State legislators, depending on their political party, have very different ideas about what's important to Hoosiers as they go about the business of debating and approving new laws over the next two months at the Indiana Statehouse.
Republican leaders in the Indiana House and Senate largely are focused on eliminating government regulations and programs they claim are holding back economic growth and discouraging Hoosiers from seeking employment.
While Democrats contend immediate action is needed to help Hoosiers facing soaring utility bills, health care costs, child care fees and numerous other expenses for which the wages of Indiana workers have failed to keep up.
The Republican proposals are more likely to become law because the GOP enjoys a supermajority of members (greater than 67%) in each chamber of the General Assembly.
As a result, Hoosiers should expect a significant preemption of local zoning rules and building specifications in the hope of making it more affordable to construct new housing statewide (House Bill 1001), an attempt to use accountability measures to limit utility costs (House Bill 1002), streamlining or eliminating numerous state boards and commissions (House Bill 1003) and scrapping dozens of education-related regulations (House Bill 1004).
"House Republicans are focused on making sure Indiana remains a low cost of living state and supporting Hoosier families. The best way to reduce cost burdens on Hoosiers is to roll back regulation and bureaucracy, unleash the economy and expand opportunity," said House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers.
Notably, many of the policies and regulations due to be eliminated were enacted in the first place by Republicans who have continuously controlled the Indiana House since 2011, the governor's office since 2005 and the Indiana Senate since 1979.
Senate Republicans, meanwhile, are determined to remove illegal immigrants, who already are not eligible for federal or state welfare programs, from receiving Medicaid, SNAP and similar benefits through more rigorous and repeated eligibility checks (Senate Bill 1).
"Our public safety net exists to support our most vulnerable citizens — not those who have broken our laws to enter the country. If you are here illegally, you are disqualified from receiving Hoosier tax dollars, and we will report you to federal authorities. It is that simple," said state Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown.
Republicans are also expected to try to tamp down some of the effects of the property tax changes hastily approved last year in Senate Enrolled Act 1 (2025) after numerous local units of government warned of their negative impact on public safety and other essential services (House Bill 1259).
But Hoosiers should not anticipate seeing much in the way of new spending despite an updated revenue forecast that puts Indiana on track to have a stockpile of $5 billion in its reserve funds by July 1, 2027.
"We will continue to practice the fiscal discipline that has made Indiana the fiscal envy of the nation by saving budget decisions for budget sessions," said Senate President Rod Bray, R-Martinsville.
Democrats, on the other hand, believe Hoosiers want immediate action in response to the state's affordability crisis — not merely eliminating some regulations and hoping that eventually brings prices down.
"The facts speak for themselves. The average age of a Hoosier homeowner is now 40. The majority of Hoosiers with a bachelor's degree have an average of $30,000 in debt. Nearly 130,000 children in Indiana don't have health insurance. These folks aren't just statistics; they're our neighbors. And when our neighbors are struggling, our entire community struggles," said state Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago.
To that end, House Democrats are proposing to give Hoosiers a benefit Indiana already gives to its data centers by eliminating the 7% sales tax on utility bills (House Bill 1213), fully-funding child care and pre-kindergarten programs (House Bill 1026), creating tax-free savings accounts for first-time home buyers (House Bill 1403) and limiting the consequences of medical debt (House Bill 1050).
"From utility bills and health insurance to housing costs and child care, Hoosiers are getting nickled and dimed to death. We're laser-focused on bringing down costs across the board, and we've offered solutions to do just that. Hoosiers need to come first in our state's regulatory pecking order — not big corporations, not big tech, not special interests," said House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne.
Senate Democrats, likewise, said improving affordability for Hoosiers in any way possible and making sure state government works for the people who live in Indiana will guide their policy decisions this year.
"We are committed to showing up, listening and advancing solutions that reflect the realities Hoosiers are living every day," said Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington.
Proposed new laws must be approved with identical language by a majority in both the House and Senate to advance to the governor to be signed into law or vetoed.
This year's legislative session is scheduled to end Feb. 27, about two weeks earlier than usual, due to the time lawmakers spent in December debating an unsuccessful partisan redistricting plan.
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