(INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE) — Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s  claims about a sitting lawmaker — that she stopped an immigration bill for “personal reasons” — could land him in more legal hot water after she lodged a disciplinary action against him.

Rokita, in an archived April 30 interview with conservative radio host Casey Hendrickson, said the bill “stalled” because “someone had a personal grudge against the language,” naming Fort Wayne Sen. Liz Brown as the barrier. 

“… (She) told me one of the reasons was she’s got a family member who’s an illegal alien,” Rokita told Hendrickson.

In a statement shared with the Indiana Capital Chronicle, a spokesperson for Brown called the claim “blatantly false.”

“Senator Brown does not have an illegal alien relative. This claim by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is blatantly false, and is meant to be misleading to Indiana constituents to make them think that Senator Brown has a personal conflict in performing her duties as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee,” said her legislative office said. “These public erroneous statements are made in an attempt to hurt the credibility and transparency needed and expected in the Indiana state legislative process.”

Brown went on to confirm that she’d filed an official grievance and request for an investigation into Rokita’s comments with the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.

Relevant background

The underlying bill, House Bill 1531, would have required local law enforcement officers to comply with federal detainer requests for undocumented immigrants. It would have also banned employers from hiring unauthorized residents. 

Though the bill passed out of the House on a 64-26 vote, it never got a hearing in the Senate, where it was assigned to Brown’s committee. As the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Brown has the power to select which bills get a hearing — though bills can be reassigned to other committees to circumvent a chair. 

When author Rep. J.D. Prescott was asked about the bill’s demise by the Indiana Capital Chronicle, he referred questions to Brown. 

Brown, an attorney, said she’d shared concerns with Rokita about the legislation “early in the legislative process.” The statement cited the condensed timeline during a budget-writing session and said Hoosiers had shared issues regarding potential impacts, including the possibility of a conflict with federal law.

Instead, the office pointed to her support for House Enrolled Act 1393, which would require local law enforcement to notify federal immigration authorities about undocumented immigrants in custody.

“(Brown) commends President Trump for the decisive actions he has taken federally to stop the flow of illegal immigration,” the statement concluded.

Rokita fired back, saying in a statement that Brown either “provided inaccurate or unclear information to me and others in the past, or she is backtracking now.”

“As for a disciplinary complaint, Liz can get in line. She didn’t give my office the authority to investigate illegal aliens, but she wants others to investigate me over comments she made. How ironic,” Rokita said. “This is also another example of weaponization of the Indiana court system to attempt to silence me and the people of this state who are tired of sending representatives to Indianapolis who don’t really represent them.”

He went on to accuse the disciplinary commission of encouraging “this political lawfare” by endorsing political candidates, making donations and accepting complaints from “politically partisan people.” 

Rokita has faced the disciplinary commission before. He continues to litigate a case in which he called a practicing OB-GYN an “activist acting as a doctor” after she mentioned seeing a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio travel to Indiana for an abortion. She was later fined by the Medical Licensing Board for sharing patient information — a move supported by Rokita. 

Though reprimanded by the state’s Supreme Court justices, a subsequent press release from Rokita’s office and his public statements have prompted further scrutiny.

Indiana Capital Chronicle posted this story May 2, 2025.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We’re less than 23 days away from the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. Indianapolis Motor Speedway kicked off the first of many porch parties at the Harrison Center Friday. These are events designed to have fans show off their decorated spaces to celebrate “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Organizers say it’s all-in an effort to bring communities together and roll out the red carpet for visitors.

The next Porch Party is scheduled for Saturday at the Fishers Farmers market. That’s scheduled to start at 8 a.m.

(WISH) — Severe weather across parts of the nation is delaying the mail in 15 states, including Indiana, the U.S. Postal Service has announced.

Posted in its website about 10 p.m.: “The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced that the processing, transportation, and delivery of mail and packages may be disrupted due to severe weather conditions affecting a wide range of states including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.”

That’s all the details provided.

Got problems with your mail?

Residential customers were advised to check Postal Service’s Mail Service Disruptions website for the latest updates on mail delivery status in their area or call 800-275-8777 for assistance, which provides frequently updated information regarding whether mail is being delivered to specific neighborhoods and the operational status of local post offices.

Business mailers have access to more detailed information about Postal Service mail processing facilities and the operating status of delivery units. They can also find out about any impacts on mail delivery overseas. To report a service disruption, business mailers are encouraged to contact their local “Business Service Network Representative” or visit PostalPro.

Fun fact: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” That’s not the official motto of the U.S. Postal Service, but it was widely cited after being inscribed in the 1910s on the James A. Farley Post Office Building in New York City.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — The Indiana Hoosiers strength coach Derek Owings is staying in Bloomington.

Owings has reportedly signed a three-year contract extension with a “significant pay raise,” according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Ownings stays with the Hoosiers football program after coming to Bloomington with head coach Curt Cignetti last season. He helped the Hoosiers make it to their first College Football Playoff after a historically successful season under Cignetti. Owings has been on Cignetti’s staff since being hired as the James Madison strength coach in 2020.

Rumors were swirling around that Southern California had interest in bringing Owings to the Trojans’ family. According to Thamel, USC “made a strong push” for Owings, but he opted to stay with the Hoosiers.

