Dant Chesser denounces partisan school boards

Today, March 31, the House passed Senate Bill 287 with a vote of 54 to 40. The bill makes Indiana’s school board elections partisan, requiring candidates to run as Democrat, Republican, Independent or with a blank space next to their name. Since the bill underwent changes in the House, it heads back to the Senate for a concurrence or dissent vote.

State Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser (D-Jeffersonville) released the following statement: 

“I’m sad that we took this vote today. Only 27% of families support partisan school boards. I can unequivocally say that our parents and teachers in Clark and Floyd Counties do not want partisan school boards. When I was elected to this position, no one asked me to bring more politics into our community. 

“Our public schools are excellent community unifiers. This weekend, the boys basketball team from Jeffersonville High School won the state championship, and close to 500 people welcomed our players home in the middle of the night. I would hate for this bill, which inserts politics into schools, to jeopardize that sense of community. 

“It’s about putting our kids and their futures before any party ideology or agenda. Our classrooms, where our children learn, shouldn’t be used for political posturing. Inviting politics into our elections will create more division, further dividing our communities. 

“It’s about serving our kids–not about serving a party.”

Bill to prevent misuse of taxpayer dollars heading to the governor

Today, Monday, March 31, House Bill 1518 is heading to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. HB 1518, authored by State Rep. Mitch Gore (D-Indianapolis), would require state entities to only purchase non-luxury vehicles. 

“I can’t believe I have to clarify this, but taxpayer dollars should not be used to buy luxury vehicles. My bill merely codifies this common-sense policy to help eliminate government waste. 

“Many Hoosiers are struggling to keep the lights on in their home or the doors open of their small business. The hard-earned dollars of our taxpayers should be used responsibly and for legitimate purposes. If the average Hoosier can’t afford the vehicle, their tax dollars should not be used to purchase it for a public official. Period.

“Reigning in irresponsible and unnecessary government spending is a bipartisan effort. I want to thank Rep. Miller, Rep. Pressel, Rep. Smaltz, and Sen. Doriot for working on this legislation with me. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues across the aisle to protect taxpayers.” 

Republicans kill amendment from Campbell to pause groundwater withdrawals for the Wabash River

Today, March 31, State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 4. The amendment would have created a two-year moratorium on major groundwater withdrawals from the Wabash River Basin if adopted. The amendment would have also established the Groundwater and Aquifer Preservation Task Force. House Republicans struck down the amendment with a vote of 25 to 66. 

Campbell released the following statement: 

“The potential LEAP pipeline has been an issue of concern for my community for almost two years. They’ve chosen to ignore the pleas of our community once again. 

“West Lafayette is one of the fastest-growing communities in Indiana. We have to be properly prepared for the future so that our community, businesses, farmers and Purdue University have what they need. Recent water studies show that Indiana will have a scarcity problem soon. We need a state moratorium. We need state leaders to take the time to come to our county and listen to our community.  

“We still have no water regulations or water plan. The majority refuses to listen to our community, but they’re also refusing to prepare for the future. We should act in the best interest of Hoosiers–not in the best interest of a secretive agency that’s spent $1 billion on a project knowing their chosen location lacked the resources they needed.”

Miller reacts to state ending emergency housing program amid state-wide crisis

The state of Indiana announced recently that the Indiana Emergency Rental Program (IERA) has been cut six months ahead of schedule. The fund, created during the COVID-19 pandemic to address housing instability, was funded through the U.S. Treasury and set to expire in September of this year.

According to reporting from IndyStar, IERA has stopped taking applications. The program offered rental assistance and assistance for utility bills.

State Rep. Kyle Miller (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement regarding IERA's abrupt closure:

"Ending this program with federal dollars available for another six months while Hoosiers struggle to keep a roof over their head is not only cruel, it's a dereliction of leadership. Indiana's housing crisis started well before the COVID-19 pandemic and it's still a reality for too many Hoosiers.

"I've heard from constituents that they're having trouble getting any status updates from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. This leaves people guessing in whether they'll receive much-needed assistance to remain in their homes.

"Right now, for every 100 low-income families in Indiana, there are only 38 affordable rentals available. My hometown of Fort Wayne was just ranked the least renter-friendly city in the country. This is not a situation we can wish away. Forcing vulnerable people to rely on 2-1-1 to find resources – a system that is not regularly updated or easy to use – when we could have continued giving them federally funded assistance for another six months puts an unnecessary burden on these individuals and their families. Keeping the IERA up and running until September would have given folks half a year to get back on their feet. Instead, the state is leaving them behind under the guise of 'government efficiency.' A truly efficient state government would do everything in its power to keep people in their homes, not cut off vital funding for those in need.

