Indiana General Assembly
| Indiana General Assembly | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| Session start: | January 4, 2021 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Suzanne Crouch (R) |
| House Speaker: | Todd Huston (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Senate: Mark Messmer (R) House: Matthew Lehman (R) |
| Minority Leader: | Senate: Timothy Lanane (D) House: Phil GiaQuinta (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 50 (Senate), 100 (House) |
| Length of term: | 4 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Art 4, Indiana Constitution |
| Salary: | $28,102.50/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 3, 2020 |
| Next election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Redistricting: | Indiana Legislature has control |
Contents
- 1 Elections
- 2 Sessions
- 3 Redistricting
- 4 Legislators
- 5 Senate
- 6 House of Representatives
- 7 District maps
- 8 Veto overrides
- 9 History
- 10 Constitutional amendments
- 11 See also
- 12 External links
- 13 Footnotes
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana State Senate. The state legislature meets in the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.
The Indiana General Assembly approved new state legislative district maps on October 1, 2021, and Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed the new district boundaries into law on October 4, 2021. The Indiana Senate Republican caucus released its first draft of state Senate districts on September 20, 2021, and the Indiana House Republican caucus released its first proposed state House district maps on September 14, 2021. The Indiana state Senate approved final legislative district boundaries by a vote of 36-12, with all votes to approve by Republicans. Eleven Senate Democrats joined State Sen. Ron Grooms (R) in voting against the maps. The Indiana House of Representatives approved final district maps by a vote of 64-25. All votes in favor were by Republicans with 22 Democrats and three Republicans voting against.[1][2]
The full legislative history of Indiana's redistricting proposals, including House and Senate committee reports and proposed amendments, can be found here at the Indiana General Assembly's website. These maps take effect for Indiana's 2022 legislative elections.[3]
Click here for more information.
Indiana has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of October 9, 2021, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 12 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.
In the 2020 election, Republicans had a net gain of two trifectas and two states under divided government became trifectas. Prior to that election, Indiana had a Republican trifecta. There were 21 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments.
Elections
2022
Elections for the Indiana State Senate will take place in 2022. The general election is on November 8, 2022. A primary is scheduled for May 3, 2022. The filing deadline is February 4, 2022.
Elections for the Indiana House of Representatives will take place in 2022. The general election is on November 8, 2022. A primary is scheduled for May 3, 2022. The filing deadline is February 4, 2022.
2020
Elections for the office of Indiana State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 2, 2020. The filing deadline was February 7, 2020.
Elections for the office of Indiana House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 2, 2020. The filing deadline was February 7, 2020.
2018
Elections for the Indiana State Senate took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on May 8, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The major party candidate filing deadline was February 9, 2018. The independent and third-party candidate filing deadline was July 2, 2018.[4]
Elections for the Indiana House of Representatives took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on May 8, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The major party candidate filing deadline was February 9, 2018. The independent and third-party candidate filing deadline was July 2, 2018.[5]
2016
Elections for the Indiana State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 3, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 5, 2016.
Elections for the Indiana House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 3, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 5, 2016.
2014
Elections for the Indiana State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 7, 2014.
Elections for the Indiana House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 7, 2014.
2012
Elections for the office of Indiana State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 8, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was February 24, 2012.
Elections for the office of Indiana House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 8, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was February 24, 2012.
2010
Elections for the office of Indiana State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 4, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was February 19, 2010, for Republicans and Democrats and June 30 for independents and other candidates.
Elections for the office of Indiana House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 4, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was February 19, 2010, for Republicans and Democrats and June 30, 2010, for independents and other candidates.
Sessions
Article 4 of the Indiana Constitution establishes when the General Assembly is to be in session. Section 9 of Article 4 states that the General Assembly will begin its regular session on the Tuesday following the second Monday in January of each year. However, Section 9 allows the starting date for the session to be changed by law. The session must adjourn by April 29 in odd-numbered years and March 14 in even-numbered years.[6]
Section 9 also gives the Governor of Indiana the power to call special sessions of the General Assembly.
Bills may be pre-filed in the Senate thirty days prior to the start of the session.[7] House filing begins on the opening day of the session.[8]
2021
In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2021, and adjourn on April 22, 2021.
2020
In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 6, 2020, and adjourn on March 11, 2020.
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| Coronavirus pandemic |
| Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.
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Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. No modifications to state legislative activity in Indiana were made.
2019
In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 3, 2019, through April 24, 2019.