Three of Owings’ student-athletes at Indiana received All-American honors — linebacker Aiden Fisher, defensive lineman Mikail Kamara and defensive back D’Angelo Ponds.

IU also retaining both its offensive and defensive coordinators, keeping most of the staff intact after last year’s success.

The Hoosiers finished the 2024 regular season with a program-best 11-1 record before falling in the first round of the College Football Playoff to Notre Dame.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to clear the way for Elon Musk ’s Department of Government Efficiency to access Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans.

The emergency appeal is the first in a string of applications to the high court involving DOGE’s swift-moving work across the federal government.

It comes after a judge in Maryland restricted the team’s access to Social Security under federal privacy laws. The agency holds personal records on nearly everyone in the country, including school records, bank details, salary information and medical and mental health records for disability recipients, according to court documents.

The government says the team needs access to target waste in the federal government. Musk, now preparing to step back from his work with DOGE, has been focused on Social Security as an alleged hotbed of fraud. The billionaire entrepreneur has described it as a “ Ponzi scheme ” and insisted that reducing waste in the program is an important way to cut government spending.

Solicitor General John Sauer argued Friday that the judge’s restrictions disrupt DOGE’s important work and inappropriately interfere with executive-branch decisions. “Left undisturbed, this preliminary injunction will only invite further judicial incursions into internal agency decision-making,” he wrote.

He asked the justices to block the order from U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland as the lawsuit plays out.

An appeals court previously refused to immediately to lift the block on DOGE access, though it split along ideological lines. Conservative judges in the minority said there’s no evidence that the team has done any “targeted snooping” or exposed personal information.

The lawsuit was originally filed by a group of labor unions and retirees represented by the group Democracy Forward. The Supreme Court asked them for a response to the administration’s appeal by May 12.

More than two dozen lawsuits have been filed over DOGE’s work, which has included deep cuts at federal agencies and large-scale layoffs.

Hollander found that DOGE’s efforts at Social Security amounted to a “fishing expedition” based on “little more than suspicion” of fraud.

Her order does allow staffers to access data that has been made anonymous, but the Trump administration has said DOGE can’t work effectively with those restrictions.

Elizabeth Laird with the nonprofit group Center for Democracy and Technology said wide-ranging access to sensitive personal data poses a serious threat. “If DOGE gets a hold of this information, it opens the floodgates on a host of potential harms. It also normalizes a very dangerous practice for other federal agencies,” she said.

The nation’s court system has been ground zero for pushback to President Donald Trump’s sweeping conservative agenda, with about 200 lawsuits filed challenging policies on everything from immigration to education to mass layoffs of federal workers.

Among those that have reached the Supreme Court so far, the justices have handed down some largely procedural rulings siding with the administration but have rejected the government’s broad arguments in other cases.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A leaked draft of the proposed federal budget shows a funding cut for the 988 Suicide Prevention & Crisis Lifeline counselors who specialize in helping LGBTQ+ youth.

The 988 service offers a lifeline to youths who have no where to turn in their darkest moments. The 988 service provides emotional support to people in crisis and contemplating suicide, but the talk line also provides specialized counselors for the LGBTQ+ plus community so its members can talk to someone who understands.

One Indianapolis advocate said the loss of federal funding could have disastrous consequences.

“People will die,” said Chris Paulsen, CEO of Indiana Youth Group.

The youth organization aims to create safer spaces to the foster community, and provide programming that empowers LGBTQ+ young people and magnifies their voices.

Paulsen said the specialized counselors at 988 are key. “When you have gone through it you know how to talk to young people about what they’re experiencing, and it’s always good for them to see an adult that has made it through that tough phase,” Paulsen said.

Paulsen said young people often choose to text 988 because they are not in a safe living situation. “Then let the person know that they are LGBTQ, or whatever specialty counselor they want to talk to, and that person is patched through to them.”

A survey from The Trevor Project, a national survey on the mental health of youths, says 40% of LGBTQ+ youths have contemplated suicide in the last year. “And that number is rising with the rhetoric we’re seeing both political and throughout the U.S.,” Paulsen said.

If the budget draft becomes a reality, The Trevor Project said funding for 988 could go away as soon as October.

Another Indianapolis advocate for LGBTQ+ youths is The Damien Center. The mental health service provides care to clients regardless of their ability to pay.

Alan Witchey, the president and CEO of The Damien Center, said of the potential federal action, “This funding should not be cut because it’s critical.”

“Suicide rates, depression, anxiety rates among LGBTQ+ populations are much higher than heterosexual populations. So, cutting off this would mean there would be no options for people.”

Witchey also said 988 is crucial for rural parts of Indiana. “They need ways to connect that are beyond a local support system because the local support system just doesn’t exist a lot of times,” Witchey said.

“It’s a critical lifeline for people that we see without this funding I have no doubt depression rates, anxiety rates, attempted suicides and suicide rates will increase in this state,” Witchey said.

The advocated also encouraged people to talk to their elected representatives about the need for 988 to serve youths with mental health needs.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day across the United States and its territories.

The budget draft shows money would remain for some other specialized services of 988, such as Spanish speakers.