GiaQuinta recaps Indiana’s 2024 legislative session

Upon the Indiana House of Representatives' motion to adjourn sine die, House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) provided the following recap on the 2024 legislative session.

GiaQuinta highlighted the positive legislative achievements by House Democrats, including:

• Rep. Rita Fleming's (D-Jeffersonville) bill to expand birth control access;
• Rep. Mitch Gore's (D-Indianapolis) bill to create a “Green Alert” for missing service members and veterans;
• Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn's (D-Fishers) legislative language included in Senate Enrolled Act 169 to make inroads on an issue first discovered last year in which the Department of Child Services was not investigating all reports of child abuse at residential care facilities; and
• Rep. Gregory W. Porter's (D-Indianapolis) work to deliver on a 13th check for public retirees, which was included in today's adopted conference committee report for House Bill 1004.

“I've said it before, and I'll say it again: House Democrats are pragmatic problem solvers,” GiaQuinta said. “I am incredibly proud of the work our caucus did this session to work across the aisle and try, try again until results were delivered for Hoosiers. Being a pragmatic problem solver means not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good – a principle we acted upon again and again this session.”

GiaQuinta also pointed to the instances in which House Democrats served as critical bulwarks against legislation that would harm Hoosier communities.

“From Reps. Harris, Gore, Hamilton and Johnson's calm and civil work to save mass transit projects in Indianapolis and statewide to Rep. Bauer's effort to make sure that dangerous PFAS language did not sneakily pass both chambers in the 11th hour of the legislative session, House Democrats took a strategic and disciplined approach to stopping bad legislation from becoming law. In these instances, we ensured that reason prevailed and Hoosier communities can remain connected and safe from dangerous chemicals.”

Still, though, GiaQuinta mourned the losses this session for local control, regular Hoosiers and governmental transparency.

• Local control lost out when it came to:
  • Voiding Gary's gun lawsuit and limiting future lawsuits against the gun industry and
  • Limiting local governments' ability to regulate the puppy mill industry.

• Regular Hoosiers lost when it came to:
  

  • Leaving families with medically complex children high and dry when it came to continuing Indiana's attendant care program;
  • More rollbacks of wetlands protections for special interests;
  • Less oversight of the under-the-microscope gaming industry;
  • Taking away workplace protections from children working in hazardous farm labor conditions; and
  • Unnecessary overreach and censorship of Indiana's excellent public universities.

• Government transparency lost when it came to:
  

  • Rep. DeLaney's amendment to require an explanation of how the $1 billion shortfall happened being removed from Senate Bill 256 and
  • Limiting the scope of the public access counselor.

“Hoosiers sent House Democrats to the General Assembly to make their lives better, and I'm sorry we couldn't stop this legislation to limit local control, hurt regular Hoosiers and decrease governmental transparency from becoming law,” GiaQuinta concluded. “You deserve state government that works for you, and it's a shame that Statehouse Republicans put special interests and backroom deals before your wellbeing. I promise that House Democrats will continue fighting for Hoosiers during this interim and into the 2025 legislative session.”