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By: Leslie Bonilla Muniz Indiana’s gas tax will continue to rise with inflation — up to one penny a year — while key figures gather for a long-term look at how the state funds its roads: inflation, electric vehicles, local road woes and all. The three-year extension of the annual tax hike, inserted into the…

Dear EarthTalk: I am looking for more stuff I can binge watch on my TV. Any environmental documentaries you’d recommend? The power of film is in its capacity to transport viewers to places we might not have been able to go before. Nature documentaries in particular bring us close to ecosystems and species that are…

Dear EarthTalk: I recently heard the term “slow design.” Can you enlighten? Slow design is a design philosophy that emphasizes quality, longevity and sustainability. It seeks to counteract the fast-paced, disposable nature of contemporary culture by prioritizing thoughtful, intentional design over mass-produced, trend-driven products. It is about creating objects that are functional and beautiful, and…

By: Casey Smith Indiana lawmakers gave charter schools major funding boosts in the next state budget after advocates ramped up lobbying efforts in the 2023 legislative session to extend more benefits to the traditional public counterparts. New appropriations for charter schools are part of a $1.487 billion increase in tuition support for schools of all…

By: Kim Dodson It is hard to believe that I just finished my 30th legislative session working as either a staffer for the House of Representatives, or as a lobbyist in varying capacities. And things have definitely changed. From day one, I fell in love with the legislative process, fascinated by the relationships and strategic…

By: Don Schroeder The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of an over-the-counter (OTC) version of naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray is good news for people with substance use disorder and for those of us in the addiction treatment field dedicated to helping them. The FDA’s landmark decision makes Naloxone Nasal Spray (also known as Narcan)…

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) reintroduced the Tornado Observation Research Notification and Deployment to Operations (TORNADO) Act to improve the forecasting and understanding of tornadoes and other hazardous weather. The TORNADO Act would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to update its methods for predicting and communicating weather alerts…

Dear Editor, I am a Noblesville resident, and I would like to respond to the issues raised against the new Collection Development Policy at HEPL, namely those claims that state the policy encourages book banning and the endangerment of children. I have seen firsthand the contents of the books in question.  This has been a…

Attorney General Todd Rokita continues Indiana’s battle to help Hoosiers stop smoking and decrease the number of youth smokers throughout the state by holding tobacco manufacturers accountable.  Last week Indiana received more than $136 million from tobacco product manufacturers under the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.   “The harmful effects of tobacco take the lives of thousands…

Fentanyl smuggled across the southern border is taking more than 70,000 American lives per year. U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) in reintroducing the Stop Fentanyl Border Crossings Act, legislation to add drug smuggling as an additional basis for Title 42 immigration enforcement authority, thereby preserving for Border Patrol agents an…