Pryor denounces attempt to silence democracy

Today, Aug. 7, members of the Indiana House Democratic Caucus were joined by Indiana Senate Democrats and U.S. Representatives André Carson and Frank J. Mrvan to denounce Gov. Mike Braun's work with Vice President JD Vance to redraw Congressional districts maps. Vance was in Indianapolis today to meet with Braun, who has hinted that he may call a special session of the Indiana General Assembly to redistrict congressional maps at the urging of President Donald Trump. This follows a similar move in Texas, where Democratic state lawmakers left and did not vote on new maps that could turn our democracy on its head. 

State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis), Minority Floor Leader and member of the House Committee on Elections and Apportionment, issued the following statement:

“The idea of calling a special session to rig our electoral maps and suppress Hoosier voters is a disgrace. Our nation was founded on the principle that voters choose who is in power, not the other way around. This move will only serve the interest of power-hungry politicians, not Hoosier communities. Plain and simple this is a power grab that throws out the US Constitution.  Republican policies are failing and hurting Americans.  Redrawing Congressional maps is the only way Republicans can stay in power.

“The two congressional seats held by Democrats represent some of the most diverse parts of the state. Targeting those two districts is a deliberate move to silence marginalized communities and ensure that they do not have a say in our democracy. It would be a betrayal to Hoosiers across the state to rig the election before it even happens. Our focus should be on increasing voter participation not rigging elections. 

“Hoosiers deserve leaders that fight to make their lives better. While Indiana Democrats do not have the ability to break quorum that the Texas Democrats do, we will do everything within our power to stop this power grab. The Texas Democrats are fighting to save democracy as we know it and Indiana is the next target.

“I want to thank all the people who came to the Statehouse today to make their voices heard and demand our electoral maps be left alone.” 

IBLC decries GOP attempts to rig Indiana elections

Today, Aug. 7, Gov. Mike Braun met with Vice President JD Vance regarding the possibility of a special session to redistrict Indiana's congressional maps. This meeting comes after President Donald Trump called for Republican-led states to redistrict to increase the number of GOP seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Indiana House Democrats were joined by Indiana Senate Democrats and U.S. Representatives André Carson and Frank J. Mrvan for a press conference this afternoon condemning any possibility of redistricting.

State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC), issued the following statement regarding the possibility of new maps:

"The only two Democrats from Indiana serving in the federal government – Congressmen Frank J. Mrvan and André Carson – represent areas with some of the largest minority populations in the state. This GOP rush to redistrict congressional maps is not just a pathetic attempt to strip voters of their right to a free and fair election; it's a direct attack on Black and minority voters in Indiana.

"The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been drastically stripped down over the last decade, making minority voters even more susceptible to be stifled by unfair and unjust changes to the election systems. I have little confidence in our governor and our Republican supermajority's will to consider the voices and circumstances of minority and disenfranchised Hoosiers in their rush to appease Donald Trump.

"I should also point out that a special session would cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. This session, Indiana Republicans have created drastic cuts to SNAP, Medicaid and passed Senate Enrolled Act 1, which will raise local income taxes for many Hoosiers. In 2022, when we were called back for a special session to address abortion access, the two-week session cost taxpayers $240,000. Making taxpayers foot the bill for this is egregious by itself, but doing so in the wake of these benefit cuts and local tax hike is, frankly, a slap in the face to Hoosiers."

Andrade stands with national Democrats in fight against Republican gerrymandering at Boston capital

Today, State Rep. Mike Andrade (D-Munster) joined Democrats from across the country in Boston, Mass., to stand against Republican gerrymandering efforts threatening fair representation in states like Texas - and potentially, Indiana.

Attending a bipartisan policy conference, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Andrade joined Indiana House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) at a press conference to call out the national Republican Party’s attempts to manipulate congressional maps for political gain.

Vice President J.D. Vance is expected in Indianapolis tomorrow, Aug. 7, to meet with Gov. Mike Braun regarding a potential special session to redraw Indiana’s congressional districts - a move Andrade calls a direct attack on Hoosier voters.

“Although I am in Boston standing with Texas Democrats, this fight has now reached our doorstep,” Andrade said. “This is pure gerrymandering disguised as redistricting. It is a blatant power grab from the national level that has trickled down into Indiana and Hoosiers don’t want it.”

Andrade warned that redrawing Indiana’s maps to favor the majority party would strip Hoosiers of their voice.

“This will take power away from the people,” Andrade said. “Instead of voters choosing their representatives, the party in power will choose its voters. That was never how our democracy was intended to work.”

