By Alexa Shrake  TheStatehousefile.com  INDIANAPOLIS—“Whose body? Our body. Whose choice? Our choice.” Chanting could be heard down East Washington Street as hundreds of people gathered in the pouring rain at Lugar Plaza Saturday morning, protesting for women’s reproductive rights.  Signs smear from the rain, but that does not discourage protesters from staying for the rally Saturday in Indianapolis. Photo by Alexa Shrake, TheStatehouseFile.com. Nine other Rallies for Reproductive Rights occurred across Indiana and more than 600 nationwide. Hosts of the Indianapolis event includ ..read more

By Haley Pritchett TheStatehouseFile.com  INDIANAPOLIS— In Greek mythology, there is a princess named Cassandra.  Cassandra is blessed with the gift of being able to tell the future. Her gift is practically useless, however, because she has been cursed so that no one will listen to her truth or heed her predictions. She is powerless during catastrophes.  Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Portage, said on Friday morning during the third Senate reading for redistricting maps that although she does not claim to be a Cassandra, she can relate to that great frustration.  Sen. Greg Taylor, D ..read more

By John Krull TheStatehouseFile.com INDIANAPOLIS—Democrats should feel grateful that Donald Trump exists. John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com Their opposition to the former president seems to be about the only thing holding the party of Jefferson, Jackson, FDR and JFK together. If Trump didn’t exist, Democrats would spend all their time fighting with each other. The ongoing struggle to pass President Joe Biden’s infrastructure and reconciliation measures shows just how deeply divided the Democratic Party is. Progressives want both measures adopted as a package. Moderates would prefer ..read more

By Michael Leppert MichaelLeppert.com I briefly considered writing about sports this week. Indiana University’s football team was expected to have a great season following last year’s breakout run. That hasn’t happened yet. The Colts are 0-3 and in the middle of a road-game heavy stretch that doesn’t serve a comeback well. The U.S. Ryder Cup team destroyed the Europeans this year, but that news is so last weekend that most of us are already over it. Michael Leppert is an author, educator and a communication consultant in Indianapolis. He writes about government, politics and culture at Michae ..read more

By Alexa Shrake  TheStatehouseFile.com INDIANAPOLIS—Senate Democrats pushed back at House Bill 1581 with nine amendments in a marathon three-hour session Thursday, but all failed.  Concerns about further marginalizing minority groups drove many of the amendments. Some would have redrawn district lines to create more competition while others would have reunited communities or required more independent outside involvement for the next redistricting in 2030.   Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, begins Senate debate on redistricting with amendment 10 Thursday. Like other amend ..read more

By Ashlyn Myers TheStatehouseFile.com Women make up 50.8% of the population and 48% of the American workforce, but only 27% are engineers. To combat this, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is holding an event called Invent It. Build It. (IIBI) Oct. 23 at the Indiana Convention Center for girls in grades 9-12. Billed as “the world’s largest conference for women engineers,” according to SWE’s website, it offers girls the chance to: Girls at the 2019 SWE conference participate in an engineering activity. Photo provided by The Society of Women Engineers. Participate in hands-on engineering act ..read more

By John Krull TheStatehouseFile.com INDIANAPOLIS—Two American leaders—one from each political party—just offered a reminder of how mature adults behave. John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming, delivered her lesson in three words. “I was wrong,” Cheney said in an interview with CBS’s Lesley Stahl. Stahl had asked the congresswoman about Cheney’s opposition to same-sex marriage. That opposition created a rift between Cheney and her sister, who is gay, married and has children. With those three words—I was wrong—Cheney showed how grownups acknowledge mistake ..read more

Staff Report The Indiana Citizen In a rare moment of bipartisan unanimity—and one that will at least slightly delay this year’s redistricting process—Indiana Senate Republicans on Tuesday further changed their redrawing of eight Marion County districts, an adjustment that they said was spurred by suggestions in public testimony and from Senate Democrats. The amendment to the Republican-authored redistricting legislation, House Bill 1581, was approved by consent—meaning there were no objections by any of the seven Republican or two Democratic members—by the Senate Elections Committee ..read more

By John Krull TheStatehouseFile.com INDIANAPOLIS—So, the unqualified Arizona election auditors former President Donald Trump and his amen chorus pinned their hopes on came up with a surprising result. John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com They found that Trump lost the state by even more votes than the official count said. Did that persuade the former president and his cult to dial down their rhetoric about last year’s “stolen election?” Did it convince them to do what adults do when they experience a setback—pick themselves back up and start figuring out ways to do better in the futur ..read more

By Haley Pritchett TheStatehouseFile.com  The Senate Chamber was filled with outrage and passion on Monday.  Around two dozen citizens spoke at the public hearing regarding the Senate-proposed redistricting maps, and not a single one of them approved.  Many sported “reform redistricting now” buttons on their chests.  Sen. Jon Ford, R- Terre Haute, and Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, introduce the Senate redistricting maps and welcome public testimony at a public hearing Monday. Over two dozen citizens spoke against the redistricting maps drawn by Republicans. Photo by Haley Prit ..read more