Legislative Calls to Action - Week of April 28

Indiana Legislation

The 2025 legislative session was scheduled to adjourn by Tuesday, but they apparently felt they had done all the damage they could do and adjourned early on Friday.   We had expected this newsletter to have several last-ditch calls to action; but at this point our last resort is to call the Governor and urge him not to sign all of the 71 bills heading for his desk this week.  Two possibilities are listed below.

Thanks to all of you who called and wrote your representatives. Using your voice matters. We must make sure our elected officials remember that they are accountable to their constituents.  

Bills on the Governor's Desk

SB 287

Permits partisan school board elections. School boards govern public schools, and selection of these offices should be based on relevant experience and commitment to the good of the school, its students, and its teachers, not partisan affiliation that is largely irrelevant to the responsibilities of this particular office. That's why 75% of Hoosiers oppose making school races partisan. Doing so would also allow big money campaign dollars to influence our elections, and distract from the real responsibilities of governing a school district. Plus, many Hoosiers would be ineligible to serve on partisan school boards because of the HATCH Act.  Fourteen Republicans in the Senate joined every Democrat in opposing this bill.  If there is any bill that Braun might veto, it is this one! 

HB 1002

The bill is over 165 pages long! In sum, it provides a pathway to eliminate many public school programs, services, and requirements: Removes requirement that IN Secretary of Education have educational experience, live in Indiana, or have a college degree. Removes social, emotional, and behavioral supports and training. Guts rights and responsibilities delegated to both State Board of Education and local elected school boards, and removes required offices on the board. Allows a public school district to be completely “charterized” - that is, public school districts governed by locally-controlled, elected school boards could be completely dissolved and replaced with charter schools governed by non-elected, appointed boards instead. Exempts charter school board members from submitting a statement of economic interest, reduces oversight of charters, and repeals language prohibiting discrimination. Removes consideration of cultural competency in developing school environment. Allows students to drop out at 16 without a qualifying reason. Allows schools to cut transportation services with just one year’s notice.

Contact Governor Braun at 317-232-4567 and ask him not to sign these bills. 

Federal Legislation

Stop the Cuts - Keep the Pressure On

This week, most congressional actions are on hold while members return to their districts for recess, but Republicans are still negotiating reconciliation plans from afar. As Trump, Musk, and GOP hard-liners push for the biggest cuts imaginable, a dozen vulnerable Republicans -- enough to sink the bill in the House -- wrote a letter pushing back on plans to decimate Medicaid.

That’s good news, but we certainly can’t celebrate yet. The letter’s demands are pointedly vague and could simply be a face-saving ploy, destined to crumble after Trump fires off some mean tweets. But this letter does highlight the cracks in the Republican caucus -- and we’ll work to turn those cracks into impassable chasms.

That’s why we need to turn the heat up on Republicans now: Call your Republican representative. Email them, too.