Legislative Calls to Action -- January 20, 2026
- jleewoerner
- Jan 20
- 7 min read
Federal Bills
Federal Spending bills legislation:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is halfway home in approving government funding for the current budget year that began Oct. 1 after the Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a three-bill package.
Now comes the hard part. Lawmakers still must negotiate a spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security amid soaring tensions on Capitol Hill after the shooting of a Minnesota woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
Lawmakers are working to complete passage of all 12 annual spending bills before Jan. 30, the deadline set in a funding patch that ended a 43-day government shutdown in November. With the Senate’s action on Thursday, six of those bills have now passed through both chambers of Congress. The measure before the Senate passed by a broadly bipartisan vote of 82-15. It now goes to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
“There are a variety of different things that can be done that we have put on the table and will continue to put on the table to get ICE under control so that they are actually conducting themselves like every other law enforcement agency in the country, as opposed to operating as if they’re above the law, somehow thinking they’ve got absolute immunity,” said Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus, which includes nearly 100 Democratic members, formally announced opposition to any funding to immigration enforcement agencies within the Department of Homeland Security “unless there are meaningful and significant reforms to immigration enforcement practices.”
No Funding for ICE
Contact your Congress member to:
· Reject increased funding for ICE or Border Patrol
· Restrict ICE and Border Patrol’s ability to conduct dragnet arrest operations
· End Border Patrol deployments to our cities
· Limit DHS’s reprogramming and transfer authority
Call on your representatives to block any DHS appropriations bill or Continuing Resolution (CR) that maintains funding for ICE. The funding bill CANNOT pass without Democrat votes due to the needed 60 votes in the Senate. DEMAND that they vote no on any funding bill that doesn’t include restrictions on ICE and Border Control. This lawless and violent agency must be defunded and dissolved for good.
Indiana Bills
to be voted on or read in committee this week (from MadVoters)
Here is the link to contact your congress member: IGA | Find Your Legislator
There are many more bills to review. Madvoters Bill Tracker is an exceptional tool to use to review bills. Find the bill(s) that concern you the most and contact the committee chairperson and author. BILL TRACKER | MADVoters
SB 008 - Library budgets
Author: Sen. Gary Byrne (R)
1/20 Committee Vote @ 7:30am, room 431 (no public testimony)
(For libraries with majority-appointed boards - which is most of them) SB 8 removes the ability of many public library boards to approve their own budget, and turns it over to the local government. This would mean a loss of financial independence, and could lead to funding reductions and political/partisan volatility.
HB 1002 - Electric utility affordability
Author: Representative Alaina Shonkwiler
1/20: Committee Hearing at 10:30 am, Room 156-A, no public testimony
Seeks to enhance customer financial stability, improve utility accountability, and create a structured rate-making process. These changes include mandating budget billing options, offering opt-out mechanisms without penalties, and implementing multi-year rate plans with performance metrics.
HB 1001 - Housing matters
Author: Representative Doug Miller
1/20: Committee Hearing at 8:30 AM Room 156-C
Seeks to increase housing supply, particularly affordable housing, by streamlining approval processes and reducing local regulatory barriers.
SB 236 - Abortion inducing drugs and abortion reports HIGH ALERT!
Author: Senator Tyler Johnson
1/21 Committee Hearing @ 1:30, room 130
Criminalizes the mailing or delivery of abortion-inducing drugs like Mifepristone and Misoprostol into Indiana. Enables private citizens to file wrongful death lawsuits against organizations that provide abortion pills. Redefines terminated pregnancy reports as public records, and requires the Indiana Department of Health to publish them online, violating patient and doctor privacy. Expands jurisdiction of the Attorney General, meaning even if a local prosecutor declines to act, the AG can.
HB 1343 - Military and veteran matters
Author: Representative Steve Bartels
1/21 committee hearing @ 1:30, room 404
While much of this broad bill is outside the scope of MADVoters, we do oppose section 5, which would grant police powers to the National Guard. These expanded police powers raise concerns about the militarization of police and encroachment on civil liberties.
SB 088 - Various education matters HIGH ALERT!
Author: Sen. Gary Byrne (R)
1/21 Committee Hearing @ 1:30, Senate chamber
SB 88 mandates that public school curriculum include instruction on the 10 Commandments, a conservative perspective of governance, and waiting until marriage to have children. Restricts school discussions on racism, sexism, and class. Mandates that colleges accept the Classic Learning Test (based on nativist and conservative standards) in addition to the SAT and ACT.
HB 1065 - Ban on gratuities for public officials
Author: Representative Harold Slager (R)
1/21 committee hearing @ 10:30, room 156A
Bans bribes and rewards over $100 to public officials for performing a service
HB 1307 - Department of child services ombudsman
Author: Representative Alex Burton (D)
1/21 committee hearing @ 8:30, room 156B
Mandates improved oversight for DCS via an ombudsman office to investigate complaints.