2018
In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 2, 2018, through March 16, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. |
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2017
In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 3, 2017, through April 22, 2017. 2016
In 2016, the General Assembly was in session from January 5 through March 10. Major issues in 2016Major issues in the 2016 legislative session included infrastructure improvements, decreasing the reliance on standardized testing in schools, and civil protections for LGBT people.[9][10] 2015
In 2015, the General Assembly was in session from January 6 through April 29. Major issues in 2015Major issues during the 2015 legislative session included an increase in education funding, funding for roads and bridges, Sunday alcohol sales, and funding 2014's criminal code overhaul.[11] 2014
In 2014, the General Assembly was in session from January 6 through March 14. Major issues in 2014Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, elimination of the state tax on business equipment, and education reforms, including whether Indiana should continue participating in Common Core. 2013
In 2013, the General Assembly was in session from January 7 to April 29. Major issues in 2013Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included education funding, utility bills, riverboat gambling, and regulation of how much pseudoephedrine individuals can buy annually.[12] 2012
In 2012, the General Assembly was in session from January 4 through March 14. Major issues in 2012Main issues included right-to-work legislation, a statewide smoking ban, a tax raise to finance a mass transit system, and elimination of the state's inheritance tax.[13] The issue at the heart of the session was right-to-work legislation that Republicans long said would be their top priority in 2012. The legislation sought to ban companies and unions from negotiating a contract that requires non-union members to pay union dues. Republicans argued that the move would bring jobs to the state while Democrats said that it would lead to lower wages.[14] 2011
In 2011, the General Assembly was in session from January 5 through April 29. Session highlightsIn the 2011 session, the Indiana legislature reduced the corporate income tax from 8.5 to 6.5 percent, spread over four years.[15] Clerical errorOn June 30, the state's largest agency, the Family and Social Services Administration, was accidentally eliminated due to a major clerical error during the drafting of legislation related to the agency. The administration helps more than a million people access Medicaid and food stamps in Indiana.[16] According to the AP, "Senate Bill 331 was intended to repeal a provision already in law that would have automatically eliminated (the Family and Social Services Administration) - called a sunset. The sunset language was set for June 30. The bill that repealed the sunset provision went into effect July 1, so technically, FSSA was eliminated minutes before the bill intended to save it went into effect."[16] The mistake was noticed days after the new law went into effect and caught many welfare recipients and legislative leaders off guard. Governor Mitch Daniels (R) signed an executive order on Thursday, July 7, to correct the mistake.[16] 2010
In 2010, the General Assembly was in session from January 5 to March 12. |
Role in state budget
- See also: Indiana state budget and finances
Indiana on 
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The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[17]
- In early summer of the year preceding the beginning of the new biennium, budget instructions are sent to state agencies.
- By September 1, agencies submit their budget requests to the governor.
- Hearings are held with state agencies from November to April.
- The governor submits his or her budget to the state legislature in January.
- The legislature typically adopts a budget in April, effective for the fiscal biennium beginning in July. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
There are no constitutional or statutory provisions mandating that the governor submit or the legislature pass a balanced budget. Budget deficits may be carried over to the next biennium.[17]
Indiana is one of six states in which the governor cannot exercise line item veto authority.[17]
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Indiana
In Indiana, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. The legislature must approve a redistricting plan by the close of the first legislative session occurring after completion of the United States Census. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.[18][19]
In the event that both chambers of the state legislature do not approve a congressional redistricting plan, a backup commission must draw the lines. The commission comprises the following members:[19]
- Speaker of the House
- President Pro Tempore of the Senate
- Chair of the Elections Committee, Indiana State Senate
- Chair of the Elections and Apportionment Committee, Indiana House of Representatives
- A gubernatorial appointment
The Indiana Constitution mandates that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no such requirements for congressional district lines.[18]
2020
The Indiana General Assembly approved new state legislative district maps on October 1, 2021, and Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed the new district boundaries into law on October 4, 2021. The Indiana Senate Republican caucus released its first draft of state Senate districts on September 20, 2021, and the Indiana House Republican caucus released its first proposed state House district maps on September 14, 2021. The Indiana state Senate approved final legislative district boundaries by a vote of 36-12, with all votes to approve by Republicans. Eleven Senate Democrats joined State Sen. Ron Grooms (R) in voting against the maps. The Indiana House of Representatives approved final district maps by a vote of 64-25. All votes in favor were by Republicans with 22 Democrats and three Republicans voting against.[20][21]
The full legislative history of Indiana's redistricting proposals, including House and Senate committee reports and proposed amendments, can be found here at the Indiana General Assembly's website. These maps take effect for Indiana's 2022 legislative elections.[3]
After the General Assembly approved the maps, House Speaker Todd Huston said, "We're incredibly grateful for the work of Representative Greg Steuerwald and Senator Eric Koch who tirelessly and thoughtfully led the way on drawing these maps. Redistricting is a complex and important process that impacts all Hoosiers. We're thankful for the hundreds of constituents who shared their feedback along the way, and I'm confident we delivered fair maps that ensure every Hoosier vote counts."[22]
State Senate map
This map takes effect for Indiana's 2022 legislative elections.
State House of Representatives map
This map takes effect for Indiana's 2022 legislative elections.
