The Indiana House of Representatives passed House Bill 1032, pushing forward mid-decade redistricting with a new congressional map. The new map could give Republicans a 9-0 advantage in the upcoming election in the U.S. House. Indiana Senators will meet at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 8 to vote on the bill.
See responses from Hoosier lawmakers and advocates on the bill’s passage below.
Sen. Mike Gaskill (R-Pendleton)
Gaskill, the Senate sponsor for HB 1032, released a statement in support of the bill.
“For too long, Indiana’s representation in Congress has been watered down by the redistricting actions of blue states like Illinois, California, New York and Maryland just to name a few. Therefore, I am committed to advocating for this bill that will more fairly represent Hoosiers at the federal level.
“As sponsor of the bill and chairman of the Senate Committee on Elections, I vow to foster a civil debate as we review this bill in the Senate.”
Indiana Democratic Party
“The supermajority in the Indiana State House today took itself to a new low by passing clearly gerrymandered maps that seek to silence and ignore the wishes of their own constituents. For months, poll after poll showed Hoosiers opposed this redistricting power grab by a wide margin. And despite the pleas from the Hoosiers they are supposed to represent, House Republicans rammed through a map that they admit was drawn by Republican Party bosses in Washington D.C. No Hoosier could possibly think these maps keep communities together. They split Indianapolis in four pieces, split up the Region, and divide communities that are linked together, like the steelmaking communities of Lake and Porter counties. I was immensely proud of the efforts of our Democratic caucus who pointed out the extreme hypocrisy that Republicans showed by passing this unfair map championed by Mike Braun.
“I call on my colleagues in the Senate to live up to their word throughout this process, vote down this shameful, divisive map, and put this redistricting scheme behind us once and for all.”
Rep. Mike Andrade (D-Munster)
“Northwest Indiana is my home. It’s where families work hard, where neighborhoods look out for one another and where people expect a fair shot at having their voices heard. And today, the community is being torn apart.
“These maps split Northwest Indiana, cutting through communities, economic corridors and cities that are connected in every meaningful way. And for what? Political gain. It’s being said out loud – and proudly.
“They were drawn to strengthen political power and to disenfranchise the voices of Hoosiers who trust us to represent them, not discard them. And this is all at a time when Hoosiers across the state already struggle to believe that the government listens. They see their voices being diluted. And then we wonder why public trust erodes year after year.
“Congressman Mrvan has been the voice of reason for Northwest Indiana in D.C. He continues to stand up for us despite being unwanted in our state by Republicans in Indianapolis who know nothing about The Region. These maps undermine the voice of the people and denounce a community that has contributed enormously to our state.
“Hoosiers deserve a legislature that values public trust. That reflects the real communities they represent. Leaders who put people before party.”
Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis)
Pryor, the House Minority Floor Leader, released the following statement in opposition of the gerrymandered congressional map.
“What happened today is a disgrace to this state. The author of this bill has been repeating over and over that this map was drawn purely for political performance, and that no consideration was given to the minority populations in the communities they decided to divide. Making the deliberate choice to ignore racial populations is just as bad as targeting them. Either way, a conscious effort was made to suppress the voting power of Black and brown Hoosiers.
“These maps were drawn behind closed doors by political insiders who are not interested in the needs of Hoosiers, only maintaining their own power. Hoosiers have been telling us for months that they don’t want this. They want to be able to afford their utility bills, health care, child care, housing and groceries. Yet, the Republican supermajority in the House has told Hoosiers through their actions that they do not care about what is best for our state. If the D.C. establishment comes calling, that will be the priority.”
Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington)
“This is a sad day. It’s a sad day for the House, and it’s a sad day for democracy. We have a president who wants to cheat in the midterms to preserve his party’s control of the U.S. House of Representatives. We have a governor who agrees and is pressuring members of his own party. We have an Indiana House that is rolling over and giving in.
“This is a failure of our President, a failure of our Governor, and a failure of the House majority. There aren’t enough Republicans standing up and saying, ‘This isn’t right, this is not our values.’ All because Washington demands they rig congressional elections in the Republicans’ favor.
