Those of us who spend our winter days roaming the halls of the Statehouse look forward to session’s halfway mark – when viable bills cross chambers, accompanied by a short respite in legislative activity – with great anticipation. The same anticipation, say, as Bad Bunny fans awaiting his Sunday Super Bowl halftime show.

But like the special effects that tend to adorn those halftime shows, this year’s Statehouse break is merely a mirage.

Bills are moving with such speed and ferocity that this week’s legislative halftime brought no slowing of activity nor break in debate. Thankfully for our Legislative Update subscribers, that means we have plenty of pre-reading to offer you before Sunday’s big game (or big concert, ads bonanza, or snack buffet, depending on your interests).

Find your favorite spot on the sofa to read this week’s play-by-play and warm up that perch for your Sunday afternoon viewing.  

In today’s Legislative Update:

Get in Formation

You’ll notice a legislative trend this week that’s almost as obvious as the many celebrity cameos slated for this year’s Super Bowl ads. The key elements from bills that died before halftime are being resurrected into omnibus bills. We’ll talk about two of those mega-bills – HB 1210 (the fiscal issues bill) and SB 281 (the regional economic development bill) in more detail.

🏠 But first, let’s catch up on the housing debate.

NFL vs. Teams

HB 1001 – Republican Rep. Doug Miller’s pro-housing supply legislation – is generating a debate spicier than our favorite Super Bowl chicken wings. At the heart of the issue is a common theme: local autonomy versus state control.

⬆️ The Upshot: As a reminder, the bill aims to make it easier—and more predictable—to build new homes, while adding transparency around local housing outcomes. The bill nudges local zoning to better match adopted comprehensive plans. Starting in 2027, if a city or town updates its plan but doesn’t bring zoning into alignment within a year, proposed projects would be approved if they comply with either the plan or the zoning code – a move designed to keep projects moving. The bill also puts guardrails on local fees and expands where housing can be built by default. Most affordable housing developments would be allowed to be built “by right” on property owned by religious institutions. And unless a community opts out by ordinance, the bill sets statewide “default” zoning rules that limit parking minimums and restrict overly large lot-sizes, density, and site standards—changes designed to lower costs and increase supply.

💬 The Debate: Local elected officials are pushing back against the bill. In an IndyStar op-ed published this week, more than three dozen Central Indiana mayors, town managers, county commissioners, and council presidents called HB 1001 “a one-size-fits-all mandate that treats local planning as the problem to be solved.” They argue that the state is exerting too much control over what should be a local process with lots of public input. While affordable housing is a problem that needs to be addressed, they say the answer is reforming permitting, investing in local infrastructure in growing communities, and setting and rewarding production targets.  

🏈 For NFL skeptics who think teams need more autonomy to innovate, this local control argument will resonate (revenue sharing, amirite?).

But others assert, to the contrary, the state needs to intervene if we’re going to take meaningful steps toward solving the housing crisis. In another Star piece, urban planner and Downtown Indianapolis resident Jeffrey Tompkins argued that local zoning regulations have become too burdensome in restricting the type of housing we can build and the supply of housing available, which limits supply and increases prices. He calls HB 1001 “the abundance agenda Indiana needs,” noting that it not only eliminates unnecessary red tape – for example, stringent requirements with adding accessory dwelling units – it also increases transparency by requiring locals to opt out of more relaxed designed standards, parking requirements, and lot sizes – which also means they must explain their position.

➡️ What’s Next: The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Playing Under the Cap

Speaking of local governments’ frustration with the state, remember SEA 1? Last year’s property tax reform legislation will reduce the tax burden for homeowners while also decreasing property tax revenue for local governments. However, to offset some of that lost revenue, the bill also shifts part of the local tax burden from property taxes to local income taxes (LIT). It raises the county LIT expenditure cap to 2.9%, allows larger cities and towns to adopt their own LIT rates, and restructures how LIT is shared among counties, municipalities, and other local units. This gives locals more tools to replace revenue, but it also sets up difficult local decisions about income tax increases and how revenue is divided.