"Luckily, there's still time for us to address this in the state budget. I'm calling on my colleagues in the majority party to take a stand for Hoosiers by setting aside state dollars to make up for the loss of these federal funds. We have the means to help Hoosiers. Republicans just need to find the will to do it."

Bill to expand military income tax exemption heading to the Governor

Friday, March 28, House Bill 1280 is heading to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. HB 1280, authored by State Rep. Mitch Gore (D-Indianapolis), extends the individual income tax exemption for military pay to cover members of the U.S. Space Force, the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps.

“Since I was elected to the General Assembly, supporting Hoosier service members and veterans has been a top priority for me," Gore said. "Last year, I was proud to pass legislation that established the Green Alert to protect the safety of Hoosier veterans. Now, I am proud to support our service members financially by allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. 

“The women and men who have dedicated their careers to service to our state and nation as members of the U.S. Space Force, the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps deserve to be supported by our state. This bill extends the state income tax exemption as well as military retirement and survivor’s benefits to members of these organizations. This action will also boost Indiana’s military recruitment and retention efforts. 

“I want to thank my co-authors and Senate sponsor, all veterans themselves, Rep. Bartels, Rep. Pack, Rep. Commons and Sen. Tomes. Supporting Hoosier service members is something that all lawmakers can get behind. I look forward to working with my friends across the aisle to enact policy that supports our troops year after year.” 

House Republicans strike down amendment to lower health care costs

Today, March 27, State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) proposed an amendment to lower the cost of health care for Hoosiers. Her amendment to Senate Bill 3 would have restored language in the bill that requires health insurance middlemen, including pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), to provide a fiduciary duty for beneficiaries. These middlemen determine coverage and premiums for companies. Campbell's amendment was struck down by the House majority. 

Campbell released the following statement:

“SB 3 provides health care transparency and accountability. But we need to restore the language in the bill that provides fiduciary duties to beneficiaries of employers’ health plans: Hoosiers. This amendment puts Hoosiers first by prioritizing lowering health care costs, not padding the pockets of insurance companies and their shareholders. 

“Fiduciary duties ensure that providers act in the best interest of patients. It means that Hoosiers have access to potentially life-saving medications and services at the lowest available cost. Hoosiers deserve protection from bad actors in the health care industry. It’s time to put people over profit in Indiana. By striking down this amendment, the majority voted to leave Hoosiers out in the cold.

“The majority blocked an opportunity to provide much-needed savings for people who are drowning in health care expenses.” 

Klinker stands against partisan school boards. expresses deep concern about SB 287

 Senate Bill 287 makes Indiana’s school board elections partisan, requiring candidates to run as Democrat, Republican, Independent or with a blank space next to their name. The bill passed in the Senate and passed in the House Elections and Apportionment Committee. SB 287 has stalled on the House floor despite being eligible for a final House vote for three session days this week.  

State Rep. Sheila Klinker (D-Lafayette) released the following statement regarding her deep concerns with partisan school boards:

“I’m deeply concerned about this bill. I was a teacher at Miami Elementary and Tecumseh Middle School for 34 years and during my decades as an educator, I never thought 'Our schools need more politics.' Our schools, teachers and administrators need help. Partisan elections do not solve any of the problems they are now facing. As a teacher, I never knew the politics of my school board members, and I never asked. 

“Our school board candidates should be elected based on their principles, educational background and desires for our children. I fear good candidates will be judged by a letter next to their name, not by their plans for our future. We do not need more division or polarization. I want my school board to serve our children first, not the desires of a political party.”

Porter introduces ‘Back to the Basics’ property tax plan

Today, March 26, House Ways and Means Ranking Democrat State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) shared his plan for property tax relief. Porter filed 11 amendments to Senate Bill 1, which he will present when the bill is scheduled for a vote in committee. 

“We have $2.6 billion in taxpayer dollars in our reserves,” Porter said. “We saved this money for a rainy day, but the weather can’t get worse for homeowners. Indiana has roughly 1.9 million homesteads. We could give every homestead $500, and we would still have well over $1 billion saved. The state can afford immediate relief. My amendments provide real relief to Hoosier homeowners while protecting public schools, fire, EMS and more.” 

