Indiana
Bill tracker: Which bills are dead, advancing at halfway point of legislative session
How does a bill become law? See the path it takes in Indiana Statehouse
Follow IndyStar’s statehouse reporter Hayleigh Colombo as she shows the path a bill must travel to become law.
It’s the halfway point of Indiana’s 2025 legislative session.
That means hundreds of bills have already received approval from one chamber. There are also lots of dead bills that didn’t make it through the major deadlines this week.
When House and Senate lawmakers return from their session break on March 3, they will swap bills and consider more changes to proposed legislation before anything is sent to Gov. Mike Braun’s desk.
IndyStar is tracking the prominent bills that are moving through the legislative process and that would impact a wide variety of Hoosiers.
Here are some of the major bills that have advanced, and what happened to them last week.
Editor’s note: There will be no bill tracker next week due to a break for lawmakers before the second half of the session.
House Bill 1001: State budget
Lead author: Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton
What it does: This bill funds Indiana’s government, health care programs like Medicaid, public K-12 schools and colleges for the next two years. Republican proponents say it’s a “vanilla” budget that helps the state live within its fiscal means while funding key priorities such as removing the income cap for private school vouchers and a new workforce tax credit for employers. But Democratic opponents say the bill funds the wealthy at the expense of the poor, for example, by defunding the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program and failing to expand preschool.
Status: The bill passed the House by a 66-28 vote on Feb. 20 and now heads to the Senate.
Senate Bill 1: Property taxes
Lead author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle
What it does: The bill, which Gov. Mike Braun said he would not sign in its current form, aims to slow property tax increases by limiting how much local governments can raise their property tax rates and proposes limiting tax referendums to general elections. It would give first-time homebuyers a tax credit and enable more Hoosiers to take advantage of tax credits and deductions for disabled veterans and seniors. Finally, it allows counties to create programs to allow taxpayers to defer up to $500 of their property taxes annually.
Status: The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 17 by a vote of 37-10. It now heads to the House.
House Bill 1008: Illinois-Indiana boundary commission
Lead author: House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers
What it does: The bill creates a bipartisan group that would explore how Illinois counties could effectively secede from their state and join Indiana by redrawing state lines.
Status: The bill passed the house by a 69-25 vote on Feb. 20 and now heads to the Senate.
Senate Bill 518: Sharing property tax dollars with charter schools
Lead author: Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger
What it does: The bill would require all traditional public-school districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools, to share property tax revenue with charter schools in their attendance boundaries, if 100 or more kids leave the traditional district for charter schools, starting in 2028.
Status: The bill passed out of the Senate by a 28-21 vote on Feb. 20 and now heads to the House.
House Bill 1041: Transgender athlete ban
Lead author: Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland
What it does: This is virtually the same bill lawmakers passed in 2022, which banned transgender girls from participating in girls’ K-12 sports. This year’s bill extends that ban to collegiate athletics.
Status: The bill passed the House on Feb. 18 by a vote of 71-25. It now heads to the Senate.
House Bill 1531: Immigration enforcement penalties
Lead author: Rep. JD Prescott, R-Union City
What it does: The bill gives the governor power to withhold funding from local governments if the attorney general determines the entity does not comply with federal immigration enforcement. It says federal immigration law can be enforced by local, state and federal officials. The bill also prohibits employers from knowingly hiring someone who is not legally allowed in the U.S.
Status: The bill passed the full House on Feb. 20 by a vote of 64-26.
House Bill 1006: Prosecutors
Lead author: Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers
What it does: The bill establishes a fund to help counties pay their deputy prosecutors and creates a prosecutor review board to investigate complaints against prosecutors. If the board determines the prosecutor is “noncompliant,” their office would be denied funds available through the bill. Democrats see the measure as an attack on Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.
Status: The bill passed the full House on Feb. 19 by a vote of 72-24. It now heads to the Senate.
Senate Bill 2: Medicaid eligibility
Lead author: Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka
What it does: The bill adds far more stringent and regular government reviews of the eligibility of Medicaid recipients and adds work requirements in order for someone to be eligible for the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state Medicaid expansion plan. In addition, if the federal government allows, it limits enrollment in the Healthy Indiana Plan.
