On Tuesday, Jan. 27, House Bill 1119 failed to pass with a constitutional majority with a vote of 48 to 47. The bill was not called down again before the third reading deadline, defeating the legislation.  If passed, HB 1119 would have legalized the use of firing squads to carry out the death penalty. 

On Monday, Jan. 19, State Rep. Ragen Hatcher (D-Gary) will be the featured speaker at Valparaiso University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. The university hosts this event each year to commemorate Dr. King’s service and teachings. Hatcher is a Valparaiso University alumnus who earned her bachelor’s degree in 2000, Juris Doctor (JD) in 2003, and Master's in Business Administration (MBA) in 2005

Today, Dec. 5, Indiana House Republicans passed House Bill 1032, their congressional map, after months of pressure from Washington, D.C. The map cracks like-minded communities to give the Republican Party an advantage in Indiana’s congressional elections. Congressional District 1 stretches from Gary to Wabash. HB 1032 heads to the Senate for their consideration next week. 

“Northwest Indiana knows something about lines. We know about lines that separate, exclude and contain. We know about lines as tools of power, not justice. This isn’t new for our community. 

“For decades, the people of Northwest Indiana — Black, Brown, working-class, union families — have battled disinvestment. They’ve survived segregation, redlining, white flight and industrial abandonment, and now they're being asked to survive the erasure of their voice. Our ability to choose our own representation in Washington is on the chopping block.

“The majority’s not just drawing districts. They’re making a statement about who deserves a seat at the table, whose voices count and whose community matters. This is a clear attempt to erase a district where people of color have real power.  

“That’s what makes line-drawing in Indiana so consequential. It's not just a matter of geography. It's a measure of whose voices are valued, and whose are managed.

“As this map heads to the Senate, I urge them to reject it. Let the people of Northwest Indiana keep the one thing we’ve been fighting for all these years: a voice.” 

Last week, State Rep. Ragen Hatcher (D-Gary), voiced her opinion on House Bill 1008 and said Indiana should prioritize Hoosier before trying to help other counties in other states. The bill would establish the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission, a commission with five members appointed by the governor and five appointed under Illinois law, to discuss adjustments to the boundaries between the two states. 

Yesterday, Aug. 12, a civil division of the Lake Superior Court denied the motion to dismiss the 25-year lawsuit Gary v. Glock Corp. (1999).

On Thursday (June 13), State Rep. Ragen Hatcher (D-Gary) sent a letter to Indiana's federal congressional calling upon them to continue Indiana's recent run of successful bipartisan gun safety laws in both the state legislature and Congress.

Earlier this month, the Indiana Attorney General threatened to sue municipalities over their immigration policies – including Gary and East Chicago.