The House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee, chaired by Representative Doug Miller, advanced five bills and amendments during a busy session that focused on modernizing public notice rules, clarifying tourism district agreements, updating Attorney General office procedures, reviewing state boards and compacts, and creating a regional professional sports development commission.

The largest and most contentious item was House Bill 13‑12, which would create a searchable statewide public‑notice registry run through the Office of Technology and offer local governments the option to post legally required notices online rather than rely solely on newspapers. Representative Melzer said the registry would operate in phases (counties under 50,000 first, then 100,000, then statewide) to avoid an initial influx of notices and to allow early problems to be worked out. “This basically allows the state and local units to decide how they want to do these publications,” Melzer said.

Supporters including Accelerate Indiana Municipalities and the Association of Indiana Counties told the panel online posting would save local governments time and money and improve timeliness for projects and procurement. Isabel Elliot of Accelerate Indiana Municipalities said many small cities are constrained by single weekly newspapers and that a statewide, searchable site would provide a “central place to look” for notices. Ryan Hoff of the Association of Indiana Counties said counties spend tens of thousands of dollars a year on legal advertising and cited Hendricks County as an example that spent roughly $93,000 with local publishers.

Newspaper publishers and the Hoosier State Press Association opposed removing newspapers as the primary vehicle for public notices. Amelia McClure, executive director of the Hoosier State Press Association, argued that printed notices are “an accessible, archivable, and verifiable, and independent source” and warned that a new state portal would require substantial manpower and storage beyond the single position in the bill’s fiscal note. Stephen Crane, publisher of the Morgan County Correspondent, testified that local print circulation for many small papers remains strong and said plainly, “Newspapers are not dead.” Robin McCloskey, publisher of the Kokomo Tribune and the Logansport title she represents, said newspapers already post legal notices online and urged lawmakers to work with publishers on modernization rather than replace the press.

Representative Melzer framed the bill as permissive: local governments could continue to publish in newspapers, the bill supplies an additional statewide option, and newspapers would still be able to pull notices from the registry and publish them. She said a central repository would also let contractors and others search statewide for bidding opportunities.

The committee also approved an amendment and the underlying legislation offered by Representative Karakoff that changes how the Indiana Destination Development Corporation negotiates tourism development project agreements. Karakoff said Amendment No. 4 requires the corporation to collaborate with the local executive (city, county or town) to set a maximum approved project cost and allows municipal legislative bodies to require district boundaries be drawn to exclude certain businesses or to prevent overlap with other assessed districts. “There’s not a blank check — the locals and the district have to agree what’s the cost of the project,” Representative Karakoff said.

Representative Karakoff also sponsored an omnibus bill for the Attorney General’s Office (identified in committee as House Bill 12‑20). Clinton Baum, chief administrative officer for the Office of the Attorney General, told the committee the bill has two main functions: it would allow the AG to send required teacher notices by email instead of first‑class mail and would remove the statutory requirement to publish unclaimed‑property lists in newspaper inserts. Baum said the AG’s office has returned $263,000,000 in unclaimed property over the last four years and that the newspaper inserts cost roughly $500,000 and represent 20–25% of the office’s advertising budget; he said targeted outreach, direct mail and social‑media advertising have yielded better results for returning property.

Chairman Miller presented House Bill 12‑72, a product of a summer study committee, to require biannual reporting by statutorily established committees and to create a procedure for reviewing inactive or obsolete compacts and commissions. Miller said the bill also creates a path for Indiana to withdraw from the Interstate Rail Passenger Network Compact that has not been active and is set to expire in 2026. The bill includes an explicit exemption so federally regulated entities such as the Indiana Disability Rights Commission are not covered by the review process.

Representative Harris sponsored House Bill 12‑92, which would create a Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission and a Professional Sports Development Fund to pursue stadium development and franchise recruitment to the region. Harris described the measure as a regional economic development vehicle and said it would unite local mayors, county officials and state economic leaders to produce a master plan. Testimony in favor included private citizens who urged the committee to consider Gary as a potential site for professional franchises and to view the commission as a tool for job and infrastructure investment.

Votes at a glance
• Amendment to tourism development agreement (Amendment No. 4 to the tourism district bill): Committee voice/roll call — reported out as amended (committee recorded as passing with 11 ayes; two members recorded as excused).
• House Bill 12‑20 (Attorney General omnibus — teacher notices by email; remove newspaper insert requirement for unclaimed property): Do pass as amended — reported out (11 ayes, 2 excused).
• House Bill 12‑72 (committee/compact review; path to exit Interstate Rail Passenger Network Compact; phased reporting beginning July 1, 2027): Do pass as amended — reported out (11 ayes, 2 excused).
• House Bill 12‑92 (Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission / Professional Sports Development Fund): Do pass — reported out (11 ayes, 2 excused).
• House Bill 13‑12 (statewide public‑notice registry; Office of Technology; phased county rollout): Do pass as amended — reported out (11 ayes, 2 excused).

Committee context and next steps
Representative Doug Miller presided for the session and turned day‑to‑day chair responsibilities to Vice Chair Tim O’Brien at one point while presenting legislation. Members on both sides of the aisle expressed support for modernization where it reduces cost and improves timeliness, but several members and multiple newspaper witnesses urged preserving printed legal notices or ensuring the bill does not inadvertently reduce public access for seniors and others who do not use the internet. Representative Bartlett said he would vote for the public‑notice bill despite preferring a stronger local‑newspaper ecosystem. The committee’s actions forward the measures to the next step of the legislative process.