2010
Census figures for Indiana were released on December 21, 2010, showing the state's population grew 6.6 percent to almost 6.5 million. The redistricting process began the week of April 11, 2011. On April 20, both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly approved redistricting plans.[23] The Senate concurred with the House plan by a 37-12 vote on April 27, 2011.[24] Governor Mitch Daniels signed Indiana's redistricting plan on Tuesday, May 10, 2011.[25]
Legislators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $28,102.50/year | $183/day. Unvouchered. |
Swearing in dates
Indiana legislators assume office the day after their general election.[26]
Senate
The Indiana State Senate consists of 50 members elected to four-year terms without term limits. Each member represented an average of 129,676 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[27] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 121,610.[28] The Lieutenant Governor presides over the senate while it is in session and casts the deciding vote in the event of a tie.
| Party | As of October 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 39 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
From 1992 to 2020, the Indiana State Senate was controlled by the Republican Party. Republicans started with a slim majority in the early 1990s, but they increased their seat share over the next 20 years and held a strong majority by 2020. The table below shows the partisan history of the Indiana State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Indiana State Senate Party Control: 1992-2020
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Republicans | 28 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 36 | 37 | 40 | 41 | 40 | 39 |
The Indiana State Senate was somewhat competitive from 1900 to 2020, switching partisan control 10 times during that period. Of the 10 times partisan control changed, six occurred between 1960 and 1978. Despite the changes in control, the chamber was mostly in Republican hands. When Democrats took control, they usually held it for a few election cycles. After Republicans won a majority in 1978, Democrats did not regain control through the 2020 elections.
In 1992, Republicans took a 28-22 majority in the chamber. In the elections that followed they almost always gained seats. By 2004, they held a 33-17 lead over Democrats. In 2010, Republicans gained three seats, putting them at 36. They gained another seat in 2012, even though the national climate favored Democrats, and then three more in 2014, when the national climate favored Republicans.
In 2016, Republicans gained another seat and Democrats had less than 10 seats. The 41-9 GOP advantage following the 2016 election was the largest the chamber had seen since 1920. Republicans lost three seats between the 2018 and 2020 elections, bringing the chamber to 38-11 (with one vacancy). The chamber's Republican gains from 2010 to 2016 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.
House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives consists of 100 members elected to two-year terms without term limits. Each member represented an average of 64,838 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[29] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 60,805.[30]
| Party | As of October 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 29 | |
| Republican Party | 70 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
From 1992 to 2020, partisan control of the Indiana House of Representatives changed five times before Republicans took over in the 2010 elections. From 2010 to 2020, Republicans had a strong majority in the chamber, which was previously a partisan battleground. The table below shows the partisan history of the Indiana House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Indiana House of Representatives Party Control: 1992-2020
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 55 | 44 | 50* | 53 | 53 | 51 | 48 | 51 | 52 | 40 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 33 | 29 |
| Republicans | 45 | 56 | 50 | 47 | 47 | 49 | 52 | 49 | 48 | 60 | 69 | 71 | 70 | 67 | 71 |
*Democrat John Gregg served as speaker of the house because the governor's race was won by Frank O'Bannon (D) and a 1989 law said the party that won the governor's race was to elect the speaker of a tied chamber.
The Indiana House of Representatives was competitive from 1900 to 2020. The chamber changed partisan control 15 times during that time period. Starting in 1990, Democrats held control of the chamber. This started a twenty-year period of competitiveness where partisan control frequently switched between Democrats and Republicans and the distance between the parties was never more than 12 seats.
After taking control in 1990, Democrats held the chamber through the 1992 elections. Republicans won a 56-44 majority in 1994. In the 1996 elections, Democrats made gains and brought the chamber to a 50-50 tie. They also won the chamber's leadership positions because a 1989 Indiana law allows the party of the governor to select the speaker of the house in the event of a tie (Democrat Gov. Frank O'Bannon was elected in 1996).[31]
Democrats held slim majorities following the 1998, 2000, and 2002 elections before Republicans took control with a 52-48 majority in 2004. Democratic gains in 2006 and 2008 swung control back in their favor, although they did not win more than 52 seats in either election. Starting in 2010, Republicans began building a majority in the chamber that lasted through 2020. In the 2010 election, they won a 60-40 majority, the largest either party had held since the 1984 elections. Despite a national trend back toward Democrats in 2012, Republicans won another nine seats.
The 2014 and 2016 elections yielded a few more seats to Republicans, leaving them with a 71-29 majority after 2014 and a 70-30 majority after 2016. Republicans lost three seats in the 2018 election, holding a 67-33 majority. Following the 2020 election, Republicans had a 71-29 majority. These were the largest margins in the chamber since 1972 and signaled an end to the decades where both parties had a chance at a majority. The chamber's Republican gains from 2010 to 2016 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.
District maps
State Senate