Indiana
Indiana Republicans may have to break with their rules to redistrict. Can Democrats stop them?
POV: At Indiana Statehouse Org Day as House keeps redistricting alive
It was a busy ceremonial first day of the 2026 legislative session as redistricting and other major topics took center stage.
Though the Indiana House plans to reconvene to talk about redistricting on Dec. 1, there are two things that could get in the way: making quorum, and overcoming the fact that Republican leaders appear to have broken a House rule.
Per House rules, Republican legislative leaders should have gotten approval from House leadership in order to convene in December. Democrats say they never signed off on the change, but House leaders maintain they’re still following state law.
Either way, the House needs a two-thirds vote to meet in order to take up redistricting. If all Democrats are on the same page in their opposition, and with just 70 Republicans in the House, only five could break from the party, and the House would not be able to move forward with redistricting in December.
Should either of these things happen, it would only be the latest whiplash Indiana has experienced with regard to President Donald Trump’s request to redraw the state congressional map mid-decade, in order to give Republicans more favored seats before the 2026 midterm elections.
How we got here
State leaders held out for months, even with two visits from Vice President JD Vance and a mounting pressure campaign from the White House. Then Gov. Mike Braun called for a special session to redistrict in October, even though Senate President Rodric Bray insisted his chamber didn’t have the votes to make it successful. But the two legislative leaders came up with a date anyway: They would convene during the first two weeks of December for redistricting.
Then on Nov. 14, Bray reversed course and said the Senate would not show up since the votes weren’t there. This seemed to solidify on Organization Day Nov. 18, which kicked off the 2026 legislative session. Both the House and Senate chambers agreed to a concurrent resolution that set their return date on Jan. 5.
House Speaker Todd Huston, in a harbinger of what was to come, nonetheless told his members to keep their December calendars open.
On Nov. 25, he formally announced his chamber would be convening Dec. 1. Minutes later, Bray again switched up and said his chamber, too, would convene and a week later and vote on whatever map the House sends over.
Why lawmakers aren’t following the House’s rules
Therein lies the rule issue. The time and date that the House reconvenes can be changed from what was in that concurrent resolution from Organization Day, but only “with the agreement of the Speaker and minority leader,” the House standing rules say. House minority leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said there was no such agreement, and it’s his position that the House should reconvene on Jan. 5 as written.
“The speaker called me this morning and said we will be going in Dec. 1,” he said on Nov. 25. “I did not agree to that.”
Even if lawmakers aren’t following their rules, they would be following state law by meeting on a different date than planned as long as enough lawmakers are present. A spokesperson for Huston pointed to the provision in state law that enables lawmakers to meet “either on a certain day fixed by concurrent resolution or when the gavel of each house falls in the presence of a quorum.”
It’s also not unusual to suspend House rules, but it too can only be done with a two-thirds vote.
Huston has said his chamber has the votes to pass a redistricting measure, but that’s because they just need a simple majority, or 51 members. Establishing quorum and suspending rules is a higher bar.
A House Democrat is focusing on the quorum issue in particular, calling out five Republicans by name and urging them to deny quorum on Dec. 1.
“I’m just saying, for the period of time where there’s a quorum call, people may be busy,” said Rep. Mitch Gore, D-Indianapolis. “I’ll pick listening to the people and showing some backbone over allowing my constituents to get ripped off by a 9-0 gerrymander.”
The five Republicans Gore is publicly naming are Reps. Becky Cash, R-Zionsville, Dave Hall, R-Norman, Danny Lopez, R-Carmel, Hunter Smith, R-Zionsville, and Ed Clere, R-New Albany.
Clere, Lopez and Cash have stated publicly or on social media that they are opposed to redistricting. Hall and Smith have not made clear their positions.
“If they really oppose redistricting, it’s up to them to deny a quorum,” Gore said.
But Clere sees it a different way, saying in a statement to IndyStar that a walkout is not the answer to stopping redistricting because “it’s not constructive.”
“Mid-cycle redistricting is harmful to both the legislative institution and to democracy more broadly,” he said. “A walkout would only deepen the existing partisan divide and further undermine the legislative institution.”
Likewise, Lopez and Cash said they will be there on Dec. 1.
Through spokespeople, the other Republican representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
The pressure has been intense around the redistricting debate. Voters in certain districts have been targeted with texts and calls from various nonprofits supporting redistricting. And some of the pressure has turned dark: At least seven state senators have received some kind of violent threat since Organization Day, including some incidents of swatting, which is when a person calls in a false tip that prompts a large law enforcement response. Even Braun has received “credible threats,” his office said.
There’s also the threat of primary challenges against lawmakers who vote against redistricting. Trump has openly called for this; at least one such challenger has already emerged in Republican state Sen. Spencer Deery’s West Lafayette district.
This story may be updated.
Contact IndyStar Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on X @kayla_dwyer17.
(The REPORTER) — The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 10, regarding a proposed corridor improvement project on State Road 32 in Hamilton County.
The hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to interact with the project team, review the features of the proposed roundabout project, and provide official public comment. Project documents are available for review at improvetomove32.com.
