2024 Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Indiana's 2024 whirlwind legislative session drew to a close on Friday, March 8th. Leadership in both chambers had signaled an intent to keep this year's session short--presumably to allow members maximum time to campaign in an election year. While brief, this session still had its fair share of fireworks (particularly around dedicated bus lanes, wetlands, child labor, higher education, and antisemitism) and a number of bills have been sent to Governor Holcomb for his signature.

Two bills that the Chamber tracked and publicly took a stance on met different fates. HB 1108, authored by Rep. Dave Hall, passed both chambers and was signed into law by the Governor. This bill eases slope restrictions for residential development, expanding the amount of usable land for housing in Monroe County. Given Monroe County's extreme housing shortage, the Chamber supports a variety of housing options to help ease the pressure on the market. Check out our previous Advocacy Matters post for the Chamber's testimony on this bill.

SB 52, which would have prohibited dedicated bus lanes, looked as if it was on course to pass both chambers before falling at the 11th hour. While this bill was nominally intended to target Indianapolis' Blue Line, the Chamber raised concerns about the impact such legislation could have on planned transit projects in Monroe County and the way in which federal funding for future projects could be jeopardized. A deal between the City of Indianapolis, statehouse leaders, and IndyGo means this bill did come for a final vote in the House. IndyGo-related legislation has become somewhat of a theme in recent statehouse sessions so don't be surprised if this issue comes up again next session.

Other bills that got a lot of attention included:

• HB 1383 which critics claim strips protections for the state's few remaining wetlands--signed by the governor
• HB 1093 repeals some restrictions on working hours for 16-18 year olds and provides exemptions for 16-18 year olds to work on hazardous farm jobs--signed by the governor
• SB 202 links university tenure and promotions to the encouragement of free expression and intellectual/political diversity--signed by the governor
• A number of bills such as SB 2 and HB 1102 were passed in an attempt to address Indiana's ongoing childcare shortages--both bills were signed by the governor
• HB 1002 aimed to define antisemitism as discrimination in educational settings. This bill attracted a large amount of controversy due the very specific definitions of antisemitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. A compromise definition was reached but the bill was vetoed by Gov. Holcomb who expressed concerns that the compromise language may be confusing and not adequate enough
• Two local legislators, Sen. Shelli Yoder and Rep. Peggy Mayfield, collaborated to try and repeal the sales tax for menstrual products. Rep. Mayfield was able to get a provision added to SB 256 when it was heard in the House. However, this provision was struck in the final compromise version of the bill agreed upon by the House and Senate.

Having worked as a legislative assistant in the two legislative sessions prior this one, it was a strange feeling not being at the Statehouse every day getting intimately involved with the various pieces of legislation. Session, whether long or short, is often chaotic but I have fond memories of my time there and encourage everyone to watch session (either online or in-person in the gallery) and committee hearings. I firmly believe in civic engagement and that it is important for residents across our state to understand how the legislative process works.

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