An historic precedent was set at the Indiana Statehouse Saturday with little notice and absolutely no fanfare.
The General Assembly, for seemingly the first time in state history, completely ignored the governor's convening of a special legislative session.
Republican Gov. Mike Braun issued a proclamation Oct. 27 directing the Legislature to meet beginning Nov. 3 because, in Braun's opinion, the "public welfare" necessitated immediately redrawing the boundaries of Indiana's nine congressional districts and conforming state tax laws to account for a number of federal tax changes enacted in July.
Hoosier lawmakers did meet for redistricting — the House during the week of Dec. 1, and the Senate the week of Dec. 8 — but did so as an early start to their 2026 regular session that normally would commence in January, but legally can begin anytime after the largely ceremonial Organization Day meeting in mid-November.
Neither the Republican-controlled House, nor the Republican-controlled Senate, convened in special session during that time as lawmakers exercised their constitutional prerogative to decide "the length and frequency" of their sessions.
By law, the special session called by the governor expired Saturday after the maximum 40-day period specified in the statute.
Braun's office did not respond to a request for comment on the governor perhaps becoming the first of Indiana's 52 chief executives to have the General Assembly disregard a proclamation convening a special legislative session.
Though Braun did sort-of get what he wanted as the Legislature, in the end, did consider, but ultimately rejected, a partisan redistricting proposal, House Bill 1032, intended to advantage Republican candidates in the 2026 U.S. House elections.
It's not clear if Braun could have, or may still, successfully sue the General Assembly for failing to convene in special session as he directed.
In 2022, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb when he sued the Legislature over a 2021 state law, enacted over the governor's veto, authorizing the General Assembly to convene itself in an emergency without having to obtain the governor's consent to hold a special session.
Chief Justice Loretta Rush, writing for the Supreme Court, said under the Indiana Constitution, only the governor has the authority to reconvene the General Assembly after the Legislature ends its session, and the new "emergency session" created by House Enrolled Act 1123 usurped the governor's exclusive constitutional authority to call a special session.
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