Pryor receives Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award

Over the weekend, State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis) was presented with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award at the Top Ladies of Distinction Area V Leadership Conference. The award was issued by former President of the United States, Joe Biden. 

Pryor issued the following statement:

“I am beyond honored to have been presented with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award by President Joe Biden. My career has been spent advocating for my community and uplifting the voices that may otherwise not be heard. As a public official, my goal has always been not just to represent my constituents, but to truly listen to their needs and serve them to the best of my ability. I strive to be available, accessible, present and compassionate. 

“Receiving this award and being recognized for my dedication to service by former President Joe Biden is deeply humbling. No matter how exciting it was to be surprised with this award, the true reward is seeing the impact my work has on the lives of people in my community.

“I want to thank all of the wonderful people who have believed in me, encouraged me, mentored me and supported me over the years. I also want to thank my former legislative colleague and friend Dee Dawkins-Haigler for waiting for the right moment to present me with this award." 

Smith: ‘Majority puts partisan school boards before our children’s futures’

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 changed to the House, it heads back to the Senate for a concurrence vote. 

State Rep. Vernon G. Smith (D-Gary), the ranking minority member of the House Education Committee,  released the following statement

“Our school boards exist to oversee the education, future and well-being of our children. Their job is not to ban books or to address the topics of race, gender or sexuality. Republicans want partisan school boards because they believe it will help them win elections. They lost some key races in some districts, and now they want to change the process to be in their favor.  

“Research shows that districts that switch to partisan elections see an increase in teacher turnover, an increase in the share of less experienced teachers and a negative impact on non-white school board candidates. Nobody wins if this legislation is passed except for the Republican Party. Our children, our teachers, our parents and our communities lose. 

“Partisan school boards insert more division into our community. Voters will be encouraged to choose a candidate based on a letter next to their name instead of their platform. I want my local school board to be focused on our children, not on a party agenda. 

“Injecting partisan politics into our schools will bring about more strife to our communities. This is far from what is best for our students and their futures.“ 

Pryor opposes bill to make school board races partisan

Today, Monday, March 31, the House passed Senate Bill 287 by 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. The bill now heads to the Senate to approve the changes made in the House. 

State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement upon the passage of the bill: 

“During discussion of this bill on the House Floor, a colleague of mine from across the aisle made derogatory comments aimed at one political party. If things like that happen on the floor of the Indiana House of Representatives, it just goes to show that we do not need to bring more partisan politics into our school boards. We do not need one more thing driving a wedge between people in our communities. 

“School boards need to focus on serving the needs of our kids. The decision to elect someone to the school board should be based on what they are going to do to improve literacy and math skills, recruit quality teachers to address the teacher shortage and prepare students for the workforce or higher education. 

“Across the state, this is an unpopular policy. There is enough politics everywhere else. We don’t need politics in our school boards.” 

Boy opposes SB 287: ‘Keep politics out of education’

Today, March 31, State Rep. Pat Boy (D-Michigan City) voted in opposition on Senate Bill (SB) 287 during its final hearing in the House. This bill passed with a vote of 54-40. SB 287, which proposes to make Indiana’s school board elections partisan, mandates that candidates run under party labels such as Democrat, Republican, Independent or with a "blank space" next to their name.

Boy issued the following statement expressing her concerns about introducing partisan politics into the education system:

"At a time when our country is already deeply divided, it is baffling to think that we would intentionally introduce more partisanship into something as sacred as education. Our school boards should not be a battleground for political agendas; they should be dedicated to nurturing the minds and futures of our children. Education is about preparing the next generation for success, not about pushing party lines. 

“School board members should be chosen for their expertise, principles, and commitment to building up our students, regardless of political affiliation.

“Partisan politics have no place in our schools and only serve to deepen division, not solve the challenges we face. Keep politics out of education.”

Moseley comments on SB 287: ‘Inserting politics into our education system is foolish’

Today, March 31, State Rep. Chuck Moseley (D-Portage) voted in opposition on Senate Bill (SB) 287 during its final hearing in the House. The bill passed with a vote of 54-40. SB 287, which proposes to make Indiana’s school board elections partisan, mandates that candidates run under party labels such as Democrat, Republican, Independent or with a "blank space" next to their name.

Moseley released the following statement on SB 287:

“This bill directly inserts politics into our education system. In no way, shape, or form should it matter if someone’s a Democrat or Republican, or anything in between, when it comes to the integrity of educating our students of our state. School board members should be elected on merit, expertise and their commitment to our students - not their allegiance to a political party.

“Inserting politics into our education system is simply foolish. We must protect future generations of Hoosiers from this kind of foolishness.”

Pfaff comments on bill to make school board races partisan

Today, Monday, March 31, the House passed Senate Bill 287 by 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. The bill now heads back to the Senate to approve the changes made in the House. 

Under the federal Hatch Act, employees of the U.S. government or organizations that receive federal funding are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity. Turning school board races into partisan elections would effectively bar thousands of qualified, community-minded Hoosiers from serving in these vital roles.

“During a recent visit to Crane Naval Base—one of Indiana’s largest high-tech employers—I was reminded just how many Hoosiers would be impacted by this change,” State Rep. Tonya Pfaff (D-Terre Haute) said. “With over 3,800 employees, many of whom are deeply invested in their local schools, this bill would strip away their ability to serve on school boards simply because of where they work.”