🎯 Enter HB 1210, which, among other things, attempts to clean up some of the quirks that accompanied SEA 1. Here is what the bill, authored by Republican Rep. Craig Snow, does, in four plays:

Signing Bonus

SB 281 has become the vehicle for a slate of provisions to fuel regional economic development. Authored by Republican Sens. Greg Goode and Ryan Mishler and Democratic Sen. David Niezgodski, the bill puts more structure, accountability, and resources behind regional economic development, while giving the state flexibility to support large, high-impact projects that span multiple communities.

🖼️ Big Picture: The bill authorizes the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to award up to $50 million per fiscal year in redevelopment tax credits for projects that align with approved regional development plans and have a recommendation from a regional development authority (RDA). Importantly, it also:

That’s all for this week’s update. Keep following along to see if our legislative predictions are more on point than our Grammy picks were last week. 

As for the outcome of Sunday’s game? As Colts fans, we can borrow the words of Tom Brady and say we don’t have a dog in the fight. Hopefully, our take will land with less controversy.

Until next week.

We’re whistling while we work these days, and it’s not just because the Grammy Awards are Sunday. Next week at the Statehouse, viable bills will play musical chairs in the Legislature, with House-originated bills that have passed the House moving to the Senate, and vice-versa.  

While many of most-watched bills already made the cut this week, some are still facing their last hearings on Monday. We don’t know which will be more suspenseful: the final moments until these proposals make it to the other chamber, or the nail-biting seconds before Album of the Year is awarded. (💡POV: Close contest between Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga)  

Whatever the outcomes are on both fronts, we hope they start your week on a high note. 

Read on for this week’s songbook and find our curated playlist of corresponding tunes at the end of this update for your listening enjoyment. 

Go Your Own Way

Lawmakers supporting Republican Rep. Bob Behning’s HB 1423 are seeking to create a more unified, efficient system of schools within Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) boundaries under a new entity called the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC). Based on amendments that passed Thursday, they also want to carve out exceptions for charter schools that lease or own their buildings and want to go their own way. However, there’s a large carrot for charters that do enable their facilities to fall under the purview of IPEC: they gain access to public funding for capital projects and debt service, from which they have historically been excluded. Complicating matters is the fact that some charter schools, which historically have lacked access to funding for facilities, have financed their buildings with private dollars, so there’s nuance around whether those privately funded assets could fall under IPEC control. 

The bill saw other clarifying changes, including: 

👀We’ll be watching on Mon., Feb. 2, as the bill receives its third and final reading in the House, where it must pass before moving to the Senate.  

We Can Work It Out 

The debate over the controversial SB 285, Sens. Cyndi Carrasco’s and Eric Koch’s effort to regulate public camping, offers a glimmer of hope for fans of good, old-fashioned compromise. An amendment that passed last week would position the bill to be a better vehicle for getting those in need of housing and other supports access to services, including through partnerships such as Streets to Home Indy 

Don’t Stop Believin’ 

HB 1098– Rep. Matt Commons’ bill to clarify liability protections for employers who hire workers under 18 – will make its way to the Senate. The bill wants to help employers Believe that by hiring high school students to participate in apprenticeship programs that prepare them for in-demand jobs, they’re not only doing right by the next generation, but they’re also making a smart decision for their bottom line and helping the state’s workforce.  

Recent amendments helped clarify that workers’ compensation insurance provides the exclusive avenue for remedy for onsite workplace injuries, whether for minors or adults. Employers and the intermediaries that help oversee these work-based learning initiatives would be left to determine the details of who is going to be on point for workers’ comp.  

🤔 Indy Chamber’s Take:  We’re singing Pharell’s Happy to these changes, which we hope will give employers confidence to engage in these critical workforce development and skill-building apprenticeship programs, while not saddling intermediaries with too great a liability burden.  

