We can see, hear and read what really is happening in Minnesota. (and elsewhere) Renowned historian Heather Cox Richardson has an excellent, well-documented post about what really happened on Saturday. This regime may gaslight millions, but there are still more of us. We must share the truth often and with everyone.
Read it here and share everywhere.
Contact your elected officials. 5calls.org has info, scripts and contact #s.
From Indivisible National: Senators have a choice next week to vote for a DHS funding bill that gives ICE and Border Patrol more money to brutalize our neighbors or to say ENOUGH. We must demand our senators — especially our Democratic senators — refuse to give ICE and Border Patrol one more penny of taxpayer money or vote for any funding bill that doesn’t get these thugs the &$*# out of our cities.
Since senate offices are closed today, we’re asking you to email your senators and demand they use their vote this week to rein in ICE and CBP death squads.
Then make a call. If your senators’ voicemails are full, call back on Monday.
We can’t go on like this. It’s time for our leaders to step up and protect their constituents.
Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute Zoom Conference
2 PM, Monday, Jan 26
https://mailchi.mp/932bd53c004c/vhpi-newsletter-14049458?e=7ec9313118
Those interested in hearing about Trump policy to cut staffing for VA Healthcare, please register for the Zoom conference.
The VA Healthcare System more than doubled the number of patient visits representing healthcare provided from 2019 to 2024. Trump’s original plan after taking office last year was a proposal to cut 80,000 VA healthcare jobs. This would have been a 20% cut of the 400,000 VA employees. They were only able to cut 30,000 and now Trump is going after another 25,000 jobs.
Join us for important events:
Rally with us every Saturday, 12-1 in Highland on the SE corner of Ridge and 41 at the Highway of Flags Veterans Memorial. Limited parking, along with handicapped spots, is available behind the memorial. If the lot is full, park at Wicker Park and rally on the NW corner of Ridge and 41. Please bring nonperishable food items. We donate to a different pantry each week. Please let us know you’re coming and register here.
Civics 101. Learn how the government works—and how to make a difference—from an experienced staffer and Indivisible. Tues., Feb. 10 at 6pm, Valpo Library, 103 Jefferson St, Valparaiso
Please register here.
Indiana Secretary of State Democratic Candidate Forum Thursday, 2/26 at 6pm. Merrillville Library. Hear from the candidates.
Please register here—and bring a friend!
Lake County Sheriff Forum. Thurs., March 19, 6pm at the Merrillville Library. Hear from all the candidates for the Democratic nomination. Please register here—and bring a friend!
State of Indiana
Bills are moving quickly through the legislature. The deadline for bills to pass from one chamber to the next is Jan.29. Bills must be voted out of committee by Mon.,Jan. 26 to continue through the process.
Below are bills of most significance or concern below. Find additional important bills on our website, along with contact information.
MadVoters has designated the following bills ‘High Alert’. Contact your senator or representative.
High Alert:
Education
We oppose:
Committee hearing Monday, Jan. 26, the last day bills can receive a vote.
HB 1086. Display of Ten Commandments. Requires display of 10 Commandments in each classroom and school library. Contact the chairman and members of the Education Committee. (SCOTUS ruled in 1980 that posting 10 commandments in public school classrooms is constitutional. (Stone v Graham))
On the Senate or House floor for a vote
Health
We oppose:
SB-236. Criminalizes the mailing or delivery of abortion-inducing drugs like Mifepristone and Misoprostol into Indiana. Enables private citizens to file wrongful death lawsuits and qui tam lawsuits against people or organizations that provide abortion pills – incentivizing people to act as bounty hunters that could receive $100,000. Changes the definition of abortion to exclude miscarriage management and ectopic pregnancy, which is medically inaccurate. Requires termina285ted pregnancy reports to be shared with the Governor-appointed Inspector General (who had no medical training) and the Indiana Department of Health, risking patient and doctor privacy. Physicians who testified against the bill also cited the chilling effect this bill would have on healthcare accessibility and maternal care deserts. Contact your senator.
*Abortion-inducing drug ban’s lawsuit, reporting provisions take heat
LBGTQ+
We oppose:
SB 182. Gender issues. 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. Contact your senator.
Other:
We oppose:
SB 285. Housing Matters. SB 285 criminalizes homelessness, making it significantly harder for unhoused individuals to secure future employment or permanent housing. If found guilty of sleeping on city or state property, individuals could receive a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and/or a fine up to $500. Diverts some state funds from permanent housing toward substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and short-term shelter solutions – the preferred solution wouldn’t be taking from one but to fund both. Prohibits local governments from enacting policies that “prohibit or discourage” the enforcement of public camping or sidewalk obstruction ordinances, overruling local control. Contact your senator.