“This hits home for me,” Andrade said. “My neighbor and friend, Congressman Frank Mrvan, represents The Region, and his district is being targeted. There is no clearer natural division between communities of interest in Indiana than there is between the communities that border Lake Michigan and the rest of the state, but Republicans don't care about keeping our community united in our congressional representation. National Republicans already hold the majority in Congress, yet they’re reaching even further and abusing their power to try to silence communities like ours. To them I say: ‘Get off our lawn.’”

Pierce comments on national push to gerrymander Indiana’s congressional districts

Today, Aug. 5, Gov. Mike Braun did not rule out calling a special session to redraw Indiana’s congressional maps. Braun’s statement follows national pressure from President Donald Trump, who has called for Republican states to redistrict to increase the number of GOP seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Vice President J.D. Vance is visiting Indianapolis to discuss redistricting on Thursday. 

State Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) released the following statement: 

“President Trump is clearly running scared. He fears the voters who are rejecting his unpopular policies: raising prices for American families with his import taxes, taking health care away from millions of Americans and increasing the number of hungry children, all to give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. And now I hear he wants to put a 250% tax on many prescription drugs.  No wonder he wants to thwart the will of the people by rigging the next election.

“President Trump and Vice President Vance are so desperate that they are scraping for every seat they can get through gerrymandering. You have to be pretty desperate to decide that having seven of the nine seats in Indiana held by Republicans is not enough. 

“Most shocking of all, President Trump and the Congressional Republicans are so arrogant that they don’t feel any need to hide their political power grab. They are up front about the fact that they are willing to cheat to win the midterm elections.

“The question is, will Gov. Braun and the leaders of the General Assembly go along with it?  

“Will they put the interests of Hoosiers before the Congressional Republicans or cave to the demands of President Trump.  We will soon find out if they have the courage to tell President Trump, ‘No.’ Democrats are in a knife fight for democracy, and we’ve got to act like it.” 

Campbell calls for ICE to release Purdue student from detainment

On Thursday, July, 31, a South Korean student enrolled at Purdue University, Yeonsoo Go, was arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Go was arrested outside of court in Manhattan after her immigration hearing. She was placed in federal detention nearby before being transferred to a facility in Louisiana. 

State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette), who represents Purdue, released the following statement: 

“This is absolutely horrifying. Yeonsoo Go is a young woman who came to the U.S. on a legal, religious worker’s dependent visa. An attorney for the Episcopal Diocese in New York, where Go’s mother serves as a priest, says that her current visa doesn’t even expire until December. Go is trying to update her paperwork; she’s following the law, but ICE grabbed her outside of court. 

“Arresting people outside of the courthouse proves that this isn’t about legal immigration. It’s even more concerning that her parents found out about her transfer to Louisiana from online records. It’s cruel. 

“Go is enrolled in the Purdue College of Pharmacy. She doesn’t have a criminal record, and she’s an active part of her community. We are lucky she’s pursuing her education at Purdue University. 

“I urge for the release of Yeonsoo Go, and a proper review of her immigration status. Treat people with dignity regardless of their status.” 

Errington reacts to EPA Admin and Braun’s historic deregulatory initative

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited Indianapolis to announce their proposal to repeal the EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding, which determined that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. 

This move, which they touted as “one of the largest deregulation efforts in U.S. history,” would eliminate the foundation for regulating greenhouse gas emissions, including tailpipe emissions and threatens decades of progress on clean air and climate protections.

State Rep. Sue Errington (D-Muncie), Ranking Minority Member of the House Environmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement:

“Today’s announcement from Gov. Mike Braun, made in collaboration with the nation’s top environmental officials, was nothing short of troubling. Calling this ‘deregulation’ is misleading. This is deletion. By repealing the 2009 Endangerment Finding, the EPA is erasing the protections that ensure our air is breathable, our summers bearable and communities safe.

“We are in the middle of a heat wave. Summers in Indiana are already hotter, longer and more dangerous than they were a decade ago. Eliminating greenhouse gas standards will only accelerate climate change and harm public health. Why would we take actions that make climate change worse and Hoosiers more vulnerable?

“Federal officials love to visit Indiana and talk about ‘commonsense’ reforms for health — whether it’s nutrition, health care or wellness programs. But how are Hoosiers supposed to stay healthy if they cannot even breathe clean air? Individual responsibility matters, yes, but when our institutions remove the basic safeguards for air and water, they are actively making people sicker.

“Indiana already faces significant environmental challenges, from industrial pollution to the growing water supply demands of data centers moving into the state. Weakening these protections will not make our communities safer, our air cleaner or our water more drinkable. It only benefits polluters while leaving taxpayers and future generations to bear the costs.