The amendments center on two priorities: directing property tax relief to homeowners instead of big businesses, which receive the most relief in SB 1 and House Bill 1402, and sharing the responsibility of relief between the state and local units. The majority’s proposals would vastly reduce local government services by slashing their revenue. Republican plans encourage the local units to raise their local income tax rate (LIT), still burdening taxpayers with a different tax. These 11 amendments rebalance the funding burden between the state and local units while individually addressing the needs of homeowners.

The 11 amendments are below: 

• Amendment 27: Continues the homestead supplemental deduction, which has provided significant savings to homeowners. Alleviates the burden on local units by creating an additional tier for markedly high-assessed-value homesteads. 

• Amendment 28: Provides additional relief to renters by increasing the renter's deduction from $3,000 to $5,000. Encourages landowners to pass on property tax savings to their renters. 

• Amendment 29: Creates the business share fee that’s 10% of the corporation tax rate to recapture money lost from corporate income tax breaks. Indiana is estimated to lose $6 billion by 2030. The business share fee would fund the first-time homebuyer down payment grant program with award grants of $25,000. 

• Amendment 30: Saves money for our seniors by changing the Over 65 Circuit Breaker Tax Credit from 2% to 1%. Senior bills would be capped at a 1% increase each year.  

• Amendment 33: Creates the home ownership expenses homestead credit for each homeowner to offset the rising cost of utilities and home insurance. 

• Amendment 36: Instead of freezing or providing a sub-inflation increase for the Maximum Levy Growth Quotient (MLGQ), the percentage cap for the MLGQ would be set at 2.75% over the next three years. This means local governments would have an increase on par with inflation, ensuring they have a reliable source of revenue. 

• Amendment 37: Alternate version of amendment 36, which sets the percentage cap for the MLGQ at 3% over the next three years. 

• Amendment: Creates the state homestead credit totaling $400 million each year. The money would be sourced from the General Fund. 

• Amendment: Revives the property tax replacement credit (PTRC), renaming it the Levy Buy Down. The Levy Buy Down requires the state to pay 20% of the property tax burden for school transportation costs and 10% of public safety costs.

• Amendment: Provides a state-funded homestead property tax freeze for veterans if they have a moderate to severe service-related disability. 

• Amendment: Raises the amount school corporations can transfer from their education fund to operations fund, and vice versa, from 15% to 30%. This would free up funds to pay for day-to-day operations. including insurance, buses and computers.

“Republicans created this problem, and they don’t know how to solve it,” Porter said. “Twenty years ago, we had a PTRC,  which covered 20% of local property tax operations. Homeowners' taxes stayed low since the state paid 20 cents of every dollar, and we provided a homestead credit. Then they eliminated both credits, which pulled the rug out from under local governments. Now, the state doesn’t help our local units, shifting the cost to homeowners. 

“Statehouse Republicans don’t want to pay, but they don’t want corporations to pay either. In every plan they’ve proposed, corporations get a handout instead of homeowners getting a hand up. Homeowners have been paying for a larger slice of the property tax pie. In 2024, Marion County homeowners paid 58% of property tax collections while commercial properties paid roughly 42%. It’s time we get back to the basics and rebalance the funding burden for services between corporations, local units and the state.” 

Hamilton bill to boost workforce development, reduce recidivism signed into law

Yesterday, House Enrolled Act 1289, authored by State Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis), was signed into law by Gov. Mike Braun after being unanimously approved by both the Indiana House of Representatives and Indiana Senate.

HEA 1289 defines "employment social enterprises" in Indiana Code to match the federal definition. This would allow ESEs in the state of Indiana to better compete for federal funding for organizations that provide job training and services to help integrate those who were formerly incarcerated back into society. 

Hamilton released the following statement regarding the bill's signing into law:

"House Enrolled Act 1289 is about strengthening our economy through second chances.

"Employment social enterprises (ESEs) provide jobs, training, life skills and other supports to people getting back on their feet after experiences like incarceration or homelessness. Currently, ESEs are losing out on federal funding because Indiana lacks a code definition of ESEs. By defining them to match the federal definition, Indiana's ESEs will be better positioned to access federal funding to further their missions once HEA 1289 goes into effect on July 1, 2025.

