The Indiana Senate on Wednesday rejected a handful of amendments to a redistricting bill designed to benefit Republicans.
Senators are now headed toward the final vote on the bill, after months of pressure from Washington and threats to their careers and even families. Their decision could help tip the balance for control of the U.S. House ahead of next year's midterm election.
But it's still not clear how Republicans in the Indiana Senate will vote.
The bill passed out of the House last week on a 57-41 vote, but has already seen more opposition in the Senate, including a tearful call for its rejection from Sen. Greg Walker (R-Columbus) earlier this week.
Walker was responding to what he sees as inappropriate political pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump on social media has threatened primary challenges against lawmakers who reject redistricting, calls that have been echoed by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun.
Lawmakers also say they and their families have faced anonymous threats, including bomb threats, although the motives behind those incidents aren't confirmed. Several lawmakers reported being the victims of swatting attempts, with law enforcement called to their homes under false reports of domestic violence.
Republican supporters of the effort in Indiana say they feel Indiana has a responsibility to pass a new map in order to offset Democratic gerrymandering in other states. They also worry that Democratic control in the U.S. House will lead to another impeachment effort against Trump.
Sen. Mike Young (R-Indianapolis) got up to make the case for redistricting as the session started on Wednesday. He referenced that the majority of those who came to testify on the bill on Monday were opposed to redistricting.
“I don't see any Republicans doing that. You know, our guys are working. These people are here,” Young said.
But many Republicans still haven’t announced how they’ll vote.
Sen. Greg Goode (R-Terre Haute) held a town hall to hear from his constituents, and was one of the first lawmakers to face a swatting attempt that he says brought armed law enforcement into his house. Goode said he’s still undecided.
"My vote will always boil down, this bill will be no different than any other piece of legislation that I face, it will be a way to reflect the voters of my district,” Goode said.
Goode likened himself to one of the famous jurors in the 1957 film "12 Angry Men," weighing the right decision until the very end.
“I've approached this entire issue much like how Mr. Fonda approached it with those jurors in that classic movie,” he said. “You keep an open mind, you ask the questions, you keep revisiting and revisiting and revisiting, and you hope that maybe you get to this point where one can be at peace, because all of the information has been vetted.”
Goode’s statement echoed similar comments made by Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) at the start of the week, telling reporters that everyone would “find out Thursday” if there were enough votes for the bill to pass.
Contact reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org