🎉We’ll be ready to Jump Around if the bill passes the Senate and is signed into law. 

I Want You to Want Me

Indiana knows how important it is for companies to get talent to move to the state and stay. SB 264, which passed the Senate and moves to the House, is focused on leveling up Indiana’s gravitational pull.  

Authored by Sens. Brian Buchanan and Linda Rogers, the bill makes the state’s EDGE tax credits a more competitive tool for employers seeking to attract and retain talent. The bill allows the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to boost the value of an EDGE credit when a company incurs relocation costs to bring a worker to Indiana for a new job. It also makes clear that companies can qualify for EDGE credits for retaining employees, not just creating new jobs, if they increase an employee’s hourly wage by at least 25%.  

But will money on the table beat out a Love Song as a way to attract workers? Let’s be honest, probably. 🥰 

Against the Wind

Syringe exchange programs in Indiana and nationally have proven to help those using intravenous drugs engage with supportive services, including disease testing, addiction treatment programs, and wraparound assistance like housing and food. Yet historically, they have faced pushback in some corners due to unfounded fears that such programs might encourage substance use. Nonetheless, in Indiana, this research-backed approach has persisted since the state’s original syringe exchange law passed in 2015. This year, SB 91, which moves to the House, delivers a major win for syringe exchange programs and the people they help. 

Authored by Sens. Michael Crider, Ed Charbonneau, and Brett Clark, with a bipartisan list of co-authors, the bill extends the supporting legislation for Indiana’s 1:1 syringe exchange program, which was set to expire in July, through 2036.  Talk about an encore. 👏 

🏆And the Grammy Goes to: Sen. Michael Crider, who has been a tireless and tenacious champion of syringe-exchange programs. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his principled, dedicated efforts to pass this year’s extension.  

Team 

Turn up your Celine Dion (or, if she’s not your jam, try Drake, Shania Twain, or Justin Bieber). These Canadian superstars’ tunes offer a soundtrack to our joy over a recent trio of Senate- adopted resolutions reaffirming Indiana’s strong and growing partnerships with the provinces of Alberta (SJ 7), Quebec (SJ 8), and Ontario (SJ 9).  

Maple leaf What this means: Canada remains one of Indiana’s top trading partners, and these resolutions, introduced by Sen. Eric Koch in his role as Utilities Chair, underscore the depth of collaboration already underway across energy, technology, agriculture, and space.  

At a moment of uncertainty in the broader international trade climate, these resolutions demonstrate that subnational relationships can continue to thrive. They also lay the groundwork for an even more robust Indiana-Canada partnership in the years ahead.  

Purple Rain

Our hearts go out to the people of Minneapolis, which has experienced dramatic unrest amidst the fatal shootings of two of its residents by immigration enforcement officers over the last month. The late legendary artist Prince, a Minneapolis native, captures the sorrow of the moment well with his lyric: “Sometimes It Snows in April.” 

Earlier this week, more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies signed a joint letter posted on the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s website calling for a de-escalation of violence and imploring local, state, and federal leaders to collaborate on solutions.  

🏠What this means at home: In Indiana, a slew of immigration bills have been debated this session that would double down on enforcement mechanisms, including some implicating employers (see SB 122, HB 1039, and SB 87). We remain optimistic that Indiana can continue to be a place of nonviolence and a model for handling policy disagreements peacefully. Joining our Minnesota colleagues, we urge collaboration toward peaceful solutions on immigration issues and a principled commitment to the rule of law.  

🎤We don’t want to end on a somber note. While things may feel heavy in the world (not to mention frozen, given the weather), remember that life is always better with music playing in the background. On that note, enjoy this curated playlist capturing the songs mentioned in today’s update. We’ll see you next week. 

As we experience the descent of a wintry blast that threatens to make Indiana feel like a scene from Frozen, we’re grateful to be hunkered down at the Statehouse, watching the red-hot action of a busy legislative session.  

