GiaQuinta comments on special session development

In response to news reports that Indiana Senate Republicans do not have the votes to pursue mid-decade redistricting, House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) released the following statement:

"Nobody is asking for redistricting. Instead, Hoosiers are asking their elected leaders to fix their high utility bills, property taxes and absurd health care costs. House Democrats have received massive amounts of calls against redistricting, and I'm sure the Senate Republicans have, too.

"I'll continue to monitor the possibility of redistricting until we end the 2026 legislative session in March."

State Rep. Boy retires after 22 years of public service

State Rep. Pat Boy (D-Michigan City) has announced her retirement from the Indiana General Assembly. Elected in 2018, Boy has served on the House Environmental Affairs Committee, the House Elections and Apportionment Committee, and as the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. Boy will continue serving in office through the end of the day on Friday, Oct. 17.
 
Last session, Boy had two bills signed into law. House Enrolled Act 1376 expands access to opioid overdose reversal medication and House Enrolled Act 1380 exempts motor driven cycles and lightweight electric vehicles from supplemental fees.
 
"After 22 years of public service, I have made the bittersweet decision to step back and focus on my family while continuing to be a proud neighbor and resource to Michigan City," Boy said. "Serving the people of Northwest Indiana has been the honor of a lifetime and one of my most meaningful experiences. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working alongside so many dedicated colleagues, community leaders and advocates who share a deep commitment to improving the lives of Hoosiers.
 
"This work has been both challenging and deeply rewarding. I am especially proud of the work we have done together to protect Indiana’s natural environment, strengthen public health and safety, and give a voice to those who too often go unheard. Sometimes those attempts were unsuccessful, but they called attention to those issues. Getting two of my bills signed into law this past session, HEA 1376 and HEA 1380, was a milestone that reminded me how collaboration and persistence can lead to real results for our communities.

 
"Although I am stepping away from elected office, my heart will always be with the people I had the privilege to serve. I wish my colleagues in the General Assembly continued success and thank them for their friendship and partnership throughout the years. I will be spending more time with my family and my cat, tending to my long-neglected garden and staying engaged in the community that has given me so much. I look forward to watching the next public servant continue this important work with the same care and determination that has always inspired me. Thank you, House District 9."
 
House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement regarding Boy's retirement:
 
"It has been a pleasure to work alongside Rep. Boy for the past seven years. During that time, she fought for vulnerable Hoosiers, worked to protect Indiana's environment and enhanced public health and safety throughout our state.
 
"Before coming to the Statehouse, Rep. Boy served her community as a union worker, a small business owner and as a member of the Michigan City Common Council. Her adult life has been dedicated to giving back to her community and creating a better state for all Hoosiers to thrive in.
 
"While House Democrats will miss serving alongside Pat, she has certainly earned a relaxing retirement with her family. Thank you, Pat."

GiaQuinta statement on IEDC audit

Following the release of a forensic audit into the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), IEDC Foundation and its partners, Indiana House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) released the following statement:

"This is what happens when you don't have oversight. I like to be on the side of protecting Hoosier taxpayer dollars, always. Clearly the secrecy under which the IEDC has operated, which House Democrats questioned repeatedly, was not about maximizing economic development deals. Instead, it was about covering up the waste and excess of taxpayer dollars spent on lavish international travel, conflicts of interest and lack of competitive bidding on the LEAP project.

"Gov. Braun and the General Assembly must take on a deeper investigation of the far-reaching, questionable activities of the IEDC and look back further than 2022. It's hard to believe these ethical lapses only began in 2022. Hoosiers need to know more about the few elites who benefited from the IEDC's dealings and whether the law was broken. Many more questions need to be answered here before taxpayers have confidence in the IEDC's operations moving forward."