Other bills of significance or concern:
On the Senate floor for a vote:
Education
We oppose:
SB 88: Various education matters. Prior to being amended, SB 88 mandated that public school curriculum include instruction on the 10 Commandments, and restrictions on discussions about racism, sexism, and classism. This section has since been removed, but concerns remain: the bill mandates that schools include instruction on the importance of waiting until marriage to have children as part of being a “good citizen.” This is out of scope for a public school, and risks shaming students for their personal circumstances. The bills also mandates that colleges accept the Classic Learning Test (which emphasizes conservative content and Christian texts), in addition to the SAT and ACT. The CLT is used mostly by religious-affiliated private schools. It’s clear this bill is intended to elevate conservative, Christian perspectives within the public education sphere. It’s also worth noting that language within this bill is basically copy-paste from the Heritage Foundation, and did not originate from Hoosiers’ real concerns. Contact your senator.
SB 239. Various education matters. 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 regulations required of public schools, and have a well-documented history of fraud and closure. See also HB 1276 above. Contact your senator.
Environment
We oppose:
SB 277. Indiana Department of environmental management. Under SB 277, when faced with evidence of “imminent and substantial endangerment” to human health caused by pollution, the IDEM Commissioner would no longer be required to go to court to stop the pollution. That means, in contrast to the current law, the Commissioner will have the option to do nothing to protect Hoosiers’ health livelihoods. In addition to considering whether a state rule is “more stringent than” the applicable federal regulation, the IDEM Commissioner will now be legally required to consider whether that rule would be “burdensome” to the affected industry – but not Hoosiers’ health, livelihoods, or future. In short, SB 277 dismantles Indiana’s system of environmental management and makes enforcement of any remaining environmental protections essentially optional. (Hoosier Environmental Council) Use HEC’s online action form to take easy action. Contact your senator.
We support:
SB 67: Studying the impact of natural lands. Among other things, SB 67 would require DNR study and report on the impact of natural lands on public health. Contact your senator.
We support:
SB 144. Tobacco products and vapor products. Prohibits sale of vapor products to individuals under age 21. Contact your representative.
Immigration
We oppose:
SB 076 . Immigration matters. 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. Contact your senator.
1176
Other
SB 270. Township mergers. Similar to HB 1315 (seen above) but supported by the Indiana Township Association because it “uses performance metrics to distinguish efficient townships from underperforming ones, a solution which clearly guarantees continuity of important township services and a solution which does not allow for a requirement for taxpayers to pay taxes to an entity in which they have no representation.” (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
On the House floor for a vote
Affordability
HB 1002. Electric utility affordability. 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. Contact your representative
Education
We oppose:
HB 1266. Dept. of education and education matters. Creates systematic financial disadvantages for public schools while making it easier to redirect public dollars away from the schools serving 90% of Indiana’s students. expands eligibility for teacher appreciation grants, school safety grants, and robotics programs to additional institutions—slicing existing appropriations into smaller pieces. Requires public schools to develop new math frameworks, create intervention plans for underperforming schools, and meet new data science pathway requirements—all without dedicated funding. Meanwhile, private schools receiving $497 million in state-funded vouchers face no equivalent mandates. Section 39 removes the transportation cost-matching requirement for Career Scholarship Accounts, making it easier to use public funds for private alternatives. Charter schools gain new access to property tax referendum dollars through Section 37. And the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact makes it easier for teachers to leave Indiana—but does nothing to help us retain the teachers we’ve already trained and developed. Contact your representative.
Health
We support:
SB 085. Health care debt and costs. 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. Contact your senator.
SB 091 Syringe exchange program extension. Extends Indiana’s syringe exchange program until July 1, 2036, which has helped reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis. Without this extension, the program will expire. Passed committee 10-0. Read more: *Damien Center urges lawmakers to extend Indiana needle exchange programs. Contact your senator.
These bills have passed the House and now go to the Senate for consideration:
Education
We support:
House Bill 1137. Ultraprocessed foods and beverage. Would apply to any public school that participates in a federally funded or assisted meal program. Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, those schools could no longer serve or sell foods or beverages containing certain additives during the school day, including in cafeterias and vending machines, nor allow third-party vendors to do so. Contact your senator.
We oppose:
HB 1176. Education matters. 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 regulations required of public schools and have a well-documented history of fraud and closure. Contact your senator.