The project area is between East Street in Westfield and River Road in Noblesville. The proposed project includes adding lanes to accommodate two lanes in each direction, removing all traffic signals within the project limits, and constructing roundabouts at the following intersections with SR 32:
- Carey Road/Grassy Branch Road
- Gunther Boulevard
- Shady Nook Road
- Moontown Road/Gray Road
- Pebble Brook Boulevard
- Hazel Dell Road/Little Chicago Road
- Mill Creek Road
The hearing will take place at Prairie Waters Event Center, 4180 Westfield Road, Westfield. Doors will open at 5 p.m. to allow the public to view displays and talk with the project team. A presentation will be given at 5:30 p.m., with a public comment session held directly after. INDOT is offering livestreams of all public meetings and hearings. You must register here in order to participate in the livestream. Livestream audience comments will only be accepted in written electronic form, not verbally. A recording of the livestream presentation will be posted on the project webpage and INDOT YouTube page after the hearing and will be available for at least 90 days.
All verbal statements recorded during the public hearing and all written comments submitted prior to, during and for a period of two weeks following the hearing date, will be evaluated, considered, and addressed in subsequent environmental documentation.
Written comments may be submitted within the comment period to Nick Batta, CMT, 8790 Purdue Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268; or sent via email to SR32HamiltonCounty@cmtengr.com.
INDOT respectfully requests comments be submitted by June 26.
A beloved tradition is drawing stitchers, shoppers, and curious newcomers across the region.
If you have ever walked into a quilt shop “just to look,” you already know how that story ends. One minute you are admiring a cheerful stack of fabric with names like sunflower, buttercream, and cardinal red, and the next you are seriously considering whether your house has room for a new table runner, a holiday wall hanging, and perhaps a life-changing bundle of fat quarters. Quilt shops have that effect. They are part treasure hunt, part therapy session, part color explosion, and in Southeastern Indiana, they are also some of the friendliest gathering places around.
That is especially true during the ALL INDIANA SHOP HOP, the statewide sewing and quilting event running through June 30, 2026.
The idea is delightfully simple: visit participating quilt shops, collect passport stamps, pick up thank-you gifts, and become eligible for prizes. The official event even describes it as a quilting version of a bar crawl, only with less late-night regret and more batting, bobbins, and beautiful fabric. There is even a youth passport for ages 8 to 17, which is a nice reminder that quilting is not just a pastime handed down from grandparents. It is also being discovered by a new generation who like making things by hand, repurposing fabric to help the environment, learning skills online, and sharing their creations proudly.
And really, quilting has everything going for it. It is practical, creative, social, and just a little bit magical.
A quilt can be a baby gift, a comfort during a hard season, a graduation present, a family heirloom, or simply a way to make a couch look much more put together than the people sitting on it. Quilters are surgeons with rotary cutters, artists with thread, and storytellers with fabric. They notice pattern, texture, memory, and meaning. Even non-quilters tend to fall under the spell. You do not need to know how to piece a block to appreciate the patience, skill, and imagination it takes to turn small shapes into something that warms both the room and the people in it.
That is one reason local quilt shops matter so much.
Yes, they sell fabric, books, notions, patterns, batting, and tools that can make a beginner feel both excited and slightly underqualified. But they also do something online shopping cannot: they welcome people in. Good quilt shops are places where somebody will help you match prints, explain what on earth a layer cake is, admire your progress, and gently steer you away from a fabric choice you may regret in broad daylight. They are equal parts classroom, clubhouse, and creative headquarters.
Southeastern Indiana is lucky to have several shops that make a Shop Hop route feel less like an errand list and more like a mini road trip with excellent scenery and even better conversation.
In Versailles, The Quilter’s Nook has become a creative quilting and sewing destination with classes, learning opportunities, and plenty of supplies and inspiration for anyone wanting to sharpen their skills or finally start that project they have been thinking about for two years. In Greensburg, Tree City Stitches is known for its premium fabrics, project kits, classes, and welcoming atmosphere, with plenty of samples on display to spark ideas before you even make it to the cutting counter.
In Vevay, Cardinal Quilts offers a deep fabric selection, quilting classes, and longarm services, making it the kind of place where serious quilters can stock up and newcomers can get helpful guidance without a trace of intimidation. And in Madison, L&L Yard Goods has been operating in the same location since 1986, offering quilting essentials, classes, and the sort of steady hometown presence that makes people come back year after year.
Together, these shops help keep quilting visible, vibrant, and local.
They also provide handmade quilts for community projects, children’s hospitals, veterans, and emergency services just like the early quilters did centuries ago.
So if your summer plans could use a little more color, a little more small-town charm,
and maybe a little more excuse to buy fabric you absolutely do not need but definitely deserve, the Shop Hop is calling. Bring a friend, bring your passport, and bring a willingness to be delighted by places where craftsmanship still matters and people still make beautiful things with their hands.
In Southeastern Indiana, quilting is more than a hobby.
It is history from the days of early pioneers, hospitality that warms you, creativity and community all stitched together one square at a time.
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