Status: The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 18 by a vote of 40-9. It now heads to the House.
House Bill 1004: Price-controlling hospitals
Lead author: Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: This is one of the key bills seeking to control health care costs in Indiana. This bill does it by penalizing hospitals with an excise tax if they charge facility fees higher than a certain benchmark. It also sets another price benchmark over which their nonprofit tax status could be revoked.
Status: Passed the House on Feb. 20 by a 68-26 vote and now heads to the Senate.
Senate Bill 516: IEDC transparency changes
Lead author: Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon
What it does: The bill would require the Indiana Economic Development Corporation make mandatory notifications to local governments if the quasi-government agency seeks to purchase 100 acres or more in a community and provide annual reports on Innovation Development Districts, like the LEAP project in Boone County. Additionally, the bill creates a new entrepreneurship and innovation office and a new role of president of the IEDC.
Status: The bill unanimously passed the full Senate on Feb. 20. It now heads to the House.
Senate Bill 284: Shrinking early voting
Lead author: Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville
What it does: The bill would have shrunk Indiana’s period for early in-person voting from 28 days to 14 days. It died on Feb. 19 after Byrne said he did not have the support to advance the bill.
Status: Died in the Senate on Feb. 19 after the author did not open it for amendments by the deadline.
Senate Bill 201: Closing Indiana’s primaries
Lead author: Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton
What it does: By requiring voters to register with a political party in order to vote in that party’s primary, this bill would have made Indiana a closed-primary state. It died on Feb. 19 after Gaskill said he did not have the support to advance the bill.
Status: Died in the Senate on Feb. 19 after the author did not open it for amendments by the deadline.
House Bill 1461: Road funding
Lead author: Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
What it does: The bill offers a platter of tools local governments could use to beef up their road budgets. Those tools initially included a tax on food deliveries and rideshares, and for Indianapolis, the ability to levy a property tax referendum, but these were later taken out. The bill also makes it easier for the state to establish more toll roads.
Status: The House passed the bill by a 72-21 vote on Feb. 20. It now heads to the Senate.
House Bill 1432: Online gambling
Lead author: Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Logansport
What it does: The bill would have allowed people to play online poker and other casino games virtually and allow the Hoosier Lottery to operate virtually as well.
Status: The bill died after not receiving a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee before the Feb. 17 deadline.
Senate Bill 523: Chaplains in public schools
Lead author: Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport
What it does: The bill would allow public schools to hire or bring in on a volunteer basis religious chaplains, with an eye toward alleviating the burden on school counselors.
Status: Passed the Senate on Feb. 11 by a 32-16 vote.
House Bill 1007: Small nuclear reactors
Lead author: Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
What it does: The bill provides a state tax credit for expenses incurred in manufacturing small modular nuclear reactors in Indiana. The bill could result in costs shifted to utility customers to pay back project expenses before construction starts.
Status: Passed the full House by a 67-25 vote on Feb. 13.
Senate Bill 4: Water pipeline oversight
Lead author: Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford
What it does: The bill prohibits the construction, operation, purchase, sale and lease of a long-haul water pipeline unless the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission signs off on it. However, the Citizens deal to provide water to the LEAP district in Lebanon is exempted from those rules.
Status: Passed the Senate unanimously on Feb. 4. It now heads to the House.
Senate Bill 13: Spinning
Lead author: Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville
What it does: The bill makes intentional and reckless skidding while driving, known as “spinning”, a Class B misdemeanor and increases the penalties further if the spinning endangers, injures or kills another person. If the bill becomes law, a person found spinning could have their vehicle seized in a civil forfeiture.
Status: Passed the Senate 48-1 on Feb. 3.
House Bill 1002: Education deregulation
Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill aims to loosen restrictions for Indiana schools and education systems, including by nixing the education credential requirement for the Indiana secretary of education, changing the timing of when teachers are paid and removing certain training and professional development requirements.