Environment
We support:
HB 1062: Limiting wake boarding and wake surfing. HB 1062 attempts to address shoreline erosion in small freshwater lakes by prohibiting wakeboarding and wake surfing. Contact your senator.
Veterans
We oppose:
HB 1343. Military or veteran affairs. 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. Passed out of Veterans Affairs and Public Contact your senator.
Other
House Bill 1019. Constitutional amendment ballot question. Contains the ballot language Hoosier voters will see at the Nov. 3 general election when they’ll decide whether to ratify or reject a proposed constitutional amendment, authored by Aylesworth, that was approved by the General Assembly in 2023 and 2025. It would allow any qualified individual residing in the county where a city or town court is located, or the nearest neighboring Indiana county, to be eligible to seek election or appointment as a municipal court judge without having to relocate their residence to the community. Contact your senator.
For an update on all the most significant bills from this session, go to our website: Indiana 2026 Legislative Session – Indivisible NWI
To find and contact your Indiana legislators: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/
In other news
“Gov. Mike Braun announced Thursday that Indiana will opt into a new initiative allowing Hoosiers to collect federal tax savings for investments made in K-12 scholarships.” (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
National-Congress
The House held several votes this week, but none of the bills voted on have been to the Senate yet, so none are law yet. The Senate was out this past week. This coming week the Senate is back in session while the House is out. You can reasonably expect that the Senate will vote on H.R. 7147 and 7148, the appropriations bills. They may vote on others passed this week, but the focus will be on avoiding another (even partial) shutdown as the current continuing appropriations run out Friday, January 30th.
Passed the House, Senate next
H.R.7147 – Making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes
The Homeland Security bill provides $64.4 billion in funding for fiscal year 2026. It cuts funding for Customs and Border Protection by $1.3 billion, and maintains flat funding for ICE at $10 billion. Read more about the bill at Indiana Capital Chronicle.
A provision was added to repeal a law that allows members of the U.S. Senate to sue for up to half a million dollars if their phone records were obtained by special counsel Jack Smith during his investigation into Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election.
Passed 220-207. All Indiana representatives voted yea except Reps Mrvan and Carson who voted nay. View the vote.
H.R. 6945: Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, which would allow states to use Social Security grant funds for pregnancy centers. These organizations are also known as crisis pregnancy centers and are explicitly anti-abortion. Passed 215-209.
All Indiana representatives voted yea except Reps Mrvan and Carson who voted nay.
H.R. 6359: Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, which would require institutions of higher education to disseminate information on the rights of, and accommodations and resources for, students who intend to carry the pregnancy to term, passed 217-211.
All Indiana representatives voted yea except Reps Mrvan and Carson who voted nay
H.J.Res. 140: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Public Land Order No. 7917 for Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, MN passed 214-208.
All Indiana representatives voted yea except Reps Mrvan and Carson who voted nay.
H.R. 7148: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which covers the rest of the unpassed appropriations for fiscal year 2026 , passed 341-88. All Indiana representatives voted yea except Rep Spartz who voted nay.
H.Amdt. 154 (Foxx) to H.Res. 1014: An amendment to repeal section 213 of title II of Division C of the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, passed 427-0. This amendment stripped a provision added to the current continuing appropriations bill passed to end the shutdown last year and allowed a small number of Senators to sue for having had their phones seized in January 6 investigations.
H.R. 5764: AI for Main Street Act, which would require small business development centers to assist small business concerns with the use of artificial intelligence, passed 395-14.
Failed in the House
H.Con.Res. 68: To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress failed because it tied 215-215 and needed one more vote in favor to pass.
To find and contact your Members of Congress: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
In Other News
The courts
See all decisions during this administration on our website. They are listed by topic and in chronological order with most recent decisions first.
Elections
Maryland Democrats are taking the next steps towards redrawing their state’s congressional map this year, introducing legislation aimed at balancing out Republicans’ gerrymandered gains in other states. (Democracy Docket)
A New York state court ordered an immediate redraw of the state’s 11th Congressional District after finding the current map illegally diluted the political power of Black and Latino voters — a ruling that could hand Democrats another House seat…
Importantly, the court grounded its decision in the New York State Constitution, reaffirming stronger, state-level protections against racial gerrymandering. (Democracy Docket)
Immigration
“In 2025, 32 people died in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That figure was the largest in more than two decades and tied for the highest number of deaths among ICE’s detainee population ever.
2026 is only three weeks old, and it’s already shaping up to be much worse. In just 21 days, at least six people have died in ICE custody.
Last year, ICE did not have six in-custody deaths until April 25. The early trends put ICE on pace for 120 in-custody deaths in 2026.” (Popular Information)
