The Indiana General Assembly is set to meet in a special session on Monday, Nov. 29 to consider a bill that would restrict businesses' ability to require the COVID-19 vaccine for employees. It would also require businesses to administer weekly testing for all unvaccinated employees.  Click here to view the draft legislation.

The legislation is in response to a federal mandate that would require businesses with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccines for all employees. To give feedback to state legislators representing parts of Monroe County, find their contact information in the Chamber's Elected Officials Directory.

Penny Githens, a Democrat who currently serves on the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, has announced her candidacy for the Indiana House of Representatives in District 62. 

The redrawn District 62 will be an open seat. Current Rep. Jeff Ellington, a Republican, announced plans to move and run in District 45 next year. Republican Dave Hall, a Jackson County resident, also is running for the District 62 seat.

District 62 covers portions of Monroe, Jackson and Brown counties. 

Indiana Senate Democrats have scheduled three in-person input sessions this month, including one in Bloomington, to get feedback on proposed maps for Indiana House, Senate and Congressional districts. The Bloomington session is on Monday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave.

The Republican-controlled legislature released State House of Representatives Districts and Congressional Districts earlier this week. Proposed Senate maps are now available here.

The House has already held public hearings. The Senate hearings for its plans will be held on Sept. 27, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Residents can also submit written testimony for the Senate Elections Committee hearing on Sept. 27 by contacting State Sen. John Ford (R-Terre Haute) at [email protected]. 

The Indiana House of Representatives released drafts redistricting maps  on Sept. 14 and held public hearings the following two days. An amend-and-vote-only meeting was held on Sept. 20 for committee members with a 9-4 outcome in favor of amending House Bill 1851. Second and third hearings are expected to take place on Sept. 22 and 23. 

The State House of Representatives Districts and Congressional Districts maps are available online, along with previous versions of those districts.

The Senate will follow a similar process, with the Elections Committee providing the public with drafts of its new maps on Sept. 21. Hearings for these plans will be held on Sept. 27 and another amend-and-vote meeting will take place on Sept. 28. Second and third hearings will follow on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, respectively. UPDATE: Proposed Senate maps are now available here.

To make your voice heard and submit a written testimony for the Senate Elections Committee hearing on Sept. 27,  contact the State Sen. John Ford (R-Terre Haute) at [email protected].  

For more information on the Indiana General Assembly's redistricting process and timeline, click here.

The final 2021 Indiana Legislative Update took place on Saturday, April 10, with briefings from Rep. Peggy Mayfield (District 60) and Rep. Matt Pierce (District 61). 

The monthly forums, held while the Indiana General Assembly is in session, are co-hosted by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, the League of Women Voters of Monroe County, and the LWV of Brown County.
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Watch the April 10 forum on CATS here.

Four state legislators representing Monroe County gave an overview of action at the Indiana General Assembly at the Feb. 13 Legislative Update, co-sponsored by the local League of Women Voters and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.

​Sen. Shelli Yoder (District 40), Rep. Matt Pierce (District 61), Rep. Peggy Mayfield (District 60) and Rep. Jeff Ellington (District 62) provided updates and answered audience questions. Watch the 90-minute session here.

The next updates will be held on March 6 and April 10. Click here to register.

State Senator Shelli Yoder will hold office hours every Friday from 8:30-10 a.m. to talk with constituents in District 40.​ The first session, to be held online, will be on Feb. 5.

District 40 covers most of Monroe County, including the City of Bloomington. 

Click here for details about how to attend.

The Chamber is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Bloomington/Monroe County for a monthly Legislative Update series, starting on Saturday, Jan. 16 from 9:30-11 a.m.

The virtual event will be conducted via Zoom. Click here to register.

State legislators representing Monroe County will give overviews of their activities in the Indiana General Assembly and will take questions from the audience.  Each session will be taped by CATS and replayed on scheduled dates or on request.
 
Subsequent updates are planned February 13, March 6, and April 10.

Indiana legislators have started to file bills for the 2021 General Assembly session, which runs through April 29. Find a list of the proposed bills for the Senate and House of Representatives here.

​The Chamber's Legislative Council will be tracking bills of interest to the business community. And legislators representing all or parts of Bloomington/Monroe County will give their insights on the upcoming session at the Chamber's Legislative Preview on January 15. Click here to register.