Conversations around some bills have cooled this week (See the public camping bill, SB 285, which passed out of committee on Jan. 14 and is awaiting a full House hearing). But the topic of affordability continues to be on fire, with meaningful progress on bills related to bringing down the cost of housing and utility bills. Legislation regarding the management of facilities, transportation, and accountability for schools within Indianapolis Public Schools boundaries also continues to be a hot topic. 

Bundle up and get cozy! There’s no better fireside reading than a legislative missive. Here’s this week’s forecast:  

Easing the Housing Freeze

House Republicans advanced their priority housing bill, HB 1001, out of the House Local Government Committee this week on a 7-3 vote. Authored by Republican Rep. Doug Miller, the bill is aimed at expanding housing supply and improving homeownership affordability by easing certain local zoning and development rules. The version that moved forward reflects amendments made in response to feedback from local governments and stakeholders, including revisions related to duplexes, accessory dwelling units, and impact fees. 

The bill drew broad support from housing and economic development advocates, including the American Institute of Architects, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, and United Way of Central Indiana, all of whom pointed to Indiana’s ongoing housing shortage and the need to reduce barriers to new construction. Some local officials, however, raised concerns about the bill’s impact on local control and infrastructure funding, arguing that limits on impact fees could shift costs to future residents. While some committee members signaled they want additional clarity as the bill moves forward, HB 1001 now heads to the House floor. 

Many Burning Questions

HB 1423 is Republican Rep. Bob Behning’s proposal to create a new, mayor-appointed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC) to manage facilities, transportation, and systemwide accountability across schools within Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) boundaries. The Chamber continues to support the creation of IPEC to create a more cohesive and efficient system of schools that serves all students within IPS boundaries well and ensures fair access to transportation and facilities, regardless of whether students attend district-run, public charter, or innovation schools.   

Following action in the House Education Committee, the bill now includes amendments that strengthen financial clarity and answer timeline questions, with a two-year ramp-up window before the IPEC begins management and operational duties in the 2028-29 school year. The changes adopted also set up a more consequential debate next week as the bill heads to the House Ways & Means Committee. Key topics center around how finances flow with the new corporation in place – and what dollars and obligations remain with schools that would be under IPEC oversight. (Warning: this gets wonky fast.) 

🤔 Indy Chamber’s Take: We view the Education Committee amendments as real progress and will continue to focus on ensuring that any new governance structure delivers stability, transparency, and public trust, while avoiding unnecessary financial risk for taxpayers. 

Turning Down the Heat 

A major bill aimed at making electric bills more predictable and fairer for Hoosiers has been revised and advanced to the full Indiana House after committee action. Lawmakers on Tuesday updated the proposal, authored by Republican Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, with changes expected to improve clarity and consumer protections as it moves forward. 

One of the key changes reflects input from legislators on both sides of the aisle: updating the terminology for “budget billing” to “levelized billing,” which lawmakers see as clearer and more direct. Utility customers would pay consistent monthly amounts based on their historical energy use, rather than seeing big swings in bills, and would settle up no more than twice annually to reflect spikes in energy use.  

Under another change, utilities would also fund assistance programs for income-qualifying Hoosiers from 0.2% of their residential electric revenue, rather than through existing energy assistance dollars collected from ratepayers.  

A House committee unanimously approved the bill, sending it to the House floor for further consideration. 

🖼️The big picture: The bill ties into broader affordability concerns at the Statehouse, as utility costs have been rising sharply and become a top issue for many households. Proponents argue that creating more consistent billing, protecting income-eligible customers from disconnections during extreme heat, and building low-income assistance programs will help families manage costs. While generally supportive of affordability goals, some lawmakers may push for additional consumer safeguards as the bill advances. 

