The 2026 Indiana legislative session came to a close Friday after a three-month sprint. While Republican supermajorities advanced a sweep of immigration enforcement and welfare reform bills, Democrats argue those efforts failed to address the rising cost of living in the state.
The action followed an early start in December when a high-stakes effort to redistrict the state’s congressional districts failed. At the beginning of the year, Senate Republicans vowed to address welfare fraud, while House Republicans focused on deregulation and affordability.
Those priorities largely moved forward, including Senate legislation aimed at tightening eligibility for those on SNAP and Medicaid. Lawmakers also approved bills aimed at consolidating township governments. In the House, a key priority involved eliminating certain local zoning requirements for housing, which Republicans argued would lower costs.
A broad immigration enforcement bill from Republicans that aligned with the Trump administration won approval. It requires local governments, including schools, hospitals and police to comply with federal immigration enforcement. It also mandates businesses operating in the state to verify the legal status of their employees. Another piece of legislation cracks down on immigrants who drive commercial trucks.
National security was also a top-line item. Moves included requiring foreign agents to register with the state.
Education legislation added new restrictions on cell phones and personal devices in schools and a bill with bipartisan opposition empowered the Indianapolis mayor to appoint a new board to oversee transportation, facilities and more for the city’s district and charter schools.
A bipartisan initiative to reform bail also cleared the legislature. This measure, which will appear as a constitutional amendment on the ballot this November, allows judges to deny more people bail if they are deemed a serious risk.
Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) told reporters Friday that the tightened eligibility around SNAP and Medicaid, and a multi-year effort to reform bail were key accomplishments this session.
“We’re making Indiana just a little bit safer for those people who really present a real and present danger to us,” he said.
Bray added the legislation to restrict social media for children aged 15 and under, which has been pursued before, was bolstered following the death of Hailey Buzbee.
“That cemented how important some of this is,” he said. “The Hailey Buzbee piece really infused us with some realism about what the real dangers are.”
However, Democrats argued the GOP agenda ignored the squeeze residents feel in daily expenses, particularly around SNAP and Medicaid changes. Others pushed for immediate increases in funds to help low-income families pay for childcare because the state is not expected to make new vouchers available until 2027.
Sen. Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) said the state’s approach to SNAP and Medicaid is now more restrictive than where the Trump administration has gone at the federal level, making it harder for the poorest communities.
“Ultimately, those deep, deep cuts are going to show up on all of our health care bills,” she said. “People will wait to get help and end up in emergency care. We’re going to see the impact of hungry kids throughout the summer. These cuts are beyond what Hoosiers deserve.”
Rep. Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) said that the bills dealing with utilities and housing affordability do not go far enough to help everyday Hoosiers.
“No home runs, nothing that really kind of knocked it out of the park when it comes to what can we do to help people that are struggling with their utility bills and just the overall cost of living,” GiaQuinta told reporters.
Other points of contention included new restrictions on syringe exchange programs and a bill Democrats argued would ultimately lead to more homeless people being jailed.
“Criminalizing homelessness can not be the best way that we address Indiana being a place where you can live and afford living here and do so with a life of dignity,” Yoder said.
Still, Yoder said she was happy to work with Republicans to help hold utility companies accountable. A bill, already signed into law by Gov. Mike Braun, is aimed at managing electric costs. It will also transition public utility companies to a new rate approval process.
“We wanted it to go a bit further to really bring relief in those utility rates for Hoosiers, but 1002 does bring more accountability and transparency to rate payers, and they deserve that,” she said.
In a high-profile move to spur economic growth in Northwest Indiana, lawmakers passed a bipartisan package aimed at luring the Chicago Bears across the state line. A final deal with the NFL team has not been signed. And Illinois lawmakers are also working on a deal to keep the Bears in their state.
House Speaker Todd Huston said he can’t predict what Illinois will do, but he's confident the deal will work out in Indiana's favor.
“We'll see what Illinois does. I'm not worried about that,” Huston told reporters on Friday. “I know what Indiana did, and I know Indiana does well, and I am confident that that's going to be enough to put the Bears in Lake County and Hammond.”
Contact government reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org.
Contact government reporter Caroline Beck at cbeck@wfyi.org.