The Indiana House and Senate reconvened Monday for the 2026 session, where they announced priorities and the votes for mid-census redistricting in early December were behind them.
The House met during the first week of December and passed, in a 57-41 vote, a bill that would’ve allowed for mid-census redistricting and a new Congressional map. The following week, the Senate met and the bill failed with 31 senators voting against and 19 voting in favor.
The Indiana legislature took up mid-census redistricting at the request of President Donald Trump and his administration, who spent the latter part of 2025 pressuring Republican-led states, starting with Texas, to take up mid-census redistricting to increase the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
State Sen. Rodney Pol, Jr., D-Chesterton, said the failure of the mid-census redistricting bill shows the legislators, regardless of party, can “work together and ignore the noise.” The Senate is starting fresh for the rest of the session, he said.
“This one is going to be a palate cleanser,” Pol said.
But, the Senate has seen a shake-up since the mid-census redistricting failed, with State Sen. Andy Zay, R-Huntington, saying he will leave the Senate Jan. 8 after being appointed chair of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
State Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, submitted her resignation as Assistant Majority Floor Leader effective immediately, the day after the Senate voted against mid-census redistricting.
Pol said he anticipates more Senators stepping away from their seat in the coming weeks and months.
“Some have mentioned this is their last go around. I think the Senate is going to look very different next year,” Pol said.
The Senate met Monday for under 15 minutes, when many senators talked from their seats to those sitting around them or stood in the aisles and talked with colleagues.
State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, said the 2026 session will be a quick one, likely ending at the end of February. The Republican majority will likely focus on tax bills, Niemeyer said, to address the impacts of Senate Enrolled Act 1, which established a new property tax system by saving two-thirds of taxpayers up to $300 on their 2025 property tax bill, while local governments will lose $1.4 billion through 2028.
“We’re still looking at the tax bills from last year,” Niemeyer said. “I don’t know what (the bills are) but it’s coming.”
Indiana House Democrats and Republicans also shared their goals for the 2026 session.
State Rep. Matt Lehman, R-Byrne, said during the House of Representatives session Monday that this year’s session will be busy. Republicans want to continue work to improve Indiana’s economy, he said.
The Republicans plan to reduce taxes for Hoosiers, Lehman said, which he believes has been a constant concern for constituents.
“I think when hardworking Hoosiers go to work every day, one thing they’re going to want to know is that when they’re getting their paycheck, they’re going to keep as much as they can,” Lehman said. “I think we have a bright future, and we’ve all worked hard to make sure that our communities grow and that our economy is growing.”
Lehman also wants to address housing affordability issues during the 2026 session, including for young families. He also wants to lower health care costs and continue to improve education in Indiana.
Indiana House and Senate Republicans plan to announce their specific goals later this week.
To achieve their goals, Lehman said Indiana Republicans and Democrats must work together.
“We have some work to do, and we’re going to do it together,” Lehman said. “My pledge has always been that we might not agree on everything, but we’ll work together and will be respectful when we disagree.”
House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, also said during Monday’s session that it’s important for the parties to work in tandem.
“We can make Indiana affordable for all people,” GiaQuinta said. “Indiana House Democrats intend to fight for that future. I hope we can work together across the aisle to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and deliver real solutions to very real problems.”
On the House floor, GiaQuinta detailed Democrats’ session agenda, and the party hosted a news conference after about the same priorities. State Reps. Cherish Pryor, D-Indianapolis; Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis; and Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, all joined GiaQuinta for the news conference.
House Democrats plan to work to cut utility bills, lower health care costs, make homeownership achievable, reduce the cost of child care and support safe communities, GiaQuinta said.
“What unites Hoosiers across geography, race, religion, class, politics and culture?” GiaQuinta asked. “When it comes to policy, the answer is working people. Across Indiana, families are doing everything right — working hard, playing by the rules, and they’re still struggling to get ahead.”
Concerning utility bills, Democrats want to eliminate the sales tax on residential utility bills, limit utility profit margins, pause rate hikes and have Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission members elected rather than appointed.
