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Tony Danna, left, vice president of international development at Three Square Market in River Falls, Wisconsin, receives a microchip in his left hand at company headquarters Aug. 1, 2017.
It's official — Indiana companies cannot require their workers to be forcibly microchipped as a condition of employment.
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law House Enrolled Act 1143 Wednesday. The new statute takes effect July 1.
It prohibits employers from mandating the implantation of any identity or tracking device in a worker or job candidate, unless the person voluntarily consents to having something put into their body.
An Indiana employer who ignores the prohibition can be sued by an employee or prospective employee for actual damages, court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
There currently are no employers in the United States that force employees to have a device implanted or otherwise incorporated into their bodies as a condition of employment, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.
But state Sen. Jon Ford, R-Terre Haute, the sponsor, previously noted that one company in Wisconsin and several in Sweden are using rice-sized microchips in their employees' hands on a voluntary basis, and he's concerned about the trend coming to the Hoosier State.
The new law was approved 97-0 in the House and 47-0 by the Senate. Its sponsors included state Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago.
State Aircraft: Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt
A 2015 law, enacted by now-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, designated the Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt that was produced in Evansville during World War II, and is commonly known as the "Indiana Warbird," as the official state aircraft of Indiana.
(Photo provided by U.S. Air Force)
State Bird: Cardinal
The cardinal was adopted as the state bird of Indiana by the 1933 General Assembly. Also known as the redbird, the cardinal is the avian symbol for six additional states: Kentucky, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.
(Photo by John Luke, The Times)
State Flag
Indiana's flag was designed by Paul Hadley, of Mooresville, during a 1916 competition held in connection with the statehood centennial. The winning design was made official by the 1917 General Assembly. The torch of liberty and enlightenment is at the center of the flag. The circle of 13 stars represent the original 13 colonies, the half-circle of five stars represent the five additional states that entered the Union before Indiana and the large star above the flame represents Indiana, the 19th state. Indiana became a state Dec. 11, 1816.
(Photo provided)
State Flower: Peony
The Indiana General Assembly adopted the peony as the state flower in 1957. The bloom, usually red or pink though sometimes white, typically emerges in late spring and is especially popular in China and Japan, in addition to Indiana. The peony actually is Indiana's second state flower. The zinnia represented Indiana from 1931 to 1957, according to the Indiana Historical Society.
(Photo provided by Katerinjiyuu)
State Gun: Grouseland Rifle
An 1805 rifle crafted by John Small was made the official gun of Indiana in 2012. The 5-foot-long rifle, known as the Grouseland rifle, features silver and brass inlay on its stock and barrel. The gun is on permanent display at Grouseland, the Vincennes home of William Henry Harrison when he was governor of Indiana Territory.
(Photo provided by Grouseland Foundation)
State Insect: Say's Firefly
For the past two years, students at Cumberland Elementary School in West Lafayette have unsuccessfully urged the General Assembly to make Say's firefly the official state insect of Indiana. Heading into the 2018 session they've picked up an unlikely, but uniquely powerful, ally: Gov. Eric Holcomb. The Republican announced in November that making Say's firefly the state insect is part of his legislative agenda, and it was approved in February. Say's firefly, which actually is a beetle, is one of 40 firefly species that call Indiana home. It can be found in wetlands and wooded areas between mid-May and July, and presents an amber-colored flash that typically pulses 8 to 12 times in a second. The students say Indiana needs a state insect because most other states already have one. The firefly is named for naturalist Thomas Say who lived in Posey County, Indiana, during the 19th century.
State Language: English
English was designated the official language of Indiana in 1984. However, many state publications still are issued in multiple languages to reach the broadest possible audience, continuing a tradition that dates to at least 1851 when the proposed state constitution was published in both English and German so all Hoosiers could read it before voting on ratification. State law also recognizes American Sign Language as a widely used language by Hoosiers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
(Photo provided by AbeBooks)
State Motto: "Crossroads of America"
A 1937 General Assembly resolution made "Crossroads of America" the Indiana state motto. Even then, Indiana was crisscrossed by numerous state and national highways. Today, 14 Interstate highways begin in, end at or pass through Indiana. The state's location and infrastructure often are touted by Hoosier economic development officials as among Indiana's best assets. Many distribution companies locate in the state since it is within a day's drive of two-thirds of the nation's population.