GiaQuinta comments on Indiana Republicans visiting White House to discuss redistricting

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) released the following statement reacting to the news that President Donald Trump has invited Indiana Statehouse Republicans to the White House to discuss a number of topics, likely including redistricting:

"I am thankful for the ten or so Republican lawmakers who have already spoken out saying that redrawing our congressional maps this year is wrong. I echo their sentiments. If President Trump is so afraid of the voters, he should have passed popular legislation instead of a law that will kick Hoosiers off their health care, make kids go hungry and give billionaires a huge tax break.

"Not a single Hoosier Republican was asking for redistricting before the White House forced the issue. All we've heard from our constituents since this became an issue is that they are opposed. To my Republican colleagues, I ask: Are you going to listen to Hoosiers or are you going to bow to Donald Trump?"

GiaQuinta comments on passage of federal bill selling out working Hoosier families

Upon the U.S. House of Representative's vote to send the "Big Ugly Betrayal" bill to President Trump's desk for signing, Indiana House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement in response:

"This bill may be big, but it's not beautiful. It's an ugly betrayal of the working Hoosier families who keep our state running.

"About 1.9 million Hoosiers rely on Hoosier Healthwise, the Healthy Indiana Plan and other services – a.k.a. our state's Medicaid plans – for health insurance. The 'Big Ugly Betrayal' will take away health care from 17 million Americans, including 267,996 Hoosiers.

"More Hoosiers, including children, will go hungry because of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cuts in this bill. Our state food banks have spoken up about the devastation these cuts will cause, but Indiana's Republican delegation all voted for this anyway.

"The spin I'm hearing from Indiana's federal Republican representatives is that this is the biggest tax cut in history for working Americans. If so, why are the overwhelming majority of tax breaks going to the super-rich and corporations? And why are the billionaire and corporate tax breaks permanent, while the measly working-class benefits phase out after four years?

"Beyond selling out working Hoosier families, this bill adds trillions to the national debt, which I've always heard Republicans claim they hate to do.

"To put it briefly: This 'Big Ugly Betrayal' sends our country further and further in debt while hollowing out the working and middle class, all so Republicans' wealthy friends can pay less in taxes. It will certainly make our Indiana state budget harder and harder to balance. You can count on Statehouse Republicans to steal from the D.C. playbook and hollow out health care and food assistance while growing handouts and tax breaks for the wealthy.

"Indiana House Democrats won't stand by while working families get hurt. We'll keep fighting to protect health care and food assistance for Hoosiers, and we'll work to make sure any state budget decisions put working families first."

GiaQuinta comments on new laws going into effect

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement on the new laws going into effect today, July 1: 

"Today, Indiana's misguided budget and Medicaid cuts go into effect. In recent weeks, we've seen our state pre-K program get cut. Just yesterday, the Commission for Higher Education announced that over 400 degree programs at public universities will be cut or merged. 

"What this all means is this: Working people get ripped off while the wealthy get richer. You'll have fewer health care options and your local public school will have less funding. Meanwhile, you'll be paying more taxes and receiving less services. But at least a few corporations no longer have to pay some business taxes, and wealthy families who already were sending their children to private school will get a tax break for it.

"This doesn't have to be Indiana's future, though. Indiana House Democrats are committed to fighting for laws that invest in public education, protect health care, and ensure working families aren't left behind.

"The message from Statehouse Republicans is that you should be happy with less. House Democrats believe you deserve more. You deserve an Indiana you can afford."

GiaQuinta, House Democrats condemn slashing of Indiana state pre-K program

As Hoosier parents prepare their household budgets for the 2025-2026 school year, fewer working families will have On My Way Pre-K, Indiana's state preschool program, at their disposal to assist with the cost of sending their 3- and 4-year-olds to pre-K. Gov. Braun's administration announced at the beginning of June that it would slash On My Way Pre-K seats from over 6,000 to 2,500 for the upcoming school year.

Additionally, reimbursement subsidies for families enrolled in the program will be capped at $147.82 a week – for some counties, this will slash reimbursement rates in half or more. This means that child care providers will receive less money from the state for children enrolled in the program, disincentivizing provider participation and broad access, and low-income families will be responsible for the cost not paid for by the state.