Fueling the Talent Fire 

We believe talent is the key to our region’s growth and economic vitality. To that end, the Indy Chamber supports efforts to enable high school and adult learners to get paid, on-the-job experience to help them learn while working, and build our region’s talent pipeline. For these efforts to succeed, we need clear guidelines in place to address employers’ workplace liability concerns related to employing youth under 18. HB 1098, authored by Republican Rep. Matt Commons, takes a step toward addressing these liability concerns.  

In its original draft, which we told you about two updates ago, the bill aimed to reduce uncertainty by clearly assigning liability when a student is placed with an employer through a talent intermediary. It put primary responsibility for legal and administrative claims on the intermediary, rather than leaving roles ambiguous. Recent amendments clarify both the benefits and protections students qualify for and the division of responsibilities between employers and intermediaries. 

🤔 Indy Chamber’s Take: We believe the amendments mark progress, but we still advocate for employers to maintain liability, with clear protections, such as a statutory safe harbor, to provide them peace of mind and confidence to engage.  

🏥Meanwhile, in the healthcare workforce… 

HB 1278 aims to help address Indiana’s nursing shortage by loosening restrictions on colleges and universities that train nurses, allowing more institutions to expand or start nursing programs. Supporters say the change would increase the pipeline of qualified nursing graduates and help meet growing workforce demand. 

👏The bill drew broad support from nursing schools, healthcare advocates, and workforce groups, including the Indiana Nurses Association. Proponents argue the bill could also help reduce healthcare costs by easing staffing shortages. The amended bill passed committee unanimously and will move to the full House. 

💲And on the tax credit side… 

SB 264, authored by Republican Sens. Brian Buchanan and Linda Rogers, updates Indiana’s EDGE tax credit to give the state more flexibility to attract and keep talent. It allows the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to boost the value of an EDGE credit when a company incurs relocation costs to bring a worker to Indiana for a new job. And it makes clear that companies can also qualify for EDGE credits for retaining employees, not just creating new jobs, if they increase an employee’s hourly wage by at least 25%. 

The bill passed out of committee last week and now moves to the full House. 

Cooling Oversight

The Indianapolis City-County Council created a General Orders Board in 2020 with authority to approve policies on how the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers conduct themselves, including the use of force. Indianapolis’ civilian-led board is among many policing reforms implemented across the U.S. following the 2020 murder of George Floyd by police force in Minneapolis.  

Council Republicans have advocated to rein in the authority of the Board, noting that challenges with making quorum for meetings have stalled decisions and hampered the department’s ability to approve policies. Council Democrats have rejected those efforts.  

SB 284, authored by Republican Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, would limit the authority of any civilian oversight board or commission created by a city, county, or township in Indiana to oversee a law enforcement agency to advisory only – meaning they cannot make binding decisions. These boards would be allowed to review, recommend, and provide input, but final authority would remain with the law enforcement agency itself. The bill explicitly excludes merit boards and commissions, which already have defined statutory authority. SB 284 passed out of committee and heads to the House. 

🤔 Indy Chamber’s Take: Public safety is among the most important issues affecting our city. We need to create optimal conditions for IMPD to enforce safety and build trust with the community – and we also need to ensure the department can attract and retain top talent. The Chamber was an early supporter of the creation of the General Orders board — we are looking for opportunities to preserve civilian input in policing policy while ensuring that the GO board runs optimally.   

Controlled Burn  

HB 1004, authored by Republican Rep. Bob Behning, is a wide-ranging education clean-up bill that updates, consolidates, and eliminates dozens of education statutes across K-12 and higher education. Among many other provisions, it would change requirements around curriculum and graduation and ease teacher licensing rules. With recent amendments, the bill would allow school boards to hold meetings in different school district boundaries, align the number of absent days with current law, and ensure dating violence education in schools. It passed out of committee and heads to the full house. 

Thank you for reading this week. Remember, while the action is moving fast, things are just warming up at the Statehouse. We hope that by the time of next week’s update, the thermostat will follow suit. 

