March 11 Newsletter

A Note from Our Lobbyist

At roughly 12:30am Wednesday morning, March 9, 2022, the legislative session came to a close.  Of the thousands of bills offered at the beginning of session, roughly 200 made it to the finish line. Some bills of note:

HB 1002: This was the state tax bill that dealt with various tax situations, including lowering income taxes by roughly 2%. The bill passed both houses and should be signed by the Governor shortly. Taxpayers should see benefits from this bill in 2024.

HB 1294: This was the restraint of pregnant inmates bill. After being brought to our attention by an IMAN Associates board member, we got involved and worked with the bill's author Rep. Flemming to help its passage. It requires pregnant women in jail to be the least amount restrained possible if at all.  This bill brought us in line with Federal rules. The bill received no "No" votes in the House or Senate and was signed into law by the governor on Thursday.  A huge win for pregnant Hoosiers, and Rep. Flemming was thankful for IMAN's support and involvement.

HB 1361 and HB1410: These were the TANF and SNAP bills. 1361 ended up passing with language that includes eligibility requirements for the Federal Child Care Development Fund. 1410 passed after extensive work by IMAN Associates and many other groups to make the bill less onerous to effected groups.  Ideally, we would have liked these unnecessary bills to have died, but we were able to make some headway and get the bills in a better place. This is an issue that will probably be in a summer study committee and we will continue to fight for citizens to get the emergency help they need.

HB 1369: This bill ended up with many other pieces of legislation that were having issues with passage. 1369 ended up including language that would dictate what types of media educations facilities can have, a study language on delta 8, and the remains of a handful of other bills. It passed the House but died in the Senate.

After a convoluted journey, constitutional carry language passed both the Senate and the House. We join roughly 20 other states with this language, although there was concern from some law enforcement groups. I believe the governor will sign this but it's worth keeping an eye on. 
In the final hours 100 legislators wrote a letter to the Governor to hold a special session this summer if the Supreme Court fully or partially overturns Roe V. Wade, a decision dealing with abortion rights. We will keep an eye on further developments on this.

A major issue for IMAN Associates this year was helping our allies from Afghanistan as they transition to life here in Indiana. Over the course of the session, we brought attention to this issue and fought to get legislation passed that would continue to shine a light on these folks in need as their transition continues. Unfortunately that bill didn't get a hearing, but we are continuing to fight for our new neighbors throughout the rest of the year. We've received support on this issue from multiple Reps and Senators, including a Point of Personal Privilege from Sen. Qaddoura on the Senate floor this past Tuesday. We will continue to work on this issue with the legislature and executive agencies and should have more news soon.

While we didn't get every win we would have liked, the legislators increasingly know of IMAN Associates and our mission and we will continue to successfully build alliances and assist the legislators and state executives as they create sound policy for the state.

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It is a Win! 

Another major goal for this session was to increase IMAN Associates' influence and viability at the statehouse. A great example of success on this front was our own ED, Hiba Alami, speaking at press conference this week decrying the legislatures interest in anti-CRT langue, and government overreach with schools.  We furthered our professional alliances at the event, speaking alongsideIndiana State Teachers Association, Indianapolis Urban League, Marion County Commission on Youth, Indiana Parent Teacher Association, and Indianapolis NAACP.

Later that day, Republican House Speaker Todd Huston remarked that it is highly unlikely that the language of HB1134 would be included in another bill. The legislative session ended with no harmful language inserted in other bills.

We thank our constituents who contacted their legislators and shared their concerns on this specific bill. We congratulate educators, students, advocates and partnering organizations for this win. You can read the recap of the press conference from the AP News and WRTV. 

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Don't Miss the Chance. Register to Vote Today! 

Have you registered yet to vote in the upcoming Indiana elections? 

Deadline for voter registration is coming up, so make sure you visit indianavoters.com to register to vote or check your registration. Please note that congressional, state house and senate districts might have been redrawn during the 2020 redistricting process. Precincts boundaries may have changed as well, so check the information provided at the voter portal and find your polling place.
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Questions? Email us

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International Center's Global Leadership Series

Are you interested in gaining insights into global corporate, humanitarian and governmental organizations? How about connecting with local and global leadership?​

The International Center is accepting applications for its five-month 2022 James T. Morris Global Leadership Series, which provides an overview of cultural competency, insights into global leadership, and the opportunity to network with global leaders from across the state. The deadline to apply is April 30. You can apply here.More information, including an FAQ page, can be found here.

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Investing in Our Children's Future

We have been working hard this past legislative session, but we couldn't have done it without your support. Thank you for your generous donations that make it possible for us to amplify your voice.​

If you haven't joined our monthly sustainer program yet, please consider doing so. Every donation helps us bring a brighter future to Indiana. Thank you!

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