“Our school boards should be focused on student success—not party politics,” Pfaff added. “Injecting partisanship into these races opens the door to national political agendas creeping into our classrooms. Instead of picking political fights, let’s tackle the real challenges: improving literacy, strengthening math skills, addressing the teacher shortage, and getting more students into college or prepared for the workforce. These aren’t partisan goals—they’re Hoosier priorities.”

Miller condemns passage of partisan school board bill

Senate Bill 287 passed through the House of Representatives today by a vote of 54-40. 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. 

 State Rep. Kyle Miller (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement regarding the bill, which now heads to the governor's desk:

"The only thing this bill will accomplish is making our voters lazier and weakening our schools. With an 'R' or a 'D' next to a candidate's name, voters will have little incentive to research their backgrounds and viewpoints. As a parent, I'm more interested in knowing the people leading my children's school board have the expertise to do the job than I am knowing how they vote.

"Partisan politics have no place in our children's schools. Our focus should be on preparing kids for higher education or the workforce and setting them up for a lifetime of success by developing their critical thinking skills and ability to think for themselves."

GiaQuinta decries passage of bill to further insert politics in Hoosier schools

Today, Senate Bill 287 passed the Indiana House of Representatives. The legislation still needs approval from the Indiana Senate on changes made to it in the House, but the House-passed version of the bill turns nonpartisan school board elections into partisan races by allowing candidates to list their party next to their name on the November ballot.

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement after voting "no" on SB 287:

"I may be an elected official, but I know that Hoosiers want less politics in their lives, not more. Senate Bill 287 further injects politics into Hoosiers' lives by politicizing our school boards. What about teacher and staff retention, building maintenance and school buses requires a partisan viewpoint?

"Hoosiers overwhelmingly took time out of their busy schedules to come to the Statehouse to oppose this bill, and House Democrats have received lots of constituent correspondence asking us to vote 'no.' This bill reduces the pool of potential school board candidates by limiting federal employees' ability to run because of the federal Hatch Act. Community leaders want to serve local families and students, not get mixed up in the politics of declaring a party. This bill will make it more difficult and expensive to run for local school board and will open local school board races to big DC politics and dark money associated with campaign finance.

"Nothing about SB 287 solves our teacher retention or student literacy crisis – which is what the General Assembly should be focusing on instead of finding new ways to make our lives more exhausting and divisive."

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.”

Bill to prevent misuse of taxpayer dollars heading to the governor

Today, Monday, March 31, House Bill 1518 is heading to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. HB 1518, authored by State Rep. Mitch Gore (D-Indianapolis), would require state entities to only purchase non-luxury vehicles. 

“I can’t believe I have to clarify this, but taxpayer dollars should not be used to buy luxury vehicles. My bill merely codifies this common-sense policy to help eliminate government waste. 

“Many Hoosiers are struggling to keep the lights on in their home or the doors open of their small business. The hard-earned dollars of our taxpayers should be used responsibly and for legitimate purposes. If the average Hoosier can’t afford the vehicle, their tax dollars should not be used to purchase it for a public official. Period.

“Reigning in irresponsible and unnecessary government spending is a bipartisan effort. I want to thank Rep. Miller, Rep. Pressel, Rep. Smaltz, and Sen. Doriot for working on this legislation with me. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues across the aisle to protect taxpayers.” 

Republicans kill amendment from Campbell to pause groundwater withdrawals for the Wabash River

Today, March 31, State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 4. The amendment would have created a two-year moratorium on major groundwater withdrawals from the Wabash River Basin if adopted. The amendment would have also established the Groundwater and Aquifer Preservation Task Force. House Republicans struck down the amendment with a vote of 25 to 66. 

Campbell released the following statement: 

“The potential LEAP pipeline has been an issue of concern for my community for almost two years. They’ve chosen to ignore the pleas of our community once again. 

“West Lafayette is one of the fastest-growing communities in Indiana. We have to be properly prepared for the future so that our community, businesses, farmers and Purdue University have what they need. Recent water studies show that Indiana will have a scarcity problem soon. We need a state moratorium. We need state leaders to take the time to come to our county and listen to our community.  

“We still have no water regulations or water plan. The majority refuses to listen to our community, but they’re also refusing to prepare for the future. We should act in the best interest of Hoosiers–not in the best interest of a secretive agency that’s spent $1 billion on a project knowing their chosen location lacked the resources they needed.”

Hamilton opposes bill to make school board elections partisan

Monday, March 31, the House passed Senate Bill 287 by a vote of 54 to 40, with only Republicans in support. 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. The bill now heads to the Senate to approve the changes made in the House. 

State Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement upon the passage of the bill: 

“Forcing school board candidates to declare a political party affiliation invites the culture wars of Washington, D.C. into Hoosier classrooms. This change risks transforming these local races in a way that ultimately harms our schools and communities.

“Our schools deserve the most qualified leaders. This bill would significantly reduce the pool of candidates by excluding federal employees—including military members and others whose roles are funded wholly or partially by federal resources—due to restrictions under the Hatch Act that prohibit them from engaging in partisan political activity.

“In addition, many of today’s school board members serve because the role is nonpartisan. They want to give back to their communities—not engage in partisan politics. Requiring a party label will discourage these dedicated individuals from stepping forward.

“Our communities are already facing deep divisions. We should be focused on uniting people to improve education, not politicizing it further. This bill does nothing to help our schools—it only limits who can lead them.”