(Photo by Jonathan Miano, The Times)
State Nickname: The Hoosier State
No one knows exactly what "Hoosier" means or where it came from, but the word has been used to identify Indiana residents since the early 19th century. Meredith Nicholson, an Indiana writer who lived from 1866 to 1947, said the origins of "Hoosier" ultimately are less important than the people who identify as Hoosiers. "Hoosiers bear their nickname proudly. Many generations of Hoosier achievement have endowed the term with connotations that are strong and friendly," Nicholson said. Earlier this year, the Government Publishing Office finally agreed to refer to Indiana residents as Hoosiers, instead of "Indianans," in federal documents.
(Photo provided by amazon.com)
State Pie: Sugar Cream Pie (unofficial)
The sugar cream pie is widely believed to be the state pie since the 2009 Indiana Senate approved a resolution urging it be designated as such. However, the House did not act on the resolution and the General Assembly as a whole never has approved a law making sugar cream the official state pie. Nevertheless, it is a popular choice at Wick's Pie Company, in Winchester, which produces more than 750,000 sugar cream pies annually. Also known as Hoosier pie, the Amish- and Shaker-originated dessert can easily be made using only sugar, flour, whipping cream, vanilla and nutmeg.
(Photo provided)
State Poem: "Indiana"
A 1963 law enacted by the General Assembly designated "Indiana," by Arthur Franklin Mapes, of Kendallville, as the official state poem.
INDIANA
God crowned her hills with beauty,
Gave her lakes and winding streams,
Then He edged them all with woodlands
As the setting for our dreams.
Lovely are her moonlit rivers,
Shadowed by the sycamores,
Where the fragrant winds of Summer
Play along the willowed shores.
I must roam those wooded hillsides,
I must heed the native call,
For a pagan voice within me
Seems to answer to it all.
I must walk where squirrels scamper
Down a rustic old rail fence,
Where a choir of birds is singing
In the woodland . . . green and dense.
I must learn more of my homeland
For it's paradise to me,
There's no haven quite as peaceful,
There's no place I'd rather be.
Indiana . . . is a garden
Where the seeds of peace have grown,
Where each tree, and vine, and flower
Has a beauty . . . all its own.
Lovely are the fields and meadows,
That reach out to hills that rise
Where the dreamy Wabash River
Wanders on . . . through paradise.
(Photo provided by U.S. Postal Service)
State River: Wabash
The Wabash River flows through many communities in north-central Indiana, including Lafayette, and forms the southwestern border of the state with Illinois before joining the Ohio River. It was designated the state's official river by the 1996 General Assembly.
(Photo provided by Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette)
State Seal
The current state seal was adopted by the General Assembly in 1963. Though similar versions of the pioneer scene depicted in the seal have been used since Indiana was a territory to authenticate official documents. Lawmakers, scholars and Hoosiers have debated for years whether the sun is rising or setting. The official description of the seal indicates that it is a setting sun.
(Photo provided)
State Song: "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away"
"On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away," was written by Paul Dresser in 1897 and was one of the most popular songs of the 19th century, in part because it was among the first songs to be recorded for the phonograph. The lyrics recall Dresser's childhood growing up near the Wabash River. It became the first official symbol of Indiana, preceding even the state flag, when it was adopted as the state song in 1913.
(Photo provided)
State Stone: Limestone
Indiana limestone, also called Bedford limestone or Salem limestone, is rated among the highest-quality limestone quarried on earth. It has been used to construct 35 of the 50 statehouses, including Indiana's, the Empire State Building, Pentagon, Washington National Cathedral, many buildings at the University of Chicago and most of the county courthouses in the state. In recognition of its importance to Indiana, especially the south-central region where the limestone is dug out of the ground, it was designated the official state stone by the 1971 General Assembly.
(Photo by Dan Carden, The Times)
State Tree: Tulip tree
The 1931 Indiana General Assembly adopted the tulip tree as the state's arboreal symbol. The tulip tree is a member of the magnolia family and features goblet-shaped, orange-yellow-green flowers that emerge in late spring. Its leaves also have a distinctive shape that have been incorporated into the border of the Indiana state seal.
(Drawing by Mike Sherer, Indiana Historical Bureau)
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Dan Carden
Chief Political Reporter
Dan has reported on Indiana state government for The Times since 2009. He also covers casinos, campaigns and corruption.