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) and House Democrats are deeply concerned that the Braun administration and Statehouse Republicans chose to prioritize the expansion of Indiana's private school voucher program to millionaires and billionaires this session over maintaining the On My Way Pre-K program for low- to moderate-income families. GiaQuinta released the following statement reacting to the cuts:

"Working parents are already stretched thin. Now, they’re being told to do more with less – the theme of this administration. Cutting On My Way Pre-K means pulling the rug out from under hard-working families who were planning to use this program to make their household budget work.

"These cuts weren't inevitable. In the 2025 budget, Statehouse Republicans chose to prioritize making private school vouchers universal. While millionaires and billionaires are getting more tuition assistance for the private schools their children already attend, working families are being told that pre-K for their 3- and 4-year-olds is too expensive for the state. That’s not budgeting — that’s bad priorities. Amid a budget shortfall, Statehouse Republicans found the money to expand a program that they cared about. It just wasn't the program that benefits families struggling to get by.

"Hoosier families deserve more, plain and simple."

GiaQuinta comments on Braun IU trustee removals and appointments: ‘Promises made, promises broken’

Yesterday, June 2, Gov. Mike Braun removed three elected members of the Indiana University Board of Trustees by way of authority granted to him by the General Assembly in a last-minute, unvetted move to end alumni trustee elections at Indiana University. In their places, he appointed James Bopp, Jr., a prominent conservative attorney known for his work to overturn Roe v. Wade; Sage Steele, a conservative sports broadcaster; and Brian Eagle, an Indianapolis attorney. Braun previously indicated that he would not immediately take action to use this new unilateral authority of the governor over IU.  

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne), an IU graduate himself, released the following statement:

"I am incredibly disappointed in this decision by Gov. Braun to remove democratically elected IU trustees for a number of reasons.

"Not fulfilling a promise you previously made is par for the course with this administration – first property tax relief, now IU trustee appointments. Promises made, promises broken.

"IU leads the world in its rigor and research breakthroughs because its experts have been allowed to operate within the realm of academic freedom. It's not hard to imagine that our two new trustees who are well known for their successful work overturning a woman's right to choose and work in the conservative media circuit, respectively, will have an agenda to limit the research questions that researchers and professors are allowed to pose. This, combined with recent Statehouse Republican actions to threaten tenure and degree programs, will limit the number of world-class researchers willing to relocate to Indiana. Why take a risk on a university system with less academic freedom protections?

"Gov. Braun stated that this decision will 'help guide IU back in the right direction.' Republican governors of Indiana have been appointing the majority of the IU Board of Trustees for 20 years now. If the university has been headed in the wrong direction, the Indiana Republican Party objectively bears some responsibility for that.

"Finally, this decision doesn't just affect the university – it also hurts working Hoosiers. In particular, IU's strong life sciences programs have helped Indiana's life science, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries flourish. When we start making workforce pipeline decisions about politics instead of business, I worry that the companies that employ thousands of Hoosiers with good-paying jobs will suffer and ultimately disinvest in our state."

GiaQuinta: House Democrats fought for Hoosiers this session, Republicans fought for corporate interests

Today, April 25, the Indiana General Assembly concluded the 2025 legislative session. House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement regarding the legislation passed this session:

"I'm proud to say that House Democrats fought for Hoosiers this session, while Republicans fought for corporate interests. At the beginning of the year, House Democrats promised to fight for working Hoosiers by advocating to lower the cost of living, health care costs and utility costs for Hoosiers. Throughout session, we lived up to those promises by offering legislation to rein in corporate middlemen that drive up health care prices via prior authorization, pause utility rate hikes to put more money in Hoosiers' pockets and fully fund public schools to relieve pressure on local property taxes. We yet again set out to make pre-K universal and affordable for Hoosier families, and to secure resources for police, fire and EMS by retaining local control and local funding sources.