Status: Passed the House by a 75-16 vote on Feb. 3. It now heads to the Senate.
Senate Bill 10: Student voter ID
Lead author: Sen. Blake Doriot, R- Goshen
What it does: The bill would ban college students from being able to use their student IDs as a form of acceptable voter identification at the ballot box.
Status: Passed the full Senate Feb. 4 by a 39-11 vote. It now heads to the House.
Senate Bill 235: Banning DEI
Lead authors: Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo, Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville
What it does: This bill bans all state spending on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — from trainings to diverse hiring initiatives — at state agencies, educational institutions and health profession licensing boards.
Status: The contents of this bill were amended into a different bill, Senate Bill 289, on the Senate floor on Feb. 4. That bill then passed the Senate on Feb. 6 by a 34-13 vote.
House Bill 1393: Illegal immigration notices
Lead author: Rep. Garrett Bascom, R-Lawrenceburg
What it does: The bill requires law enforcement officers to report individuals to their county sheriff if the person is arrested for a felony or misdemeanor and the officer has probable cause to believe the person lacks permanent legal status. It then requires county sheriffs to report the person to proper authorities.
Status: Passed the House on Feb. 4 by a 67-26 vote.
Senate Bill 11: Social media for minors
Lead author: Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
What it does: The bill requires parental consent for social media use for people under age 16, and allows Indiana’s attorney general to sue social media operators that don’t comply.
Status: Passed by the full Senate by a 42-7 vote on Jan. 23. It now goes to the House for consideration.
Senate Bill 451: Income tax cut
Lead Author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle
What it does: The bill would further decrease Indiana’s individual income tax rate if state revenues grow by more than 3% compared to previous years.
Status: The bill unanimously passed the Senate on Jan. 28. It now heads to the House.
Senate Bill 143: Parental rights
Lead Author: Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: The bill restricts government entities, including school districts and the Indiana Department of Child Services, from intruding on parental rights or keeping information from parents, unless there is a compelling governmental interest.
Status: Passed the Senate by a 44-5 vote on Jan. 27. It now heads to the House.
Senate Bill 475: Physician noncompetes
Lead author: Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: Lawmakers tried in 2023 to outlaw noncompete agreements for Indiana doctors — contracts that prevent doctors from taking jobs at competing hospitals within a certain radius. The compromise that year was to only apply this to family doctors. This year, Senate Bill 475 attempts the ban for all physicians, again, hoping it will encourage competition and reduce prices in the health care market.
Status: Passed the Senate by a 47-2 vote on Jan. 28. The bill now heads to the House.
House Bill 1201: Chronic absenteeism
Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill prohibits a public school from expelling or suspending a student because they are chronically absent or habitually truant and expands the number of days for a school to hold an attendance conference about a student’s absences from five days to 10. It also requires the Department of Education to establish best practices for student discipline on chronic absenteeism.
Status: Passed the House unanimously on Jan 30. A bill that similarly addresses absenteeism, Senate Bill 482, passed the Senate unanimously on Feb. 4.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.
Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com or follow her on X at @hayleighcolombo.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.
MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — June 19 is a celebration of the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free.
As communities across Indiana mark the holiday, the Juneteenth event in Martinsville drew a lot of attention on Friday evening.
Event organizer Jeannine Lee Ferrer said, “This is American history. It’s all of our history, and I think we should all celebrate it, because I think most of the people are happy that it finally ended.”
Sampson Levingston, a local tour guide and Indiana history buff, says Martinsville is historically known as a sundown town, a place where Black people were warned not to remain after dark for fear of their safety. In 1968, a Black woman named Carol Jenkins was killed by two men while selling encyclopedias door to door. One of her killers was never found.
Levingston said, “She got murdered with a hate crime by a white guy and so there are some things that sting. I’ve seen with my own eyes: KKK signs in Martinsville, Indiana.”
Ku Klux Klan, or KKK, is a white supremacist and right-wing extremist hate group in the United States.
