Here’s what you might have missed this week at the Statehouse.
The House GOP budget plan increases K-12 education funding by 2 percent each year; cuts most state agencies by 5 percent; reduces local public health funding; and does not eliminate waitlists for care under Medicaid. Republicans said HB 1001 is about freedom and opportunity; Democrats called it a missed opportunity.
The House advanced the two-year, $46 billion spending plan Thursday, as the first half of the legislation session came to a close.
HB 1531: Various immigration matters
House-approved legislation empowers the attorney general to go after businesses that might employ undocumented immigrants. And HB 1531 allows the governor to withhold state funding from local governments and law enforcement agencies that don’t fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Supporters said Indiana must play a role in immigration; critics called the measure discriminatory.
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HB 1041: Student eligibility in interscholastic sports
And a bill with bipartisan support and opposition bans transgender women from competing in collegiate athletics, aligning with a recent federal executive order. Proponents said HB 1041 is about fairness, while opponents charged that it does nothing to address actual inequities in college sports.
Find all the measures we're covering this legislative session on our 2025 bill tracker.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
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