"Unfortunately, our colleagues across the aisle spent this session prioritizing culture wars over the needs of everyday Hoosiers. Senate Bill 287, which requires school board candidates to state their political affiliation on the ballot, didn't receive a single vote from House Democrats. This legislation only serves to insert partisan politics into Indiana classrooms, which does nothing to help our students or educators thrive. While House Democrats advocated all session for policies to help folks from all walks of life, House Republicans sought to divide Hoosiers.

"We heard a lot of promises from Indiana Republicans this year to lower property taxes, and they failed to deliver. Senate Enrolled Act 1 offers minimal property tax relief while forcing local governments to ramp up local income taxes to ensure proper funding for emergency services and public schools. As State Rep. Gregory W. Porter, ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, said, this is a tax hike. While Republicans tried to disguise SEA 1 as tax relief, they're hoping Hoosiers don't look behind the curtain to find their local schools being forced to do more with less and their EMS services taking longer to get to their loved ones in the event of an emergency. All the while, they're possibly only saving a few hundred dollars a year in property taxes while experiencing a much-larger income tax hike. Is that worth it? House Democrats didn't think so, and that's why we continue to speak out against this fiscal irresponsibility from Indiana Republicans. The majority party wants you to be thankful for being given scraps, and Hoosiers deserve so much more.

"Indiana Republicans spent an awful lot of time this session helping utility companies pass costs on to you, the consumer. State Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) offered two amendments to House Bill 1007 which would have prevented consumers from bearing the cost of failed nuclear power plant projects and prevented utilities from charging customers for small modular reactors not yet in use. House Republicans rejected both amendments. At every turn this session, Indiana Republicans signaled their commitment to protecting corporations over the interests of their constituents.

"It seems to me that Indiana Republicans are constantly testing how many more backroom deals and hyper-partisan scheming Hoosiers are willing to put up with. We in the House Democrat Caucus know folks are tired of being left behind, and we're going to continue to work to lift Hoosiers up.

"All in all, I'm proud of the work House Democrats accomplished this year. We've increased transparency in state government, made our communities safer and lowered health care costs. I just wish that Indiana Republicans had the same dedication to Hoosiers that we do. If that were the case, Hoosiers might be in a better place to thrive, not just survive."

House Democrats on the final budget: ‘Handouts for the wealthy instead of a hand up for working families’

Today, April 25, Indiana Republicans passed the final version of House Bill 1001, sending the budget to the governor’s desk. House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) and Ranking Minority Member of the House Ways and Means Committee State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) voted against the bill. 

“This year’s Republican budget is a bad deal for working people, plain and simple,” GiaQuinta said. “The budget prioritizes the growth of private school vouchers and charter schools over traditional public schools. It reduces the number of Hoosiers able to qualify for On My Way Pre-K. It cuts public health funding, even though research has shown that the program paid for itself in improved health outcomes during its first eight months. It eliminates other beloved programs, like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and PBS funding. The economy is teetering on the edge of a crisis thanks to President Trump’s tariffs. This GOP budget does nothing to shield hard-working Hoosiers from a potential recession.”

“For Hoosiers’ sake, I hope the economy improves because working and middle-class families will bear the brunt of these cuts,” Porter said. “We’re up against a deficit, but this budget prioritizes the wrong things. The wealthy are getting handouts instead of the average Hoosier getting a hand up. The proof is in the pudding. Prioritizing universal vouchers while defunding local public health speaks for itself. My biggest worry is for our public schools and how they’ll stay afloat. They’re getting a minimal increase but will be hit with massive property tax losses. Republicans have not looked out for working Hoosiers and their families this legislative session.” 

House Democrats' concerns with the budget include:

• Traditional public school funding increases by only 3.3% in 2026 and 1.6%  in 2027, which doesn't keep up with inflation. This number is also inflated given the fact that $160 million that must be used for textbook costs is included in the so-called funding increase.

• Education experiments, however, receive a larger-than-inflation funding increase.

• Brick-and-mortar charters will receive a 4.8% increase in 2026 and a 3.7% increase in 2027 and virtual charters will increase by 14.2% in 2026 and 9% in 2027.

