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Branches of the Government: Judicial

Indiana's judicial branch is comprised of the courts. The Supreme Courts of Indiana are the highest courts in the state. The judicial branch also consists of the Court of Appeals, Trial Courts and the Tax Court.

The Supreme Court presides over cases that have a major impact over the entire state, such as Polly v. Lasselle, which resulted in all the slaves of Indiana being freed. There are five court justices, the Chief Justice Randall Shephard being the current chief justice.

The Indiana Court of Appeals is the second highest courts, overseeing appeals from the trial courts. There are 15 judges on the Indiana Court of Appeals. Approximately 2,5oo appeals are heard by the court a year.

Any of the courts can be contacted for further information.

Branches of the Government: Legislative

The Indiana General assembly is the legislative branch of the Indiana state government. The Legislature meets yearly to discuss which bills will be turned into laws. Being a member of the Assembly is not a full time job. Each member is elected to the Assembly for two years. The President of the Senate is the lieutenant governor, Becky Skillman.

Along with the power to pass and veto bills, the Legislature has the power to set the size of the courts and their districts over the Judicial Branch. The General Assembly is responsible for the activities of the executive branch. Perhaps the most powerful of the General Assembly's powers is to initiate the process to amend the state's constitution.

Branches of the Government: Executive

The executive branch of the state government is responsible for the day-to-day actions of the state bureaucracy. The executive branch is headed by the governor, who at this time is Mitch Daniels. His responsibility is to oversee the day-to-day functions of the many agencies that reside within Indiana. Some of the departments include Education, Health, Labor, Veteran's Affairs and the National Guard.

Other offices under the executive branch include the lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and the state auditor and treasurer. Each person reports to the Governor and works to improve the quality of life for Indiana residents.

Questions the public has for the Governor can be asked in multiple ways, from phone calls, to Email.