The 2026 legislative session is under way and local lawmakers have announced their priorities.
House Republicans
Indiana’s House Majority Floor Leader, Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne), said the representatives will work together to pass a balanced budget and maintain “fiscal responsibility,” noting Indiana’s “strong record of cutting taxes” and its growing economy.
“Last session, we took key steps to reduce health care costs and those reforms are beginning to take hold,” Lehman said in a statement. “We’ve also continued to prioritize tax cuts for Hoosiers. Last year, between property tax cuts and income tax cuts, we advanced over a billion dollars in tax relief for Indiana families. This session, we plan to continue our work to lower expenses and make life more affordable for Hoosiers, including addressing housing and energy costs.”
Senate Republicans
Senate Republicans will prioritize preventing fraud and containing spending on welfare programs (Senate Bill 1), holding “dangerous subjects” without bail who pose a risk to the community or another person (Senate Joint Resolution 1) and fiscal discipline.
“Hoosiers expect their government to respect taxpayers and run as efficiently as possible, and that’s why our government reform bill will headline our priorities for 2026,” Sen. President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) said. “We also know public safety is top of mind for many citizens, which is why we are going to continue pursuing an amendment to our state constitution to allow judges to deny bail to those who are a threat to public safety. We will also continue to practice the fiscal discipline that has made Indiana the fiscal envy of the nation by saving budget decisions for budget sessions.”
House Democrats
House Democrats explained why their “Working Hoosiers Agenda” resembles that of previous years.
“Our priorities haven’t changed … because nothing has improved for working people in the last year. In fact, the cost of living has only gotten worse,” said House Democratic Caucus Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) at a press conference.
Flanked by Caucus Chair Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis), House Democratic Floor leader Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis), and Ways and Means Ranking Member Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis), GiaQuinta affirmed their priorities: Utilities, housing, health care, childcare, and public safety.
The Democratic Caucus will support the following measures:
- Eliminating sales tax on utility bills and give “customers that same tax cuts as data centers.”
- Making the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) an elected body.
- Banning political spending by utility companies.
- Capping health insurance premiums by ensuring the Indiana State health Insurance Commission considers “affordability as a factor when approving or denying premium increases.”
- Creating a state health insurance exchange.
- Keeping medical debt from affecting credit scores.
- Create a tax-free savings account for people saving toward their first home purchase, similar to the Indiana529 college savings plan.
- Establish a first-time homebuyer grant program funded by “predatory real estate corporations.”
- Develop a public/private childcare program to split costs between employers, the state and parents.
- Keeping “violent offenders off the streets and deterring violent crimes against law enforcement officers through sentencing enhancements.”
“Year after year, you can always count on House Democrats to fight for everyday working Hoosiers,” GiaQuinta said. “We’re excited to prioritize working people during the session and build a future where people can get ahead, not just get by.”
Indiana Black Legislative Caucus
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC), a bipartisan group, announced their “Working Families, Winning Futures” agenda on Jan. 6.
The agenda aims to decrease living costs, reduce the burden of medical debt, address increasing utility fees and minimize barriers to homeownership.
IBLC chair State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago) said Republicans have the strength of Indiana’s economy, but many Hoosiers are not seeing the benefits personally as a number of Indiana residents are still living “paycheck to paycheck.”
“The supposed strength of our economy was built on the backs of our most vulnerable: our working class, our sick and disabled and our working parents. An economy that prioritizes the few over the many is not strong; it’s predatory,” Harris said in a statement. “We want a strong state for business and innovation, but we can have that without leaving our working Hoosiers behind.”
The IBLC named several bills it will support:
- House Bill 1026, Child care funding.
- House Bill 1050 Prohibition on lien for medical debt.
- House Bill 1081 Hoosier scam prevention board.
- House Bill 1100 Health insurance coverage for adoptive children.
- House Bill 1111 Various utility matters.
- House Bill 1135 Investor ownership of single family residences.
- House Bill 1126 Military family relief fund.
- House Bill 1181 authored by State Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis)
- House Bill 1317 IURC and utility audits.
- House Bill 1324 Consumer pricing information.
- Senate Bill 20 Voluntary family leave insurance program.
- Senate Bill 152 Utilities matters.
- Senate Bill 153 Utility disconnections and customer data reports.
- Senate Bill 166 Eligibility for veteran’s benefits.
“This session, we’re committed to helping Hoosiers thrive, not simply eke by every month,” Harris said. “We’re calling on Gov. Braun and the Republican supermajority to work with us to help all Hoosiers create a quality of life and economic opportunity for themselves.”
For more information and this legislative session, visit iga.in.gov.
Contact Editor-in-Chief Camike Jones at 317-762-7850.
Camike Jones is the Editor-in-Chief of the Indianapolis Recorder. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Jones has a lifelong commitment to advocacy and telling stories that represent the community.
