Congress is facing a Friday Jan. 19 deadline to pass a spending bill, which helps determine the government’s budget and discretionary spending for the fiscal year. Without it, the government will shut down.

Indiana Tax Court Judge Martha Blood Wentworth has been recognized by her peers from across the United States as the Lawrence L. Lasser Tax Judge of the Year, an award presented annually by the National Conference of State Tax Judges.

This section of the Indianapolis Bar Association is in the process of selecting its Executive Committee members for 2018. We currently have an active Executive Committee, which meets monthly in order to plan and execute social events, educational programming and community service initiatives.

New to the world of government practice? Take a look at this video from the American Bar Association! 

Several recent local rule amendments may impact criminal law practitioners is Marion County. The amendments relate primarily to the end of the Arrestee Processing Center. The following table includes some of these important changes addressing initial hearings and pre-trial release.

The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) will have new leadership with the departure of Commissioner Courtney Schaafsma. Schaafsma has been nominated by Indiana Office of Management and Budget Director Micah Vincent to serve as executive director of the state’s Distressed Unit Appeals Board (DUAB). Schaafsma has served as DLGF commissioner since 2014 and is the longest serving commissioner in DLGF’s history, also
serving for four years before that in various roles at the department.

Effective December 1, 2017, amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure will require filers to use the national version of a Chapter 13 plan, or a locally adopted version that complies with certain requirements. The Court has decided to continue use of a local version, and has modified the current plan form to satisfy the new requirements. A copy of the plan form is attached. Instructions for submitting comments appear below. Once the plan form is finalized, a fillable version will be made available on the Court’s website.

According to the Chicago Tribune, State Senator Mike Bohacek has promised to introduced a bill that would include a sentencing aggravator if “a crime was committed with intent to harm or intimidate an individual based on certain factors including race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, political ideology, sexual orientation and status as a public safety official.”

The Judicial Conference Advisory Committees on Appellate, Bankruptcy, Criminal, and Evidence Rules have published proposed amendments to their respective rules and forms, and requested that the proposals be circulated to the bench, bar, and public for comment.

Changes in Indiana law through Senate Enrolled Act 505, provided new recording fees effective July 1, 2017 for all 92 counties. However, the Indianapolis City-County Council was required to adopt an ordinance to maintain predictable recording fees. The Council unanimously passed the ordinance on July 10, 2017 effective August 1, 2017.