“Environmental protections, long supported on a bipartisan basis, are now being used as a political tool. Hoosiers deserve better than short-term political gain at the expense of our land, water and health.

“I strongly urge the EPA and Gov. Braun to reconsider this misguided effort and to prioritize public health, scientific integrity and environmental responsibility over following political whims. Indiana deserves more than greenwashed policies. Hoosiers deserve solutions that strengthen our communities, not jeopardize them.”

The EPA’s proposal is now open for 45 days of public comment. Hoosiers are encouraged to speak out against this dangerous rollback by submitting their comments at regulations.gov.

Garcia Wilburn calls for dignity and respect in immigration conversations, enforcement

Last week, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that Camp Atterbury, a military training facility licensed to the Indiana National Guard, will soon be used as an immigrant detention facility. Nationally, concerns have been raised about inhumane conditions at a Florida detention center, raising the question of whether federal authorities will treat detainees with dignity at Camp Atterbury.

In the wake of the Camp Atterbury announcement, State Rep. Andrew Ireland (R-Indianapolis) posted on X celebrating the news and suggested that Indiana's detainment facility be called "Cornfield Clink," a nod to President Trump's decision to refer to the Florida facility with inhumane conditions as "Alligator Alcatraz." In a follow-up post, he made a meme out of the supposed joke.

State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers), a law-and-order advocate, daughter of migrant farmers and person of faith, released the following statement calling on State Rep. Ireland to uphold the decorum of his office:

"As elected officials, we are tasked with upholding the Indiana Constitution and the U.S. Constitution as well as a standard of decorum befitting a public servant elected to represent over 60,000 Hoosiers. Given the reports out of Florida and elsewhere about inhumane, overcrowded conditions in immigration detention centers, it's disappointing to see State Rep. Ireland making a tasteless joke applauding another one of these facilities opening south of Indianapolis.

"I'm sad that one of my colleagues believes it appropriate to laugh at families being torn apart with no respect for the due process afforded to all people in our country. I believe in law and order carried out with care, concern and dignity. The casual dismissal of due process by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in arresting and deporting people without cause is a gross betrayal of our judicial system, institutions and the Constitution we are tasked to hold dear as public servants. New reporting from Axios released today showed that ICE has significantly increased its arrest of people with no criminal charges in Indiana over the past six months, up from 6% of arrests in January to 23% of arrests in June.

"Unfortunately, this hateful, anti-Christian attitude seeped into the legislative process this year during the discussion of immigration enforcement legislation. During the House Judiciary Committee's discussion of House Bill 1531, one testifier said that he was opposed to all immigration, not just undocumented immigration. At the time, I sounded the alarm that the tenor of this discussion would bear out unintended consequences for our state and precipitate hate against all immigrants, and I am sad to have been proven correct.

"I am generations of Americans. My family grew up poor, and my parents, if they were working today, could have been in Indiana's farm fields amid the ICE arrests of migrant farm labor. As American citizen stories of careless deportation are emerging, my parents could have been among them. I have been told time and time again by my legislative colleagues that Indiana is a pro-life, Christian state. I struggle to understand how belittling the real and devastating challenges faced by immigrants is befitting of any lawmaker representing a supposed pro-life, Christian state.

"I call on Rep. Ireland and my other General Assembly colleagues to recommit to a culture of respect for human dignity, civility and decorum befitting the office. We have many debates about tough topics at the General Assembly in which lawmakers can have legitimate, principled disagreement, but there is no need for those conversations to be cruel and hurtful.

"Finally, I want to close by sharing remarks from Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). As a Catholic, I appreciate his moral call during this difficult time for immigrants and those who know and love them:

"'Law enforcement actions aimed at preserving order and ensuring community security are necessary for the common good. However, the current efforts go well beyond those with criminal histories. In the context of a gravely deficient immigration system, the mass arrest and removal of our neighbors, friends and family members on the basis of immigration status alone, particularly in ways that are arbitrary or without due process, represent a profound social crisis before which no person of good will can remain silent. The situation is far from the communion of life and love to which this nation of immigrants should strive. …

"'On behalf of my brother bishops, I want to assure all of those affected by actions which tear at the fabric of our communities of the solidarity of your pastors. As your shepherds, your fear echoes in our hearts and we make your pain our own. Count on the commitment of all of us to stand with you in this challenging hour.'"