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These days we’re hooked on two dramas playing out in real life: the IU Hoosiers’ cinematic football turnaround that has led them to Monday’s national championship game, and the lightning-paced legislative action unfolding at the Statehouse.  

To borrow a phrase from IU Coach Curt Cignetti, both “would be a hell of a movie.” But if the former resembles a remake of the basketball classic Hoosiers, the latter is more like Rocky—one battle after another, to add yet another movie reference. 

Whether you’re a sports fan, movie buff, policy nerd, or some combination, break out the popcorn and read on. 

On the Marquee  

Homelessness remains a top concern in Indianapolis —for the community broadly and especially for businesses located in and around Downtown. SB 285 is one of the session’s most closely watched – and hotly debated – bills. Authored by Republican Senators Cyndi Carrasco and Eric Koch, the bill would establish a statewide prohibition on unauthorized camping on public land, with a structured process that includes a warning, an offer of transportation, and – if noncompliance continues – a Class C misdemeanor. 

SB 285 also requires the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority to set eligibility criteria and requires organizations receiving federal Continuum of Care funding to report on their efforts annually. It also requires law enforcement agencies to report camping-related enforcement data to the state – provisions intended to improve transparency and help policymakers better understand what’s working to reduce unsheltered homelessness. 

Supporters argue the bill resembles a well-intentioned Coach Carter: creating firm but clear expectations for public space management will ultimately help communities address safety, health, and economic impacts. But critics argue it could strain local services, courts, and reporting requirements without adding funding – and focuses undue attention on short-term cleanups, rather than long-term housing solutions. 

🤔Indy Chamber’s Take: We support the goal of ensuring no one has to sleep outside in Indianapolis and that areas like the downtown of our capital city are safe and welcoming to all. We believe a clear prohibition on public camping can be part of achieving this – especially when paired with strong outreach and housing pathways like Streets to Home Indy. We also support the bill’s emphasis on diversion and services rather than automatic criminalization, and we see value in better statewide data and accountability around homelessness outcomes. 

At the same time, we have concerns about any provisions that create barriers to efforts like Streets to Home being successful, and we want to ensure that law enforcement is given the guidance and protection they need to be critical connectors of unhoused individuals to services. Enforcement tools should be used to support pathways to housing and treatment. 

We’ll continue to engage as the bill moves forward, with a focus on making sure Indiana gets both sides of the equation right: clear expectations for public spaces and strong, well-resourced routes off the street and into stability. 

Going Frame by Frame

We told you last week about HB 1423, authored by Republican Rep. Bob Behning, which would create a new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC) to manage facilities and transportation for all schools within Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) boundaries while creating a common system of accountability for schools. The corporation is designed to ensure more consistency for families and schools in what has become a choice-rich but fragmented landscape of public charter, district-run, and Innovation Network Schools. The Indy Chamber supports the measure to ensure students have safe buildings, reliable transportation, and clear accountability – no matter which public school they attend. We also believe the bill will streamline systems to create greater efficiency for taxpayers. But the plan is nuanced – and novel – and some key details need to be resolved before the IPEC is ready for its premiere.  

🤔Indy Chamber’s Take: We celebrate the progress and look forward to staying engaged behind the scenes as the final cuts of the bill come to life. This legislation and the new corporation have the potential to be game-changing for families, schools, and Indianapolis, creating a more efficient and collaborative system. 

A League of Their Own  

Bear with us as we reminisce about A League of Their Own, a cult sports classic following the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during World War II. The movie shows how different players and teams can thrive when given common rules, infrastructure, and a chance to compete on the same field. 

In a sense, that’s what HB 1315 is seeking to do in township government in communities meeting certain population and service criteria. The bill, authored by Republican Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, is aimed at streamlining what lawmakers see as an outdated structure created for a more rural Indiana. Under the proposal, townships that do not operate fire departments, have fewer than 6,700 residents, and fail to meet certain thresholds for providing emergency financial assistance would be required to merge with another township or reorganize under a city or county. Townships that are largely surrounded by cities – at least 80% of their land and 50% of their population within city limits – would have their functions transferred to the city, unless they operate a fire department. 