Martinsville’s history was one of the reasons why the event generated a lot of conversation within the community. As Levingston sees it, the event was a positive move. “Why not? Wherever you live, wherever you are, figure out how you can get involved with Juneteenth. We’ve got beautiful cities with beautiful history, and I think it’s time we all lean into that and acknowledge that so we can learn and grow with it,” he said.
In a statement, Republican Martinsville Mayor Kenny Costin says the city has undergone a positive transformation.
“The progress is real, and it is ongoing. We remain committed to this work, so Martinsville becomes not only a place where people are proud to live, but a place where they are proud to belong.”
Ferrer said she’s lived in Martinsville since 2021 and has not experienced anything racist in the city. However, she said she was upset when the event was first announced, and people made racist comments to her online. “I’m not being naive to what has gone on in the past, but I think Martinsville has moved to a different chapter, and we’re ready as citizens of Morgan County and Martinsville, Indiana, to turn a page, and I look forward to today being a part of that.”
Ferrer said dozens of people have reached out to her, offering their support and wanting to learn more about the holiday. “Those really are truly the people that are touching my heart and are making me think that this was a good thing to do, and to reach out and let people know that we are more alike than we are different.”
She hopes to host another Juneteenth event in Martinsville in 2026.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Hamilton County teen on Friday said he’s excited for his first convention as a voting delegate.
Jackson Massillamany, who just turned 18 and graduated from high school in May, is no stranger to politics. His father, Mario, is the chair of the Hamilton County Republican Party and his mother, Amy, serves on the Hamilton County Council.
Jackson said he signed up to be a delegate at this weekend’s Indiana Republican Party convention in Fort Wayne after Mario asked if he was interested.
“It’s kinda cool to see how this is done and what my dad actually does,” he said. “At first, I wasn’t really excited for it, but I’m here now and I’m having a blast.”
Mario Massillamany, who is a contributor to “All INdiana Politics,” said Jackson is the youngest delegate at the convention. He said he has been taking Jackson along to party functions ever since he was an infant.
“It’s a great opportunity for him to get more active and involved in politics, and I think we need to try and get the younger generations involved in our political process,” he said. “I think this is a great opportunity for him to come here, have a good experience and then go back and talk to his friends about why it’s important to get involved.”
Jackson will be one of 1,800 delegates tasked with picking a nominee for secretary of state. It’s a closely watched race. Current Secretary of State Diego Morales, who is seeking a second term, has faced numerous controversies since he took office. Knox County Clerk David Shelton and conservative activist and 2024 gubernatorial candidate Jamie Reitenour have been running against Morales for months. Last month, Max Engling, a staffer for Sen. Jim Banks and a 2024 congressional candidate, joined the race at the last minute with Banks’ backing.
The Republican winner in November will have to face Bayh family scion Beau Bayh, a Democrat, along with Libertarian Lauri Shillings and, potentially, former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, who is running as an independent under the Lincoln Party label.
Mario said he’s telling Jackson to keep his eyes and ears open and to meet with all of the weekend’s candidates.
Both Massillamanys said the key to getting young people to vote and to get politically involved is to, first, encourage them to register to vote and, second, to elevate more young people who are in politics.
“I feel like many people are scared to be involved in politics because nobody else younger does it,” Jackson said. “So, like, me and other people my age, being able to reach out to others to try and get involved, I feel like, is the best way for people my age to get involved.”
Delegates to the 2026 Indiana Republican Party convention will make their selections on Saturday. Besides secretary of state candidates, they will choose nominees for state treasurer and state comptroller. The current occupants of those offices, Daniel Elliott and Elise Nieshalla, respectively, are running for second terms and are unopposed.
Government reporter Garrett Bergquist will be in Fort Wayne on Saturday and will have a full report on the results of the convention at 6, 10 and 11 p.m. on WISH-TV.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man is dead after a shooting Thursday night on Indy’s near east side, police say.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, just after 8 p.m., officers were called to the 2000 block of East Washington Street on a report of a person shot.
When officers arrived, they found an adult male inside an apartment with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services transported the man to a hospital in critical condition, where died shortly after arriving.
Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin the investigation.
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