Indiana 2024 State Legislative Session Kicks Off

The Indiana State Legislative Session kicked off on January 8th. At the end of the 2nd week, some bills in both houses have passed the first hurdle of making it through their committee, some have been assigned to their chamber's respective rules committee (essentially the legislative graveyard), and one bill has even managed to get a second chance after initially being left for dead in rules committee.

As is customary during the first week, caucus leaders in both chambers highlighted their priorities and hopes for the upcoming session. House and Senate leaders pointed to a desire for a relatively simple session after years of heavy-hitting controversial sessions. As a former staffer, however, I'm still expecting a few flashpoints and won't be changing the channel quite yet. By-and-large, leadership in both chambers indicated an interest in addressing childcare needs (something highlighted by the state chamber), reading proficiency levels, and workforce development.

With this being a shorter session, things will pick up speed over the coming weeks. The last day for the House to hear bills in committee is January 30th and the last day for the Senate is February 1st. Bills will then have to be passed by their respective chamber before being swapped and heard in the other chamber where the process will start again. With a goal to adjourn by April 14th, expect some twists and turns over the coming months.

For a full list of bills for the 2024 session, you can visit this site. Bills that are still alive will be displayed in blue and bills that have died will be displayed in gray. You can also use this link to see what legislation your elected officials have put forward and where that legislation stands. If you need a refresher as to who represents you at the Statehouse, you can search here by entering in your address. Committees and floor sessions are also available for online viewing both live and recorded. Upcoming committee meetings can be found on the main landing page of the iga.in.gov website. To access recordings from committees or floor sessions, you can use this link and select the specific recording you're trying to watch.​