Days before the Democratic National Convention, Indiana’s Black Legislative Caucus gathered in Gary on Saturday for a community town hall, providing residents with a review of key legislative outcomes from this year and a glimpse of the caucus’s priorities for the upcoming session.
At Indiana University Northwest’s Bergland Auditorium, nine of the caucus’s 14 members took the stage to highlight victories and setbacks in areas such as education, health care, criminal justice, and veterans’ affairs. A central focus for state Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary, was the ongoing legal battles Gary faces from the state’s GOP-controlled legislature, particularly with House Bill 1235 — a bill prohibiting Indiana cities from suing gun manufacturers.
With Gary being the only city with an active lawsuit against these companies, many view the bill as a targeted effort to undermine the city’s long-standing legal action against gun makers and local dealers.
“Gary and other communities like Gary in Northwest Indiana face these kinds of battles from the legislature on a regular basis,” Hatcher said.
“I think this was the first time it was just so obvious and blatant that they were effectively targeting Gary to get one thing done.”
State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, criticized Indiana House Bill 1243, which eliminates the state’s Academic Honors diploma and removes the SAT or ACT requirement for graduation, arguing it devalues high school diplomas. University presidents from Indiana University and Purdue University have also publicly opposed the changes.
“This bill here is watering down the diploma requirements for students in high school compared to the past, and the university has opposed it in the most direct way,” Smith said.
“As a consequence, that proposal, which came from the Indiana Department of Education, has been withdrawn and is going back to the drawing board.”
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, the caucus chairman, announced that after prioritizing housing in the 2024 legislative session, the IBLC will focus on physical and mental health care in 2025.
“We have some bills that we’ve talked about,” he said. “There’s people who have brought us other ideas. So talk to your rep and senator and see if they have something already in mind and see if there’s an idea you have that you want to bring to that,” Harris said of the 2025 initiative.
Evangeline Stanford, who traveled to the town hall from nearby Hammond, said she appreciated the caucus hosting a town hall for the community.
“It was very informative,” she said.
“When I found out they were doing this locally, I came to gather and learn information. Even though I’m running for school board, this is the first thing I’ve ever done. This is my initial move into politics.”
The IBLC began their statewide town hall tour in Lawrence, continuing to other cities with considerable Black populations like Evansville, Fort Wayne, and Elkhart. The final meeting will take place next month in Terre Haute.