DeLaney comments on Indiana’s declining college-going rate

Recently, the Indiana Commission on Higher Education (CHE) quietly released the updated report of Indiana’s college-going rate to their website. The report shows that for the 2023 cohort of high school seniors, only 51.7% of them went to college, which is down from the poor but steady rate of 53% from 2020-2022. This comes just six-months after new high school degree requirements were approved by the CHE that shifts emphasis to work-based learning. 

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis), a member of the House Committee on Education, released the following statement:

“The startling drop in our college-going rate yet again can be credited to the lack of two things: money and morale. 

“Ball State University professor of economics Michael Hicks reports that Indiana students can no longer receive the financial aid they need to be able to go to in-state institutions thanks to the decrease in state support. While our governor has been taking a victory lap for getting our state universities to freeze tuition, he has failed to guarantee that his move will not decrease financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Any lack of opportunity for tuition support will lead to more Hoosiers not being able to afford college and being forced to choose a different path. 

“At the same time, the supermajority has made attacking colleges and universities the centerpiece of their culture war agenda – from policing what can be taught in the classroom, to forcing institutions to eliminate hundreds of degree options, to creating an entirely new high school diploma that emphasizes the path directly into the workforce. Republican leaders have been devaluing the opportunities that our colleges and universities can offer students. 

“Trying to bury this report in a website and not send a press release is a telling sign that the Commission on Higher Education knows this does not look good, and does not act to fix it. It simply isn’t important enough to them. They are busy eliminating college courses and creating new tests. This is what the legislature has asked them to do.

“In the past, we had reached a college-going rate of 65% and we set a goal to get it back when it slumped. Now, it doesn’t seem like we care to address the issue. That is a shame for our students, a shame for our economy, and a shame for our state.

"The supermajority has been in power for 20 years and this is their achievement. At some point we have to ask ourselves: is a declining college-going rate not the result they want?"

Porter comments on the Republican storm, fiscal closeout report

Today, Indiana released its 2025 fiscal year-end closeout report. The state ends the fiscal year $172 million above forecast – $160 million is due to changes in the timing of collections for the Pass Through Entity Tax (PTET). Not including collection changes to PTET, Indiana finishes within $10 million of its forecast. Even with positive revenues, money is expected to be tight for 2026 and 2027, continuing the biennial budget’s 7% reduction in government spending on critical services. 

State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis), a member of the State Budget Committee and Ranking Democrat on the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee, released the following statement:

“Coming in around forecast is a positive, especially with economic turbulence affecting our revenues in April. We bounced back in late June due to changes in collections. But there’s still a big question mark for 2026 and 2027. 

“This report doesn’t include the billions we’re going to lose from the Big Ugly Betrayal. We're going to lose $23 billion in Medicaid funding and need $196 million to fund SNAP. 

“Indiana has a rainy day fund, but it can’t weather the Republican storm. Families surely can’t weather the fallout. We’re slashing services, divesting from public schools and the federal government is cutting funding. Our shrinking surplus and flat revenues won’t cover all of our losses. We’ve got to sit down and think: What’s Indiana’s overall economic strategy? Because Republicans don’t have one. If they do, it doesn’t prioritize Hoosier families. 

“The majority’s two plans have been to hoard dollars in the surplus or to throw them at a non-transparent development project. Neither of these options has been successful. Our small towns and big cities haven’t seen any benefits, manufacturing jobs still declined and the cost-of-living crisis has continued. 

“When it rains, it pours, and a little money in the bank won’t save us from the storm on the horizon.” 

Hamilton comments on Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute report on state budget, education funding

Yesterday, July 14, the independent Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute (IFPI) released an analysis on the state's two-year budget for fiscal year 2026-27. The analysis shows that with inflation's effect on purchasing power, this year's state budget is a 7% actual reduction in spending from the FY 2024-25 budget. Of particular importance is IFPI's analysis of education spending with inflation factored in. K-12 education support has technically increased from the FY 24-25 budget, but thanks to inflation and the budget's requirement that schools bear the cost of textbooks themselves, there is actually a $400 million real cut in K-12 support.

House Democratic Caucus Chair State Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement reacting to the report:

"This independent analysis of Indiana's new state budget confirms what Indiana House Democrats feared most. Republican lawmakers chose handouts to the wealthy over helping working families. This means fewer and worse services for Hoosiers. Our traditional public schools are getting squeezed from every direction: flat funding when you factor in rising costs, paying for textbooks themselves, a universal private school voucher program that funnels away over $1 billion, sharing property tax money with charter schools and now over $100 million in congressionally appropriated federal education funding being held up by the federal government. The list goes on.