SB 182 - Gender issues
Author: Senator Liz Brown (R)
1/21 Committee Hearing @ 9am, room 431
Erases legal recognition of trans, intersex, and non-binary Hoosiers by establishing "sex" and "gender" as synonymous terms throughout the Indiana Code, defining them solely by biological characteristics (chromosomes and anatomy) present at birth.. Prohibits changes to an individual's gender on their birth certificate. Trans, non-binary, and intersex people do exist, and human sexuality and biology is far more complex than 2 genders.
SB 085 - Health care debt and costs HIGH PRIORITY!
Author: Senator Ed Charbonneau (R), Senator Fady Qaddoura (D)
1/21 Committee Hearing @ 9am, room 431
Protects patients from aggressive medical debt collection practices while requiring greater transparency and financial assistance options from hospitals. Requires hospitals to offer payment plans to eligible individuals and publicize clear information about financial assistance options.
HB 1176 - Education matters
Author: Representative Jake Teshka (R)
1/21 Committee Vote @ 1:30pm, room 404, no testimony
Creates additional pathways for converting existing public schools into charter schools. Unlike public schools, charter schools don't have elected school boards accountable to taxpayers and voters. They are also exempt from some schools, and have a well-documented history of fraud and closure. See also SB 239.
HB 1423 - Indianapolis public education corporation
Author: Representative Bob Behning (R)
1/21 Committee Vote @ 8:30, House chamber, no testimony
Greatly reduces decision-making power of IPS’s elected school board and transfers it with an all-appointed board (heavily influenced by pro-charter interests). Not only is this taxation without representation, but it adds another costly layer of bureaucracy.
Indiana Bills
Starting in Committee (from MADVoters)
HB 1012 - Medicaid matters
Author: Representative Edward Clere (R)
Adjusts several Medicaid paperwork processes to increase accuracy and transparency, including monthly statement reviews by patients and FSSA to quickly identify any errors/inconsistencies and a requirement for FSSA to provide a written, detailed explanation of service rejection/denial
HB 1013 - Exemption from certain health care mandates.
Author: Representative Jim Lucas (R)
Prohibits requiring vaccinations. This is a danger to public health.
Status: In Committee (starting)
HB 1015 - Indiana National Guard
Author: Representative Mitch Gore (D)
Provides that the governor may not, with certain exceptions, order a member of the Indiana National Guard to perform any law enforcement duty that may result in the surveillance, apprehension, detention, or arrest of an individual.
HB 1020 - Access to birth control program.
Author: Representative Jim Lucas (R)
Establishes the access to birth control program to increase access to contraceptives for low income Indiana residents.
Status: In Committee (starting)
HB 1021- Firearm storage HIGH PRIORITY!
Author: Representative Mitch Gore (D)
Makes it a Level 6 felony for a person responsible for a dependent to recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally fail to secure a loaded firearm in their home or vehicle if the dependent uses it to harm or kill someone. Safe storage is a critical component of firearm responsibility.
Status: In Committee (starting)
HB 1026 - Child care funding HIGH PRIORITY!
Author: Representative Gregory Porter (D)
Requires appropriations from the Financial Responsibility and Opportunity 4 Growth Fund to be allocated exclusively to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) voucher program and On My Way Pre-K program. Both programs received funding cuts in the most recent budget; this change would help resolve that.
Status: In Committee (starting)
HB 1028 - Medicaid coverage for health related social needs
Author: Representative Gregory Porter (D)
Requires Indiana FSSA to apply for a Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver, which would expand Medicaid coverage for programs involving housing, nutrition, and other health-related social needs. See also HB 1074, HB 1212
Status: In Committee (starting)
HB 1043 - Data center water regulation
Author: Representative Alex Burton (D)
Requires data centers to obtain a water consumption permit from the DNR. Data centers utilize an enormous amount of water and energy. Under this bill, if the DNR determined the data center would "injure the public health, safety or welfare" or hurt water conservation, they would deny the data center's application to build.
Status: In Committee (starting)
HB 1039 - Various immigration matters
Author: Representative J.D. Prescott (R)
Strengthens the enforcement of federal immigration laws. Mandates that the Indiana Attorney General must defend law enforcement officers, governmental bodies, or postsecondary institutions in civil suits. Prohibits employers from hiring undocumented people. Targets "sanctuary city" practices.
Status: In Committee (starting)
HB 1073 - Rape kit processing HIGH PRIORITY!
Author: Representative Becky Cash (R)
Requires the state police to test untested rape kits to eliminate the backlog.
Status: In Committee (starting)
HB 1096 - Various elections matters HIGH ALERT!
Author: Representative JD Prescott (R)
Implements "closed primaries" that requires voters to register with a political party, meaning they can only vote for members of that party in the primary elections. This disenfranchises independent voters by forcing them to affiliate with one party. Shortens early voting window at the county clerk's office to just 10 days preceding Election Day, instead of the current 28 days.
Status: In Committee (starting)
