Indiana Black Legislative Caucus Monthly Update: February 2025
Dear neighbor,
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus is proud to share that several of our caucus’ bills are on the move and are moving forward in the legislative process.
State Rep. Harris (D-East Chicago) introduced House Bill 1095; a bill that will expand the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force into Lake County, expanding the task force’s reach into the region. The proposed expansion will allocate resources for local law enforcement to work with the state to remove illegal and illegally purchased firearms from our communities.
Keeping the theme of expansion, Rep. Harris has also introduced legislation that would establish the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission to bring a professional sports franchise to the Northwest Indiana region. HB 1292 passed out of the House with bipartisan support and now goes to the Senate for further consideration. The bill will change how The Region is perceived not only throughout the state, but in Chicagoland, attracting economic development, and additional revenue to the area.
Senate Bill 111, authored by State Sen. Andrea Hunley (D- 46), prohibits insurance companies from denying, limiting, or adjusting rates based on organ donor status. SB 111 will prevent insurance companies from discriminating against Hoosier organ donors, ensuring equal rates for those that choose to participate in the organ donor program. SB 111 now heads to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
HB 1241, drafted by State Rep. Vanessa Summers (D- Indianapolis) creates a commission to identify the best practices for supporting children, youth, and families affected by trauma. The commission will develop a master plan to present to the Indiana General Assembly, so that legislation can be crafted around the plan to insure the State of Indiana is in the best position to support those affected by childhood trauma. This bill has advanced the chamber and now makes its way over to the Senate.
House Bill 1416, authored by State Rep. John Bartlett (D-Indianapolis), requires gas stations, rest areas and welcome centers to display posters with information related to human trafficking. It also requires onsite employees of these establishments to receive human trafficking awareness training approved by the Department of Homeland Security.
These are just a handful of IBLC bills that have passed through their respective chambers. For a full list, click here.
Join us for a March 1 town hall
From noon to 1:30 p.m. March 1, join State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., Rep. Vernon Smith, Rep. Ragen Hatcher, and Sen. Mark Spencer at the IU Northwest Savannah Center, 65 W. 33rd Ave. in Gary for a town hall event.
Town halls give us the opportunity to hear directly from our constituents about their concerns, questions and general comments about the General Assembly and the direction Indiana is headed toward. During this event, we’ll be speaking about the legislation that has passed through the House of Representatives and the Senate so far.
As always, this event is free and open to the public.
Sign the petition to protect Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Indiana
Earlier this year, we in the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus spoke out in defense of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) after an executive order attack from Gov. Mike Braun. Along with the executive order banning DEI practices in state agencies, Senate Bill 289 would eliminate DEI offices in state agencies and schools, potentially impacting how Hoosier teachers are allowed to teach certain topics.
Indiana’s history is unfortunately steeped with racial discrimination, and we cannot upend the progress we’ve made in this state by prohibiting our educators from teaching this history fully. Teaching students the history of discrimination and biases in our country and state is essential to fostering an informed citizenry. Senate Bill 289 is headed to the House of Representatives, but there are still steps you as a constituent can take to make your voice heard.
Along with signing up to testify against the bill in committee, you can sign our petition, linked here, to signal to your representatives that you believe in the value of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in our state.
Republicans block a “Budget for the People”
Last week, the House advanced the two-year, $46 billion state budget proposal, which now heads to the Senate for their consideration. The Indiana House Democratic Caucus presented our own proposal for the budget, “A Budget for the People.” House Republicans rejected any of our ideas in the budget bill during the second reading amendment process to help working Hoosiers get ahead.
The House Democrat state budget proposal has one purpose in mind: to help our people. It’s the inherent purpose of state government to help Hoosiers and improve their quality of life. That purpose extends to how we spend our money. It’s taxpayers’ money and it should be spent on programs they want. The state is simply the holder of the purse strings. Our budget proposal would have provided balanced tax relief, supported K-12 public education, bolstered public health and lowered health care costs.
Instead of passing a budget that truly benefits Hoosiers, House Republicans passed a vanilla budget that does very little. When we drill down to the foundation of their budget, it’s not solid by any means. It’s not sound because so many cornerstones, essential programs for Hoosiers, are absent or underfunded. I voted no on the final House Republican version of the budget as it does little to help working Hoosiers get ahead.
