Dant Chesser votes no on HB 1343, stands against authorizing a military police force

Today, Jan. 28, State Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser (D-Jeffersonville) voted no on House Bill 1343, which includes a provision further authorizing the establishment of a military police force within the Indiana National Guard. The governor will have the authority to send this police force into any part of the state whenever he deems necessary, without the consent of the community or its elected officials.

Dant Chesser released the following statement:

“Our local public safety efforts are best administered by our local public safety agencies. It should always be our community leaders' decision to ask for assistance from the governor before a military response is deployed. I trust in the ability of our local law enforcement agencies to keep us safe and to know when reinforcement is needed. 

“I fully support the provisions in HB 1343 that aim to provide transparency for veterans' services, and I have the utmost respect for our National Guardsmen. Their sacrifices for our country are deeply appreciated. But I can’t, in good conscience, vote for a bill that puts our communities at risk. 

“We’ve seen the worst of what can happen with absolute control. It’s dangerous to give Indiana’s governor, whoever it may be, the sole authority to deploy troops on our streets with no checks or balances.” 

Dant Chesser files 2026 bills focused on improving family and community well-being

To start the 2026 legislative session, State Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser (D- Jeffersonville) has filed five pieces of legislation to improve family and community well-being.

Two pieces of Dant Chesser’s legislation aim to improve Indiana’s lack of affordable, quality child care. House Bill 1401 would cut costs for parents by creating the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program. This public-private partnership program would share child care costs between the state, employers and parents. House Bill 1400 would establish a Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA) for Indiana's child care facilities. A MEWA allows multiple small businesses to pool their resources to reduce overhead costs and maximize employee benefits.

“If Indiana is going to be a great place for families, we need to support working parents,” Dant Chesser said. "We’re failing to meet that expectation. Parents are struggling to find affordable, quality child care, and it’s pushing them out of employment. They’re staying home because child care costs can run $1,200 to $1,600 each month. It’s a crisis for many Hoosiers. We need to lower the cost of care and support providers. That’s my goal with HB 1400 and HB 1401.”

Another bill authored by Dant Chesser focuses on the well-being of her community. House Bill 1402 would prevent a vape or smoke shop from opening within 3,520 feet of a school.  The ECHO youth group, which is organized by the Community Action of Southern Indiana Agency (CASI), generated the concept and helped craft the bill's language.

“It is estimated that 75% of Indiana teens who vape were exposed to e-cigarettes through ads,” Dant Chesser said. “It’s a huge concern. We know these companies purposefully target teens, and the kids in ECHO want to protect their peers by maximizing the distance between smoke shops and their classrooms. Kids shouldn’t be exposed to predatory ads that promote addictive, harmful substances.” 

A full list of Dant Chesser’s legislation is below:

1. Supporting Indiana’s child care providers by allowing them to pool resources to offer employee benefits (HB 1400).

2. Creating the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program, allowing the state, the employer and parent to share the cost of child care (HB 1401). 

3. Protecting teens from predatory marketing practices by ensuring smoke shops are a certain distance from schools (HB 1402). 

4. Making homeownership more achievable with the First-Time Homebuyer Savings Program (HB 1403).

5. Defending individuals from violence or threats of violence from a coworker by allowing courts to issue Workplace Violence Restraining Orders (HB 1404).

“This year I’ll be working across party lines to improve our community,” Dant Chesser said. “I’m focused on cutting costs and supporting Indiana’s families. From reducing child care expenses to protecting teens from addictive substances, these are common-sense bills that will improve people’s lives in Southern Indiana.” 

The community can contact the office of State Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser by email at h71@iga.in.gov or by phone at 1-800-382-9848. Members of the community can also subscribe to her newsletter at repwendydantchesser.substack.com. 

Dant Chesser reacts to House Republicans’ proposed congressional map

Today, Indiana House Republicans released their proposed congressional map. Congressional District 9 stretches from Jeffersonville to the west side of Indianapolis. 

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

“The changes to our congressional district are completely unfair to residents of Southern Indiana. We’re a border community. We’re impacted more by Louisville than by Indianapolis. It’s not the same for Central Indiana. Our representative in Congress will have split loyalties between two major metropolitan areas with two very different needs. 

“How does this represent us? It doesn’t. It doesn’t lower the cost of living, health care or child care. We have a unique set of needs, and I fear they’ll go unheard. It puts Washington D.C.’s wants above Hoosiers' needs. 

"We deserve an elected official in Congress who understands us. This proposed map puts that at risk.” 

Lawmakers from Southern Indiana honor Jeff High Red Devils for winning the 4A state championship

On Tuesday, April 8, state representatives from Southern Indiana honored the Jeffersonville High School boys’ basketball team with a House resolution. The resolution, authored by State Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser (D-Jeffersonville), congratulates the team for winning the 4A state championship– snapping their opponent's 43-game win streak. State Rep. Ed Clere (R-New Albany), State Rep. Karen Engleman (R-Georgetown) and State Rep. Zach Payne (R-Charlestown) co-authored the resolution. 

Dant Chesser released the following statement: 

“I’m insanely proud of our boys’ basketball team for bringing home the state title and ending Fishers' two-year win streak. The overtime game was thrilling, and our team pushed through until the end. I also applaud Coach Wilkerson for being the second Hoosier to win a state title as a coach and player for the same team. 

“My favorite thing has been watching the community come together. Close to 500 people welcomed our players home in the middle of the night. The day after their win, Facebook and other social media platforms were filled with love, pride and support. Congrats to the Jeff High Red Devils, and I wish our players the best of luck as they continue their leadership both in sports and in life.” 

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.”