• Traditional public schools will have limited state funding growth while losing $744 million in property tax revenue due to the effects of Senate Enrolled Act 1. 

• Private school vouchers will become universal in 2027. Vouchers will increase by 10.1% in 2026 and 23.4% in 2027. 

• Decreasing the eligibility level for On My Way Pre-K from 150% of the federal poverty level to 135% of the federal poverty level. Fewer working families will be eligible to qualify for pre-K. 

• Cutting the budget for the Commission for Higher Education (CHE), reducing students’ scholarships. 

• Reducing the funding for the Health First Indiana program to $80 million, a $145 million cut from the 2023 biennial budget. 

• Increasing the funding for Real Alternatives, a scammy organization that preys on pregnant women. Real Alternatives poses as women's health clinics but in fact spreads misinformation and offers no privacy-protected medical care to women.

• Putting the Indiana University Board of Trustees completely under the control of the governor by eliminating the alumni-elected trustee positions. 

• Defunding Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program, which provides free, age-appropriate books to children from infancy to five. 

• Eliminating funding for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) TV and radio. 

• No funding for trails or other quality of life projects. 

House Democrats stand against Senate Bill 1

Yesterday, following the passage of Senate Bill 1 out of the House of Representatives, Indiana House Democrats held a press conference to oppose the bill's tax hike provisions for Hoosiers.

SB 1 will potentially increase Hoosiers' local income taxes by $1.1 billion annually while cutting police, fire, EMS and public school services by $1.4 billion over three years. While the bill was pushed through with very little time to review the possible fiscal impact, it's clear that SB 1 will provide minimal property tax relief to Hoosiers. Republican leadership told Hoosiers it's time to "tighten our belts" while discussing this legislation, despite House Democrats' concerns that SB 1 will choke the life out of vital services provided by local governments.

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) delivered the following remarks at the press conference:

"Hoosiers, I'm not going to mince words today. Senate Bill 1 as passed by the House is a bad deal for all Hoosiers. This plan is a trick. It's a scam. It presumes Hoosiers can't understand that 2.9% of their income is a lot more money than a $300 property tax credit.

"Statehouse Republicans are telling you they are cutting property taxes so they can score political points, but let me tell you the truth. Republicans are backing out of the state's obligation to return your tax dollars to pay for services like schools, EMS, fire, and police. They're forcing our local public servants to take the heat for raising YOUR taxes when they have revenue loss from the property tax cuts. This isn't leadership or a solution or even good policy – this is utterly self-serving. The drastic change in Indiana's tax policy will force local communities to raise your taxes to keep schools open and ambulances running.  

"America is staring down a recession and stagflation thanks to President Trump’s tariffs. This mean the cost of clothes, food, and goods for working Hoosier families are going to wildly increase. Why are we forcing local governments to tax Hoosiers at a higher level? That's insane. House Democrats have fought all session to lower the cost of living for Hoosiers, and this Republican scam will do the exact opposite. Hoosiers need real relief, and SB 1 doesn't cut it.

"Not only are the costs of goods going to put additional pressure on Hoosiers, but the threats of losing their livelihoods is also under pressure with the new federal tariffs and this tax hike plan from Indiana Republicans.

"Working Hoosier families sent House Democrats to the General Assembly to cut costs for them and use the levers of government to improve their lives. This tax hike does the opposite."

GiaQuinta statement on Thompson Amendment 36 to Senate Bill 1

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) released the following statement on State Rep. Jeff Thompson's Amendment 36 to Senate Bill 1, which was adopted by the House of Representatives on second reading today:

"Let's be real: Senate Bill 1 is a tax hike in disguise. Paying up to 4.1% in income taxes to your city and county on top of state and federal taxes is much more than the $300 max in 'credit' you could receive off your property tax bill in 2026. Businesses still get a break, but working Hoosiers get crumbs. This is a bad deal for working Hoosier families, which is why House Democrats voted no on this plan."