According to a July report from the Citizens Action Coalition, statewide electric utility bills have increased by more than $28 per month, or 17.5%. NIPSCO residential customers were hit hardest, with about a $50 per month, or 26.7% increase, in one year.
Across the state, utility bills have risen, GiaQuinta said, and he wants residential customers to have the same tax perks as data center operators, some of which do not have to pay sales tax on utility bills. Eliminating the sales tax could save Hoosiers about $350 per year, GiaQuinta said.
Even if Hoosiers save only $10 per month, Pryor said the savings will be significant to the elderly or those on a fixed income.
“People are trying to decide whether or not they pay for their medication, whether or not they pay for their medication, whether or not they get groceries,” Pryor said. “Even a little bit of money they need to go to the grocery store or put in their gas tank … that will be significant.”
House Democrats also want to lower health care costs, including a cap on insurance premiums, creating a state health insurance exchange and stopping medical debt from impacting credit scores. The Democratic caucus also wants to help fund police, fire and emergency services in communities, including by taking Senate Enrolled Act 1 back to the drawing board and addressing how the changes have impacted public safety funding.
Like the Republicans, House Democrats want to fix housing issues, GiaQuinta said, including by making it easier for first-time homebuyers statewide. Democrats want to create a tax-free savings account for first-time homebuyers, create a first-time homebuyer grant fund and deliver property tax credits.
“The average age of first-time homebuyers has jumped to a record high of 40 years old,” GiaQuinta said. “A house is often the biggest financial asset Hoosiers will ever own, and it’s time to start acting like it for the sake of our younger adults who have been boxed out of homeownership compared to previous generations.”
House Democrats also want to do bipartisan work to lower child care costs statewide, including by splitting costs between employers, the state and parents, creating a child care tax credit and fully funding vouchers to keep daycare centers open. Hamilton called child care “a major crisis” for Indiana families and the economy.
“Every day matters right now,” Hamilton said. “Some facilities are struggling to stay open, so we can make immediate decisions to fund those programs and keep those facilities open.”
This year’s session is about seven weeks long, Porter said, and he believes that House Democrats can achieve their goals in that time, especially after they already dealt with redistricting in about two weeks.
GiaQuinta is eager to put redistricting in the past, he said.
“We seemed to move heaven and earth to put a redistricting bill on the board,” GiaQuinta said. “These things are more important than that, so we should be doing everything we can to get these bills moving on the floor and some relief for taxpayers.”
Senate Democrats will focus on the cost of child care, housing, healthcare and utilities during the 2026 session, said Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington.
“Hoosiers are feeling the squeeze in their everyday lives,” Yoder said. “Housing costs are rising, child care is increasingly unaffordable, health care is unpredictable and utility bills keep climbing. Our Session 2026 priorities are about affordability, stability and making sure state government is working for the people who live here.”
As it relates to housing, Senate Democrats will file bills to establish a $3,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, expand renter tax deductions, allow homeowners to build rental units and turn empty buildings into housing, prevent landlords from conducting hard credit checks and cut red tape that blocks affordable developments, Pol said.
For healthcare, Senate Democrats will file bills to cap insulin at $35 per month, require insurers to pass cost savings to patients, reform Medicaid redetermination and access to prevent wrongful coverage loss and address medical debt, Pol said.
For utilities, Senate Democrats will file bills to repeal the 7% sales tax on utility bills, cap utility payments at 6% of household income, freeze rate hikes for three years, create stronger accountability for rate-setting processes, prohibit summer shutoffs for low-income residents and eliminate reconnection fees, Pol said.
To address childcare, Senate Democrats will file bills to restore funding for On My Way Pre-K and Child Care and Development Fund and to create statewide paid family leave, Pol said.
After the legislature funded the CCDF vouchers, which partially pay for On My Way Pre-K, the Braun administration slashed the funding over the summer, Pol previously said.
The goal of the childcare bills, Pol said, is to ensure that parents can keep their jobs while their children receive early child education and care.
“Our child care priorities focus on protecting income during critical life moments so people can care for their loved ones and stay connected to the workforce,” Pol said in a statement.
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
akukulka@post-trib.com
