PUBLIC LAW MONITOR BY JOSH CLAYBOURN

The number of licensed cab drivers in Indianapolis and other cities throughout the state has dropped steadily since the entrance of ride-hailing services Lyft and Uber, and the remaining drivers and cab companies want help. Many Indiana cities impose a number of regulations on cab companies but relatively few rules on Lyft and Uber drivers, thanks largely a state law that allows ride-sharing services to operate without being subject to local ordinances regulating taxi cabs. IBJ’s Susan Orr reports that rather than find ways to impose more restrictions on Uber and Lyft, cities like Indianapolis are instead considering deregulating taxi cabs.

County entities did not owe duty under foreseeability analysis

A southern Indiana county and its parks and recreation and health departments did not owe a duty to a man who contracted a deadly infection while at a county park. In July 2012, Waylon Abel was visiting West Boggs Park, which is jointly owned by Daviess and Martin counties, when he was exposed to an amoeba, contracted a waterborne brain infection known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis and died from the infection. Waylon’s estate filed a complaint alleging negligence for failing to test the water in West Boggs Lake and warn the public about the amoeba. The Indiana Court of Appeals held “there is no designated evidence that the County or the Parks Board knew or by the exercise of reasonable care would have discovered the existence of the (amoeba)…and the County and Parks Board did not owe Abel a duty under this analysis.”

Senate bill would ban use of tax-exempt bonds for stadiums

Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced S. 1342, which would prohibit tax-exempt bonds from being used to finance professional sports stadiums. The bill would not prevent state and local governments from bidding and offering other economic incentives to sports teams. It mirrors H.R. 811 introduced by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) in March.

Indy to consider $15.2M in bonds for downtown projects

Indianapolis officials on Monday will consider issuing bonds to contribute $15.2 million to two downtown development projects: the conversion of the city’s oldest African-American church into a hotel complex, and construction of a five-story apartment and retail development near the base of Massachusetts Avenue. In the larger of the two proposals, the committee would authorize issuing about $8 million in bonds for the $36 million hotel project. The plans call for two hotels to be housed in separate seven-story towers on the property. The five-story mixed-use project by the base of Massachusetts Avenue call for 126 apartments ranging in size from 553 square feet to 1,631 square feet; 20,000 square feet of retail; and 302 below-ground parking spaces.