Pryor announces support for Working Hoosiers Agenda
Monday, Jan. 5, the Indiana House Democratic Caucus announced its 2026 Working Hoosiers Agenda. The agenda centers on bringing down the cost of living and prioritizes measures to build an Indiana where Hoosiers can get ahead rather than get by.
State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis) has filed her 2026 legislation with the Working Hoosiers Agenda in mind, specifically focusing on bringing down the cost of utilities and health care.
"Hoosiers across the state and all over the political spectrum can agree on one key fact: life has gotten too expensive," Pryor said. "I am focused on making life more affordable for Hoosiers by bringing down the skyrocketing cost of utilities, child care, health care, and housing."
House Bill 1111 would protect ratepayers from having to pay to reconnect their service and give ratepayers bill credits if they experience service disruptions. The bill also bars utilities from turning off service in residences that are home to people who are older than 65 or younger than 17. Additionally, it requires utilities to identify new residential customers who are 62 or older and provide them with information regarding relevant senior assistance programs.
"Protecting ratepayers has been one of my top priorities throughout my legislative career," Pryor said. "Since utilities are a regulated monopoly in Indiana, consumers have no choice if they are unsatisfied by the service they are receiving. This bill holds utilities accountable for providing that quality service by transferring the cost of disconnections and outages to the company, not the consumer. Additionally, this bill protects vulnerable Hoosiers from being exploited or facing unsafe living conditions if they are forced to go without power."
House Bill 1112 requires state employee health plans to cover diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations. The bill also provides that diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations cannot be subject to any copays, deductibles or other cost-sharing requirement. House Bill 1114 prohibits health care providers that grant coverage for advanced, metastatic cancer and associated conditions from requiring patients to prove history of failure of other prescription drugs before providing coverage for certain prescription drugs.
"Screening for cancer increases the chance of early detection and therefore the chance of survival," Pryor said. "Hoosiers shouldn’t have to break the bank to receive a potentially lifesaving tests. For those who have been diagnosed with cancer, the burden of fighting that illness is stressful enough. Insurance companies should not be placing additional hardships on cancer patients by making them jump through hoops to get their prescriptions covered."
House Bill 1113 requires landlords repair or replace an essential item within 24 hours of being notified by the tenant that the item is missing or broken. It also provides that tenants can request an enforcement authority to conduct an inspection, replace or repair the essential item within 24 hours and order a civil penalty to be paid by the landlord. It also requires all new rental agreements include provisions allowing tenants to be reimbursed for lost deposits and have their rental agreements terminated if certain repairs aren’t made within seven days.
"Indiana has some of the weakest renter protections in the country. With rent prices placing significant strain on Hoosiers, the last thing they need is to end up living in poor conditions. This bill adds accountability for problematic landlords who do not keep their properties up to the adequate standards."
Finally, House Bill 1023 restores a property tax deduction for surviving spouses of WWI veterans. This deduction was deleted in Senate Enrolled Act 1 from the 2025 Session. Restoring this deduction will have minimal fiscal impact to the state and will make a big difference in the lives of the surviving spouses of those who fought in the Great War.
See the full Working Hoosiers Agenda below:
Priority 1: Provide immediate financial relief on utility bills
Eliminate the sales tax on residential utility use
Protect Hoosiers from being overcharged by limiting excessive utility company profit margins
Pause skyrocketing rate hikes
Get big utilities out of politics by ending the appointment of political cronies to consumer watchdog positions and banning spending on political contributions and gifts
Priority 2: Keep Hoosiers healthy through affordable health coverage and guardrails on medical debt
Cap insurance premiums
Implement a state health exchange
Stop medical debt from impacting credit scores
Priority 3: Create generational wealth by empowering more Hoosier homeowners
Help Hoosiers save for their first home by creating tax-free savings accounts for home purchases
Establish a first-time homebuyer grant program funded by a tax on investor-owned properties
Institute a property tax credit to deliver real and immediate relief for homeowners
Priority 4: Deliver accessible, affordable and safe childcare for working families
Create a public-private partnership program to split childcare costs between employers, the state of Indiana and parents
Save families money through a childcare tax credit
Fully fund Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers to keep daycare centers open and parents at work
Priority 5: Keep Hoosiers safe in their homes and neighborhoods
Fund the police, fire, and EMS by taking Senate Enrolled Act 1 back to the drawing board and inviting more public input
Keep violent offenders off the streets