April 23rd: 2021 Indiana General Assembly Session Wrap-Up
April 22nd marked the unofficial last day of the 2021 Indiana General Assembly Legislative Session. The Indiana General Assembly would have adjourned for the year after Thursday’s passage of the state budget. But, with the COVID-19 pandemic, this year has been anything but normal.
The pandemic slowed the federal Census count that is needed for the legislature to complete its once-a-decade redrawing of maps for Indiana’s congressional and state legislative districts. For that reason, the legislature left room this year for it to adjourn temporarily, technically remain in session, and return in the fall to handle redistricting. Lawmakers left the Statehouse yesterday after they passed the two-year state budget. The General Assembly is not officially ending its session, as they will reconvene in a few months to redraw legislative district maps.
Women4Change and our members worked hard during these last few months to advocate for our legislative priorities. Check out our legislative wrap-up below to review some of our legislative priorities and what we accomplished over the last few months!
Statehouse Updates
Fair voting and voter access
Indiana consistently ranks in the bottom 10 states for voter turnout. We believe that part of the barriers to voter access come from lack of polling places in communities of color, lack of access and information on mail-in voting, lack of early voting locations, and strict voter ID laws. We also believe that voting cannot be truly fair without the removal of partisan redistricting, influenced by the outdated and unequal practices of gerrymandering and redlining. We believe that the solution to fair redistricting is the creation of an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Below are a few 2021 fair voting and voter access legislative updates.
House Bill 1365, Various election matters (authored by Representative Wesco), is undergoing potential final changes as the House and the Senate come to an agreement on Senate amendments. HB 1365 outlines new voting and vote count policies in order to encourage fair and free elections.
House Bill 1479, Early voting (authored by Representative Wesco), was passed by the House and the Senate. HB 1479 gives the circuit court clerk permission to establish voting sites on the third Saturday before an election, allowing for more opportunity to cast early ballots.
House Bill 1485, Voting matters (authored by Representative Wesco), was signed by the Speaker of the House. HB 1485 outlines several voting and polling place policies, including the duties of poll watchers.
Maternal health and infant mortality
Indiana ranks 46th in the nation for our maternal mortality rate, with an average of 41.4 women dying per 100,000 births. Women4Change advocates for all Indiana women, and we recognize that maternal health is an essential step in ensuring the safety and happiness of Hoosier women and their families. We believe that women should have accessible and affordable healthcare, as well as healthy and affordable nutrients and food. We also recognize the racial disparities in maternal healthcare and infant mortality, with Black women facing a risk of pregnancy-related deaths three to four times higher than the rate of white women. Despite these pressing issues, the many bills proposed by legislators that would have addressed maternal health and infant mortality did not pass.
Sexual harassment, assault and consent
Indiana currently ranks fourth in the nation for reported rapes among high school girls. One in every five Hoosier women has experienced sexual assault. Despite this, Indiana does not currently have a law in place that defines consent. We believe that defining consent is the first step in the legislative battle to combat sexual assault, followed closely by ending the use of non-disclosure agreements in the workplace and creating the opportunity for employees of small organizations to pursue legal cases without pushback from their employers. Below are a few 2021 sexual harassment, assault and consent legislative updates.
House Bill 1200, Human trafficking (authored by Representative McNamara), is undergoing potential final changes as the House and the Senate come to an agreement on Senate amendments. While not about sexual harassment or consent, HB 1200 would provide extra protections for underage victims of human trafficking.
Senate Bill 79, Protection orders and domestic battery (authored by Senators Crider and Young), has been made into public law. SB 79 protects survivors of domestic violence, especially in school settings, and increases punishment for perpetrators
Senate Bill 81, Training for investigators of sexual assault cases (authored by Senators Crider and Doriot), has been made into public law. SB 81 establishes standardized procedures for training and investigating sexual assault cases involving adult victims.
Women’s economic stability
Indiana ranks 49 out of 50 states for the gender pay gap. We believe that people deserve equal pay for the same work, and we believe that wage history should not be a factor in the hiring process. We also support paid family leave and workplace pregnancy accommodations for all workers, so that Hoosiers can remain employed while also raising families. Despite numerous bills geared towards increasing women’s economic stability, none of them passed this legislative session.
The 2021 legislative session also included Governor Holcomb’s signing of House Bill 1384, Civics education (authored by Representative Cook), and Senate Bill 6, Statehouse monument to suffragists (authored by Senators Glick, Breaux, and Becker).
Women4Change Indiana staff would like to thank the 129 Action Advocates who wrote letters, sent emails, made phone calls, and filled out advocacy forms. While we always wish for more progress, we are comforted by our volunteers’ dedication to the causes that matter to them.
The Women4Change team will continue to fight for Hoosier women. We look forward to advocating alongside our volunteers in person at the Statehouse during the 2022 session.