Importantly, the bill pushes local governments toward consolidation, clearer accountability, and fewer overlapping layers, while still giving them a window to shape how that consolidation happens. 

Like A League of Their Own, independent teams don’t disappear, but they’re brought under one league structure with common rules, shared infrastructure, and centralized operations so the whole system works better. Each township gets a chance to choose its path and help shape the transition – but if it doesn’t step up to the plate in time, the league steps in and assigns the framework.  

Rep. Shonkwiler said the goal is to reduce overlap in services and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent more efficiently, especially where townships no longer provide core services like fire protection.  

Opponents, including township officials, counter that townships provide essential services such as emergency assistance for housing and utilities, cemetery maintenance, and in some cases fire protection and parks. They argue consolidation based on population thresholds risks disrupting services and representation, and they favor an alternative approach that would rely on performance metrics.  

Real life example: In Johnson County, three previously separate townships – Franklin, Union, and Needham – merged into a single township effective January 1, 2022, creating what’s known locally as Franklin-Union-Needham Township (“FUN”). All three township boards voted unanimously in favor of the merger in 2021, and the consolidated entity now serves nearly 30,000 residents and more than 12,000 households, making it the first township merger of its kind in Indiana. The consolidation was pursued to deliver services more efficiently, reduce duplication, and simplify interactions for residents – for example, eliminating confusion about which township office to visit for assistance and reducing redundant administrative costs. 

👀What to Watch: HB 1315 advanced out of the House Committee on Local Government and now heads to House Ways and Means for a review of its fiscal impact, with further debate expected as competing proposals move forward. 

🤔Indy Chamber’s Take: We’ve been supporters of eliminating township government writ large since the blockbuster Kernan-Shepard local government reform report was released in the early aughts. So, two thumbs up and a Critic’s Choice Award to this more balanced, nuanced approach. 

🏆And the Oscar Goes to…Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, who has been equal parts courageous and ambitious in her efforts to take on this meaty topic early in her Statehouse career. 

Fan Favorite: The Sequel 

“Affordability” buzzed around the Statehouse again this week, and this time, the messenger was Gov. Mike Braun. He used his State of the State address to spotlight affordability, framed rising costs as the defining challenge for Hoosiers, and positioned his administration’s work as focused on making Indiana a place where “your dollar goes further.” 

Rather than unveiling a formal legislative agenda, Braun signaled support for bills already moving through the General Assembly. These include proposals to curb utility rate hikes, ease housing regulations to increase supply, limit cell phone use in schools, restrict public camping, and make it easier to hold some accused criminals pre-trial. On childcare, Braun acknowledged affordability challenges but pushed major action to the 2027 budget session, suggesting future solutions should involve employers having “skin in the game.” 

Braun also highlighted what he called tangible results: a property tax plan projected to save taxpayers $1.5 billion over three years, $465 million in Medicaid savings from tighter oversight, growing GDP outpacing the national average, improved reading scores, a record-high graduation rate, and continued job growth.  

📣 Critics’ Review: Democrats said Republicans are only now embracing affordability after years of resisting similar ideas. House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta said the governor is reacting to growing economic pressure on families, while Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder criticized the administration’s childcare policies, calling childcare “economic infrastructure,” not a side issue. House Speaker Todd Huston countered that Republican efforts have focused on reducing regulations and expanding supply rather than increasing government spending. 

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You  

Since we’re already writing the narrative for the IU football comeback movie, it should be no surprise that we’re also looking ahead to next week’s session calendar. Expect another busy week with multiple hearings on bills we’re following, including:  

Supporting Cast 

We’re also watching these bills that have implications on the broader policy landscape: 

That’s a wrap on today’s production. We’ll see you back here next week, and in the meantime, happy watching – on the field and in the Statehouse!