will help ensure agencies don’t overstep their rulemaking authority.

Rep. Dave Wolkins’ (R-Warsaw) bill would add a new step to the state’s rulemaking process.  When agencies propose a rule, the legislature’s research bureau, the Legislative Services Agency, will review each measure to determine whether the General Assembly or the federal government gave the agency authority to make that rule.