"This bill was inspired by RecycleForce, a tremendous Indianapolis ESE working with formally incarcerated men and women to help them become productive members of our communities through job training in electronics recycling. My hope is that RecycleForce and our other great ESEs working throughout Indiana will be able to grow their operations and ultimately grow their impact on our state. Hoosiers exiting the justice system or recovering from homelessness want opportunities to rebuild their lives and contribute to our economy. HEA 1289 will give these people a second chance and reduce recidivism in the process.

"Thank you to the many House and Senate co-authors and sponsors who supported this bill and Gov. Braun for signing it into law. I greatly appreciate your partnership in getting this important piece of legislation across the finish line."     

Errington opposes SB 10, Fighting for college students’ right to use student IDs in elections

Today, State Rep. Sue Errington (D-Muncie) voted to oppose Senate Bill (SB) 10 in the House Elections and Apportionment Committee. In committee, Errington proposed an amendment that would remove the language that prohibits a document issued by an educational institution from being considered as proof of identification. It was voted down by a party line vote. As it stands, SB 10 would restrict college students from using their state issued student IDs to vote in elections.

Errington released the following statement on her vote:

“College students are vital members of the communities they live in, and they deserve to have a say in the elections that affect their futures. Universities like Ball State University play a crucial role in driving growth and progress in cities like Muncie, and students contribute to the vibrancy and success of our local economy. Denying them the ability to vote with the IDs they use every day would be a step backward for our democracy.

“At a time when voter participation is already appalling low, SB 10 creates yet another unnecessary hurdle for Hoosier voters. We should be making it easier, not harder, for eligible voters to participate in our elections, and I will continue to fight for the rights of college students and all Hoosiers to have their voices heard.”

Rep. Errington remains committed to protecting the voting rights of all Hoosiers and ensuring that every eligible citizen has access to the ballot box.

Boy’s HB 1380 heads to governor’s desk

Today, March 25, State Rep. Pat Boy’s (D-Michigan City) House Bill 1380 passed out of the Senate, and heads to the governor’s desk for final approval. The bill would exempt motor driven cycles and lightweight electric vehicles from the electric vehicle supplement fee.

Boy released the following statement on the advancement of the bill:

“First, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to my co-authors—Rep. Lawson, Rep. Andrade and Rep. Patterson—as well as my Senate sponsors—Sen. Doriot, Sen. Spencer, Sen. Maxwell and Sen. Ford—for their support in making this initiative possible.

"I’d also like to thank Diane Grams, a constituent from District 9, who reached out to my office during the interim to highlight an issue with a Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) fee that disproportionately impacted small electric vehicles like mopeds and e-bikes. After purchasing an electric scooter for around $2,000, Diane was surprised to learn she would be required to pay the annual electric vehicle registration fee—an amount exceeding 10% of her vehicle’s total cost. Her concerns led me to work with the BMV during the interim, and it quickly became clear that addressing this issue through legislation was the right course of action.

"I was thrilled to inform Diane that this bill passed unanimously in the House, and I’m proud to announce its advancement to the governor’s desk. This bipartisan effort will support countless Hoosiers looking to reduce their carbon footprint and make environmentally conscious transportation choices."

HB 1380 now moves to Gov. Braun’s desk for final approval.

Dant Chesser bill creating Medicare savings for seniors heads to governor’s desk

Today, March 25, House Bill 1226 passed a vote in the Senate and heads to the governor’s desk. Authored by State Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser (D-Jeffersonville), this bill creates cost-saving opportunities for seniors through “The Birthday Rule.” This rule means Medigap enrollees can switch providers without medical underwriting within 60 days of their birthday as long as they maintain the same type of lettered Medicare Supplement plan.

“As a freshman legislator, I’m excited for my first bill to head to the governor’s desk,” Dant Chesser said.  “HB 1226 will save our senior citizens money and give them some options for their Medigap coverage. Not having to undergo underwriting to switch plans could be life changing. Our seniors won’t have to answer any questions and will be approved. There’s no risk of being denied.” 

After passing unanimously in the House last month, HB 1226 passed in the Senate with a vote of 45 to 2. 

“Nine other states have already passed a birthday rule, and Indiana is one of seven states considering it this year,” Dant Chesser said. “Seniors have saved close to $800, which is huge in our current economy. Thank you to those who brought this idea forward and thank you to those who were part of the legislative process. I hope HB 1226 provides our seniors on Medicare some much-needed relief.”