Dear Indy,
The legislative session ended last week.
It was a short one — just two months! — so we at Mirror Indy didn’t anticipate spending much time over at the Statehouse.
But much like a black hole, the Indiana General Assembly has a way of absorbing all that surrounds it.
By the end, we found ourselves tracking a dozen bills.
The Blue Line. Downtown district. Birth control. Third grade reading. Wetlands. Two-year degrees. The list goes on.
Now we have a skimmable list that explains where every bill ended up.
Because unlike black holes, eventually most of the work by Indiana lawmakers can be viewed by light.
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In other news
- Hundreds of Indianapolis women from international backgrounds went to Indy’s Global Village over the weekend to celebrate International Women’s Day — a day dedicated to women from around the world who have made a difference. “Women are making a change, and our voices, our experiences and our influences are making the difference,” Judith Thomas, deputy mayor of neighborhood engagement, told the crowd. “But there’s a lot of work to do — a lot more — and we need to support each other more than ever.”
- Indy’s music scene is evolving to not only become more inclusive but also to welcome an under-21 crowd into shows. “I think a lot of bands my age and younger want to bring as much music and as much accessibility to Indianapolis as we can,” said Alex Beckman, 27, frontman for the Indy punk band Pat and the Pissers. “We don’t want anybody to be turned away because of age, or for any reason at all.”
- Una planta química del lado oeste está cerrando, pero los residentes quieren saber qué es lo que sigue. Leer más.
What’s going on around the city
- Tomorrow, March 13: Boxx The Artists joins Dominique Moon, Marcya Hill-Brown, Plum Virtu, Desarae LeShore and Daja Ray at the Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., for a screening of “The Women in Between” at 6 p.m. A panel discussion on womanhood, colorism and identity will follow. Free, but registration is required.
- Thursday, March 14: Indiana Landmarks will host a discussion on the Jungclaus-Campbell Co., Indy’s oldest general contractor responsible for some of the most iconic buildings throughout the city. The conversation kicks off at 6 p.m. at 1201 Central Ave. $5.
- Saturday, March 16: The Philippines Cultural Community Center, 4141 S. East St., is serving up classic Filipino foods — all on a stick — starting at noon. From chicken feet to bananas to BBQ, there’s something for everyone to try.
— Breanna Cooper, arts and culture reporter
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
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What else we’re reading today
- Chalkbeat Indiana: The number of English language learners in Indianapolis Public Schools has grown by more than 2,000 students since the 2017-18 school year. Staffing, though, remains a challenge. Now the school district is updating its approach for English language learners. “It’s going to be hard, without a doubt,” said Arturo Rodriguez, the district’s director for English as a New Language.
- IndyStar: In the Springdale neighborhood on the east side, Tick Tock Lounge has been hosting a weekly trivia night for a decade. And it’s a favorite for regulars, such as Josh Bowling: “When I came in, my drink was already here,” Bowling told IndyStar.
- WFYI Public Media Collective on X: Staffers at WFYI announced their effort to unionize as part of SAG-AFTRA.
Reflections
At the top of the newsletter, I shared our article wrapping up our coverage of the legislative session.
But I also wanted to give some shoutouts to our local partners for their excellent coverage of the legislature — especially at Chalkbeat Indiana (with this summary of education bills) and the Indiana Capital Chronicle (the entire site is filled with coverage).
It was cool to see a photo from Capital Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Niki Kelly showing just how much the Statehouse press corps has grown.
That’s great news for all of us. We at Mirror Indy were able to rely on other local media to cover legislation with statewide impact while we stayed focused on bills within our newsroom’s topic areas, such as health, higher education and Indianapolis local government.
As we look ahead to the upcoming elections, we aim to follow a similar playbook.
Ryan
P.S. If you liked something about today’s newsletter, or didn’t, let me know at ryan.martin@mirrorindy.org. It helps us serve you better.
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