Here’s a snapshot of what was included in the Democratic budget proposal, “A Budget for the People”:
1. Protecting Medicaid
a. Eliminating the waitlists for the 11,000 seniors and children with disabilities who are on waitlists for Medicaid programs and services.
b. Providing an additional $300 million to cushion Hoosiers on Medicaid from potential federal cuts.
2. Supporting our Children:
a. Fully funding public education with a 2% increase for all public schools instead of splitting the money with private schools and charters.
b. Increasing teacher pay from a starting salary of $45,000 to $60,000 and providing opportunities for bonuses.
c. Expanding pre-K eligibility to nearly every Hoosier 4-and-5-year-old.
d. Fully funding Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which ships free, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes regardless of income or location. I appreciate Gov. Braun’s response to outcry about this by calling on First Lady Maureen Braun to form a public-private partnership to fund this program, but this program is a drop in the budget bucket compared to other programs - something the state can certainly fund.
3. Creating Balanced Tax Relief:
a. Keeping more money in Hoosiers’ pockets by increasing the income tax credit from 10% to 12%.
b. Increasing the renter’s deduction from $3,000 to $4,000.
4. Improving Public Health:
a. Fully funding the Health First Indiana, a bipartisan-led initiative to boost local public health funding for programs like prenatal screenings, safe sleep education, smoking cessation and lead poisoning screenings.
5. Growing Quality of Life:
a. Protecting our public land and boosting tourism by funding trails and land preservation with $55 million.
b. Increasing funding for organizations that support our veterans, like the American Legion, with an additional $1.6 million.
c. Creating the low-interest first-time homebuyer program.
6. Protecting Your Tax Dollars
a. Creating more government oversight, accountability and transparency when it comes to executive agency spending.
b. Creating a Federal Shortfall Fund to protect programs and services like public education, the National Guard, health care, road construction, agriculture and veterans’ services from federal funding cuts.
Here are some worrisome inclusions in the Republican budget that’s headed to the Senate:
1. No relief from rising property taxes.
2. No provisions to expand pre-K or access to child care.
3. Cuts to the scholarships college students receive.
4. Diverting $1.3 billion from public schools to pay for private school vouchers for wealthy families.
5. Traditional public schools would only get a 1.3% increase since funding would be shared with the voucher program and charter schools. Many school districts would receive cuts.
6. Zero funding for the College Success program (CSP), which benefits Indiana’s minority and low-income college students.
7. Elimination of the Indiana Commission for Women and the Commission of Race and Gender Fairness ($500,000 of their allocation pays for court interpreters for non-English speakers).
8. Free reign for agency officials to make additional cuts to public services like Medicaid and services for seniors or children with disabilities.
9. A cut of $50 million in the Health First Indiana Program.
10. Zero funding to continue Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
11. Increasing the amount virtual charter schools receive from 85% to 100%, putting Hoosiers’ hard-earned dollars at risk. Two virtual charters were sued by the state to recoup $154 million, and the trial is still ongoing.
House Democrats’ budget would have helped Hoosiers during these unprecedented times. From education to public health, we can do more to grow the quality of life in our state. The Republican opposition to these proposals was a vote against Hoosiers.
IBLC February Member Spotlight
This month, we’re highlighting State Sen. La Keisha Jackson
Sen. La Keisha Jackson was sworn into the Indiana Senate in April 2024, caucused in following the death of the late Sen. Jean Breaux. Jackson represents Senate District 34. Jackson works as the Chief Executive Officer of Pathway Resource Center, which provides underemployed and at-risk youth and families in the Indianapolis community with resources to promote self-sufficiency. Her legislative priorities include reducing gun violence, youth safety and education, public health and safety, affordable housing, food access, microtransit and mental health. Jackson holds the positions of Indiana Senate Democrats Assistant Minority Caucus Chair and IBLC Treasurer.
Jackson received her master's degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and in 2024 received a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by President Joe Biden. Since 2016, Sen. Jackson has been a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
In her first legislative session, Sen. Jackson co-authored Senate Bill 108, which helps regulate gaming in our communities and will benefit Hoosier Veterans. Additionally, she co-authored SB 312 which removes fentanyl testing strips from the definition of drug paraphernalia aiding in harm reduction efforts for the state. Both bills passed out of the Senate with bipartisan support and have been sent to the House of Representatives.
Sen. Jackson is a champion for fairness for Indiana residents to have basic human rights including affordable and accessible healthcare, housing, transportation, healthy food, and quality education.
Child care bills moving through the Statehouse
One of the most discussed topics in our community is access to child care. I wanted to inform you of the child care legislation filed at the Statehouse. Lawmakers filed nine pieces of legislation with a range of purposes.
