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Scott Aaron Rogers delivers a solo abbreviated episode as MADVoters’ Kaitie fill came down with something at the last minute and her backup is at another event. With only one more week until the Indiana legislative session ends February 27, Scott provides updates on bills tracked throughout this compressed session (shortened by December’s redistricting special session). Thursday was the committee hearing deadline - bills that didn’t make it out of committee are now dead, though their language can resurrect as amendments elsewhere (”zombie language”). Good healthcare bills HB 1335 (nonprofit hospital accountability) and SB 85 (medical debt protections) died in committee, but so did awful bills SB 182 (trans/non-binary legal erasure) and SB 236 (Texas-style abortion bounties). However, numerous dangerous bills remain alive heading into the final week: SB 4 (library defunding), HB 1343 (National Guard police powers), HB 1423 (IPS takeover), SB 76 (ICE cooperation mandate), SB 1 (Medicaid/SNAP restrictions), and HB 1359 (early voting slashed to 16 days via sneaky Senate amendment). Scott explains concurrence process and warns about conference committees that can stack all Republicans, operate behind closed doors, and insert zombie language without public comment. Urges immediate constituent calls to legislators.
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WHAT WE DISCUSSED
0:48 - INTRODUCTION & SESSION TIMELINE
- Solo episode due to illness
- Only one week remaining in shortened session (ends Feb 27)
- Thursday committee deadline passed - bills that didn’t make it out are dead (but zombie language can return as amendments)
3:46 - LEGISLATIVE PROCESS OVERVIEW
- Bills that originated in House have crossed over to Senate (committee, then full vote)
- Bills that originated in Senate have crossed over to House (again, committee before a full hearing)
- Amendments trigger concurrence process back in original chamber
5:46 - HB 1335: NONPROFIT HOSPITAL ACCOUNTABILITY (DEAD - Unfortunately)
- Would have required nonprofit hospitals to provide community benefits exceeding value of tax exemptions
- Mandated hospitals proactively inform patients online about financial assistance and charity programs
- Did not pass out of Senate committee - bill is dead
6:39 - SB 85: MEDICAL DEBT PROTECTIONS (DEAD - Unfortunately)
- Bipartisan bill by Sen. Ed Charbonneau (Valparaiso) and Sen. Fady Qaddoura (Indianapolis)
- Would have protected patients from aggressive medical debt collection practices
- Required hospitals to offer payment plans and publicize clear information about options
- Did not pass out of House committee - bill is dead
8:00 - SB 182: TRANS/NON-BINARY LEGAL ERASURE (DEAD - Good riddance)
- Would have established sex and gender as synonyms in Indiana Code, defined solely by chromosomes/anatomy at birth
- Prohibited changes to gender markers on birth certificates
- Required prisons and schools to segregate bathrooms/locker rooms by biological sex
- Did not make it out of committee - big win, though BMV already stopped gender marker changes via Braun executive order
10:25 - SB 236: ABORTION PILL BOUNTIES (DEAD - Bye Felicia)
- Would have criminalized mailing, possessing, or delivering abortion pills (mifepristone, misoprostol) into Indiana
- Enabled private citizens to file wrongful death lawsuits with $100,000 bounties against those providing pills
- Changed definition of abortion to exclude miscarriage management and ectopic pregnancy (medically inaccurate)
12:07 - SB 4: LIBRARY DEFUNDING (ALIVE - Scheduled Monday House vote)
- Originally SB 8, zombie language added to SB 4
- Turns final budget approval for public libraries over to local government with binding review
- Threatens financial independence of libraries, part of culture war crusade (eg bogus pornography accusations)
14:02 - HB 1343: NATIONAL GUARD POLICE POWERS (ALIVE - Scheduled Monday Senate vote)
- Allows adjutant general to establish military police force with arrest powers, search/seizure, firearms
- Governor can deploy anywhere for war, disaster, or “any other time the governor considers necessary”
- Could support federal ICE operations like Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota (Rep. Matt Pierce: “invading force”)
17:08 - HB 1423: IPS TAKEOVER (ALIVE - Scheduled Monday Senate vote)
- Reduces power of democratically-elected Indianapolis Public Schools board
- Transfers decision-making to all-appointed board chosen by mayor, influenced by pro-charter privatization interests
- Taxation without representation, adds costly bureaucratic layer
18:21 - SB 76: ICE COOPERATION MANDATE (ALIVE - One vote from governor’s desk)
- Mandates law enforcement, schools, universities, local governments cooperate with ICE or face $10,000 per violation
- Prohibits employers hiring undocumented people (already illegal federally)
- Sen. Shelli Yoder: “Every employee becomes extension of federal enforcement agent,” violates separation of powers
21:17 - SB 1: MEDICAID/SNAP RESTRICTIONS (ALIVE - Scheduled Monday House vote)
- Senate GOP’s ONLY priority bill, authored by Sen. Chris Garten (Charlestown)
- Claims to prevent “waste, fraud, and abuse” citing Minnesota case (already being prosecuted, ringleader was white woman)
- Will COST state money while covering fewer people, especially harms students, low-income parents, seniors, immigrants
24:23 - HB 1359: EARLY VOTING SLASHED (ALIVE - Scheduled Monday Senate vote)
- SNEAKY: Amendment added in Senate Elections Committee AFTER passing House
- Cuts early voting from 28 days to just 16 days
- No public comment opportunity (Sen. Gaskill: people testified on “similar bill” last year)
- 32% of Indiana voters voted early in 2024; over 1/3 of counties had 30+ minute waits
27:12 - CONCURRENCE & CONFERENCE COMMITTEES EXPLAINED
- Next week (final week): Bills with amendments return to original chamber for concurrence vote
- If concurrence fails, conference committee forms (4 members: 2 reps, 2 senators, bipartisan initially)
- Bill author as chair can remove members and appoint all Republicans, no public hearings, can insert zombie language
- Session ends Friday, February 27
31:09 - CALLS TO ACTION
- Visit madvoters.org to find legislators and direct phone numbers
- Call senators and representatives - next week is the final week
- Aides log all calls and track constituent positions
- Make voice heard on Monday votes in the coming final week
MADVoters Bill Tracker: https://www.madvoters.org/bill-tracker
Support MADVoters: https://www.madvoters.org/donate-here
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