IBLC condemns passage of House Bill 1032
Today, Dec. 5, Indiana House Republicans passed House Bill 1032, their gerrymandered congressional map, after months of pressure from Washington, D.C. and Gov. Mike Braun. The map carves up like-minded communities – disproportionally impacting communities of color – to make elections less competitive to benefit Indiana Republicans' longstanding one-party rule. HB 1032 heads to the Senate for their consideration next week.
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC), issued the following statement on behalf of the bicameral caucus:
"This week, IBLC members in the House of Representatives sat and listened to our colleagues in the Republican caucus tout the need for a congressional map wholly favoring their party. Beyond the fact that this is disenfranchising the over 40% of Hoosiers who don't identify as a Republican, the bill's author admitted in committee that he didn't factor in the potential impact for Black and Brown Hoosiers while proposing the map. He also refused to tell his fellow committee members how much involvement officials in Washington, D.C. had in making the map. Disregarding the harm your legislation could pose to already marginalized people throughout the state is a horrific way to yield power. Members of our caucus offered several amendments on Dec. 4 to try to mitigate some of these harms, all of which were voted down by the supermajority. Other amendments to study the financial cost of mid-decade redistricting and alleviate the financial burden that will be faced by local governments and counties were also rejected by House Republicans. They are legislating with the misguided belief that they don't have to answer to Hoosiers.
"And for the last several months, our offices have heard from Hoosiers throughout the state. The overwhelming majority of the calls and emails our members have received have been in fierce opposition to mid-decade redistricting. Hoosiers don't want new maps. They want more affordable health care. They want someone to reign in the utility companies charging egregious rates each month. They want to be able to afford to feed their families without having to ration their medication. Members of the House Democratic Caucus offered House Republicans countless opportunities to focus our efforts on creating a stronger economy and quality of life for our constituents. Instead, Republicans remained committed to working for D.C., regardless of what Hoosiers need.
"As this bill heads to the next chamber, IBLC members in the Senate will remain committed to fighting back against this power grab and work toward a state where everyone has a chance to thrive. We hope that the Senate Republican Caucus prioritizes Hoosiers above political games and rejects this map. The future of Indiana depends on them."