Child care is a major topic of discussion at the Statehouse for good reason. According to a study by CNBC, Indiana is the worst state in the nation for access to child care. Our state has only 772 licensed care facilities. It’s the scarcity of care that makes child care so expensive. For center-based care, parents spend an average of $13,736 each year for an infant and $11,965 for a toddler. Indiana must do better for our parents and our children.
A full list of the year’s child care legislation is available below. The bolded and italicized bills are moving through the General Assembly.
House Bill 1253 Child Care (passed in the House, headed to the Senate)
Requires the Division of Family Resources to create an organization licenses for multi-site child care centers operating under one owner. Also removes the requirement that a child who receives child care from a school has to have a parent enrolled or employed by the same educational institution.
House Bill 1248 Child Care and Development Fund (passed in the House, headed to the Senate)
Ensures that foster care households are eligible for child care assistance through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).
Senate Bill 463 Child Care Matters (passed in the Senate, headed to the House)
Cleans up regulations for child care facilities like staff-to-child ratios and maximum group sizes. Adds additional rules for the micro-center pilot program. Creates the local child care assistance program to help Indiana’s counties expand the availability of care in their area.
If you’re having trouble finding child care, you can click this link to visit the website for Child Care Answers, and organization that connects parents with local resources.
Session’s halfway done: Here’s an update on bad bills
With the legislative session halfway done, here are some updates on the bills we’ve been keeping a close eye on:
Criminalizing Homelessness
House Bill 1662 died in the House last week. It would have effectively criminalized homelessness by making it a Class C misdemeanor to be “camping, sleeping or using for long-term shelter land owned by the state or political subdivision.” This bill would have impacted individuals already struggling to make ends meet, making it more difficult for them to access homes and jobs. While this bill is dead for now, there is a chance the language may resurface in another bill.
To learn more about the bill, read the following story from the IndyStar.
Partisan school boards
House Bill 1230, which would have made school board races partisan, died in the House last week. However, Senate Bill 287, which passed in the Senate, has similar language and would require school board candidates to run in partisan primaries if they want to run as Democrats and Republicans. To learn more about the danger of partisan school board races, watch Brown County School Board member Amy Huffman Oliver’s testimony against the bill at inhousedemocrats.
Access to birth control
After passing out of the House Public Health Committee, House Bill 1169 was reassigned to the Ways and Means Committee where it died. The bill would have established a statewide Birth Control Access Program expanding birth control options through local health departments for Indiana residents earning at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. However, this bill was amended in committee to exclude condoms and long-acting reversible contraception from the definition of birth control — some of the most effective birth control methods. The amended bill instead prescribed the state’s preferred forms of birth control.
Immigration
House Bill 1158 died in committee. The bill would have mandated every sheriff to enter into a written agreement with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Under current law, this is optional. Only one county sheriff’s department in the state has opted to participate in the program.
House Bill 1531 did pass in the House of Representatives. This bill would shift the enforcement of federal immigration laws to state and local law enforcement. This will divert resource for local public safety to the enforcement of national immigration laws. This bill also allows the governor to withhold funding and grants from entities deemed non-compliant with immigration requests as determined by the Attorney General. The bill had previously included a provision requiring schools to report the number of undocumented students and their immigration status, but this was removed by the amendment.
The bill was referred to the Senate last Friday. Track and learn more about the bill at www.iga.in.gov.
Divine 9 Day at the Indiana Statehouse
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 25, several members of the IBLC will be hosting a free event celebrating Divine 9 alums.
Reps. Vanessa Summers and Carolyn Jackson (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority), Rep. Vernon G. Smith (Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.), Rep. Alex Burton and Sen. Lonnie Randolph (Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.) and Sen. Andrea Hunley (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.) will welcome their fellow alumnus for a tour of the Statehouse, a legislative briefing, a meet and greet with legislators and to witness a session. A breakfast will also be provided.
To RSVP, please contact Legislative Assistant Desmond Reynolds at desmond.reynolds@iga.in.gov.
Senior Day
On March 18, senior citizens are invited to the Indiana Statehouse from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to meet with their legislators, get a tour of the building and connect with other community members. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided. The event is sponsored by State Rep. Robin Shackleford, All Senior Citizens Connect, and the CICOA Foundation.
To RSVP, please reach out to Legislative Assistant LaNiyah Denny at laniyah.denny@iga.in.gov.