“I cannot state too strongly that this is not normal. What has the Republican Party become? It’s hard to imagine Lincoln, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, or Reagan demanding an unfair advantage or Governors Bowen, Orr, or Daniels eagerly going along with the scheme. This erasure of Democratic members of Congress and the voices of their constituents will delegitimize Congress. People are already frustrated with the state and federal governments’ failure to address the real problems they face. Today’s action will make them feel more cynical about their government and undermine their confidence in our democracy.
“This is the saddest day I have ever experienced in the Indiana House of Representatives.”
Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis)
“This map rigging may be the Republican party’s most urgent priority, but it is not the priority of Hoosiers. While Hoosiers are worried about utility costs and the affordability of just about every basic need, we just wasted four months on this unpopular map-rigging scheme that is just plain wrong.
“If this map becomes law, within four miles of my house in Indianapolis, I will be able to stand in 5 congressional districts. That speaks to how this map would attempt to deny the most economically vibrant and diverse city in our state representation in congress.
“The Republican supermajority has openly and repeatedly admitted that these maps were drawn by out-of-state party hacks seeking to maintain political power in Washington. Hoosiers deserve leaders who stand up for them and their needs.”
House Democratic Leader Rep. Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne)
“At every conceivable turn this week, House Democrats have offered House Republicans opportunities to address real issues that impact Hoosiers every day. From reining in sky-high utility costs to tackling jaw-dropping health care premiums, there’s no shortage of problems we could be fixing. Instead, Republicans have rushed through cracked-and-packed maps that break up communities and dilute minority voices.
“Our phones have been ringing off the hook for months – ever since we first started discussing the possibility of redistricting – and the overwhelming majority of people we’ve spoken to don’t want new maps. They want us lawmakers to focus our energy on solving the problems that keep them up at night, not doing Washington, D.C.’s bidding. New political maps don’t pay the bills, and Hoosiers are very aware of this.
“I’m hoping that the folks across the hall in the state Senate have the courage to stand up to this D.C. power grab and vote no on redistricting. This has been a distraction for far too long. House Democrats are ready to get to work to create a stronger economy and a better future for Hoosiers, not play political games that only serve to benefit party bosses.”
Indiana Black Legislative Caucus
“This week, IBLC members in the House of Representatives sat and listened to our colleagues in the Republican caucus tout the need for a congressional map wholly favoring their party. Beyond the fact that this is disenfranchising the over 40% of Hoosiers who don’t identify as a Republican, the bill’s author admitted in committee that he didn’t factor in the potential impact for Black and Brown Hoosiers while proposing the map. He also refused to tell his fellow committee members how much involvement officials in Washington, D.C. had in making the map. Disregarding the harm your legislation could pose to already marginalized people throughout the state is a horrific way to yield power. Members of our caucus offered several amendments on Dec. 4 to try to mitigate some of these harms, all of which were voted down by the supermajority. Other amendments to study the financial cost of mid-decade redistricting and alleviate the financial burden that will be faced by local governments and counties were also rejected by House Republicans. They are legislating with the misguided belief that they don’t have to answer to Hoosiers.
“And for the last several months, our offices have heard from Hoosiers throughout the state. The overwhelming majority of the calls and emails our members have received have been in fierce opposition to mid-decade redistricting. Hoosiers don’t want new maps. They want more affordable health care. They want someone to reign in the utility companies charging egregious rates each month. They want to be able to afford to feed their families without having to ration their medication. Members of the House Democratic Caucus offered House Republicans countless opportunities to focus our efforts on creating a stronger economy and quality of life for our constituents. Instead, Republicans remained committed to working for D.C., regardless of what Hoosiers need.
“As this bill heads to the next chamber, IBLC members in the Senate will remain committed to fighting back against this power grab and work toward a state where everyone has a chance to thrive. We hope that the Senate Republican Caucus prioritizes Hoosiers above political games and rejects this map. The future of Indiana depends on them.”
