Andrade offers utility accountability amendments on HB 1002, all voted down by House supermajority
Today, State Rep. Mike Andrade (D-Munster) offered several amendments to House Bill 1002 during second reading that aimed to strengthen transparency, accountability and affordability in Indiana’s utility rate-setting process. Each amendment was voted down by House Republicans.
The amendments sought to provide meaningful protections for Hoosiers facing record-high utility bills and to hold utility companies and regulators accountable for repeated and unjustified rate increases.
The following amendments were offered:
Amendment #13: Prohibits companies from raising utility rates more than 3% and requires utility companies to hold 3 public hearings in the affected utility service area before raising rates.
Amendment #14: Prohibits utility companies from disconnecting residential electric or natural gas service during the coldest time of year (beginning Dec. 1 and ending March 15).
Amendment #15: Eliminates the sales tax on residential utility bills.
Amendment #16: Prohibits the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) from approving a rate increase above 3% of the average monthly bill.
Amendment #19: Creates a 2-year moratorium on fixed rates and charges - effective June 30, 2026, to July 1, 2028.
Full vote counts for each of the amendments will be available here.
Andrade released the following statement on his offered amendments:
“Hoosiers deserve real relief from rising utility costs and a regulatory system that works for them, not against them.
“In Northwest Indiana, my constituents are being hit harder than anyone else in the state. While average utility costs statewide have increased by about 17 percent, NIPSCO customers have seen bills skyrocket by an average of 25% year after year. Families are doing everything right and still falling behind.
“And it’s not just the cost. NIPSCO is currently under investigation after customers reported unexplained bill spikes following the installation of nearly one million new customer gas meters (Case: 46329-112625). When bills jump overnight with no clear explanation, Hoosiers deserve answers and real accountability.
“These amendments were common-sense solutions. I hear from hundreds of Hoosiers about NIPSCO. My phone is never quiet, and my inbox is never empty. People are frustrated and angry about bills they simply cannot afford.
“If these rate hikes are supposed to pay for infrastructure, then Hoosiers have every right to ask where it is. Outages continue, reliability hasn’t improved and instead of long-term solutions, families are handed short-term ‘relief’ plans that fail to address the root of the problem. This is not sustainable.
“Electric and gas services are not a privilege - they are necessities. No one should have to choose between keeping the lights on and buying groceries. With 1 in 4 Americans living paycheck to paycheck and utility bills rising faster than wages, inaction is no longer an option.
“After all of these amendments were voted down, it’s clear this bill does little to address affordability or hold NIPSCO and the IURC accountable. Utility companies are posting record profits, yet Hoosiers are left to shoulder the burden.
“Indiana can and must do better. Until we put people ahead of profits and accountability ahead of politics, Hoosiers will keep paying the price - and that is unacceptable.”