"How can schools give kids a good education when they're being sold off piece by piece to special interests and asked to do more with less funding? Republican lawmakers have failed to answer this question. Instead, they've set our public schools up to fail, even though our public schools are the only school system in our state required to serve every child regardless of their ability.  

"I won't accept this as Indiana's future. During the 2026 legislative session, I'll fight for policies that truly invest in our kids' education - not ones that force schools to choose between textbooks and teachers. We'll push for real funding increases that keep up with inflation, not accounting tricks that hide cuts. House Democrats will keep working for policies that put students first, help families succeed and build an Indiana where Hoosiers can thrive."

Pryor condemns Gov. Braun’s DEI report

Last week, Gov. Mike Braun released a report on the impact of his anti-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) executive order issued in January. Over 200 positions and programs spanning state agencies have been terminated, including a maternal health equity coordinator position, which helped lower the rates of maternal mortality in Indiana. 

State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement regarding the report: 

“I’m unfortunately not surprised by the positions and programming that have been cut since Gov. Braun’s executive order. This is exactly what happens when you work to erase the history of the Black community and other minority groups. It’s disheartening to see programs we've established in health care equity, fair housing practices and supplier diversity, among many other areas, be threatened by a single swipe of a pen. 

“It’s political posturing that’s extremely dangerous, and it shouldn’t go unchecked. It's essentially whitewashing Indiana and pretending minority communities don’t exist here. It's pretending that our state doesn't have a sordid history with racism less than a century ago, and in too many instances still exist. The last thing we need to do is pare back on our inclusivity efforts. These programs are no-brainers that were created to fill gaps in health care, child services, housing, education and many more areas. As an example, Black women and children are going to be disproportionately harmed if we continue to ignore the disparities right in front of our faces.  

“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices are not about handouts, it’s about ensuring every Hoosier has an equal playing field. One can simply look at these policies' impact on predominantly Black schools or look at the health care and housing ownership numbers to see the playing field is not equal.  By attacking DEI efforts, Gov. Braun is telling Hoosiers loud and clear exactly what his values are. Indiana is now at a precipice: are we going to allow Gov. Braun and the Republican supermajority to lead us back to the days of redlining and discrimination, or are we going to continue forging ahead to make our state better for everyone who calls Indiana home?’”

Gutting DEI programming will hurt Indiana for years to come

When Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order earlier this year banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices and programs in state agencies, we in the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) saw the writing on the wall. As a longtime lawmaker and chair of the IBLC, I know that nothing done in this building exists in a vacuum. This order from Gov. Braun signaled not only his willingness to comply with hyper-partisan D.C. culture wars, but his willingness to put politics over the lives and wellbeing of the Hoosiers he was elected to serve.

Now, just six months after his executive order, over 350 programs and positions throughout state agencies have been eliminated. These now-defunct programs include a Strategic Equity position within The Department of Child Services, a maternal health coordinator and disparities coordinator for the Indiana Department of Health and dozens of DEI training programs for Indiana educators. Beyond the classroom and doctors' offices, resources that were once available to parents who have adopted a child of a different race are now not offered to these families. This isn't about efficiency and it's not about "merit, excellence and innovation." It's an attempt to whitewash history and silence diverse voices.

We can't let that happen.

DEI isn't about giving any particular group a handout, it's about giving everyone a hand up by creating level playing fields and giving every Hoosier a fair shot at good health, a living wage and a high quality of life. The unfortunate reality is that, for many people, their race, gender, sexual orientation, ability and other factors have historically been a barrier to achieving these.

Indiana is one of the worst states in the nation for maternal mortality – an issue that disproportionally impacts Black women and women of color and we're terminating positions created to solve the problem. We're getting rid of protections against discrimination for renters and homeowners in a state plagued by a housing crisis. We're no longer going to provide our teachers with the resources they need to properly educate diverse classrooms while we're in the middle of a teacher shortage.

This isn't leadership; it's cruelty.

Not only will these actions negatively impact minority Hoosiers, it will hurt all Hoosiers for years to come. When our classrooms and hospitals are under resourced, when large swaths of people struggle to find affordable housing and when people don't have the resources they need to help themselves and their families thrive, all Hoosiers pay the price.

If we continue to go down this path, we'll see Indiana dip even lower in national rankings. Not only will the people already living and working in our state be impacted; it will actively discourage students, workers, families and businesses from bringing their talents to Indiana. Hoosiers deserve better than tired culture wars. The IBLC is calling on the governor and the Republican supermajority to focus their efforts on bringing us together, not creating more barriers that divide and weaken us.