The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus unveiled its 2026 agenda, which state Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, said is going to support working Hoosiers.
“For years, we’ve heard our colleagues in the Republican supermajority tout the strength of Indiana’s economy,” Harris, who’s also the IBLC chair, said in a Tuesday news release. “Unfortunately, Hoosiers aren’t seeing that strength when they look at their bank accounts. 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. We want a strong state for business and innovation, but we can have that without leaving our working Hoosiers behind.”
The Indiana Senate and House of Representatives reconvened for the 2026 session on Monday. Senate and House Democrats announced their priorities for the session, and IBLC announced theirs on Tuesday.
IBLC’s priorities for the 2026 session include lowering the cost of living, easing the burden of medical debt, addressing rising utility fees and lowering the barriers to homeownership. Caucus members have filed 14 bills to help achieve those goals.
“Too many Hoosiers are living paycheck to paycheck,” Harris said. “This session, we’re committed to helping Hoosiers thrive, not simply eke by every month. We’re calling on Gov. (Mike) Braun and the Republican supermajority to work with us to help all Hoosiers create a quality of life and economic opportunity for themselves.”
Multiple Northwest Indiana senators and representatives are part of the IBLC and have authored legislation that fits the caucus’s agenda. Harris introduced House Bill 1135, which would establish a housing down payment assistance fund for single-family residences statewide, according to the Indiana General Assembly website.
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary, introduced House Bill 1324, which would impact consumer pricing information and says it is deceptive for an object to not include all fees and charges. Objects should still include taxes and fees imposed on purchases by the government and expected shipping and handling charges, according to the bill.
State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, created House Bill 1081, which, if passed, would create the Hoosier scam prevention board for Indiana residents at risk of fraud.
State Sen. Mark Spencer, D-Gary, authored Senate Bill 166, which would change the eligibility for veteran benefits, which would require discharge under honorable conditions for eligibility. The legislation also excludes references to determining eligibility for grants from the military family relief fund.
State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, authored Senate Bill 20, which would create a voluntary family leave insurance program through the Department of Insurance, according to the bill. The program would have to be created no later than Jan. 1, 2027, and would have to submit a report to the legislative council no later than Nov. 1, 2026.
Senate and House Democrats detailed similar goals on Monday following the restart of the 2026 session. Senate Democrats plan to focus on the cost of child care, housing, health care and utilities, and House Democrats’ agenda includes work to cut utility bills, lower health care costs, reduce child care costs, make homeownership available and support local law enforcement.
“What unites Hoosiers across geography, race, religion, class, politics and culture?” House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said on the House floor Monday. “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.”
Indiana House and Senate Republicans plan to announce their specific goals later this week. On the House floor Monday, state Rep. Matt Lehman, R-Byrne, said Republicans want to improve the state’s economy, reduce taxes for Hoosiers, address housing affordability, lower health care costs and improve education.
“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.”
The 2026 session reconvened after a mid-census redistricting push in early December. Multiple Democrats said Monday that they’re happy redistricting is behind them, and they’re hopeful that their work will be completed during the shorter session.
“We seemed to move heaven and earth to put a redistricting bill on the board,” GiaQuinta previously 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.”
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com