Republicans in the House and Senate have released their priorities for the 2026 legislative session, promoting a short list of bills in each chamber.
The Senate is focused on issues of welfare fraud and keeping costs down while the House vowed to tackle deregulation and affordability.
Republicans in the Senate outlined bills to deny bail to dangerous suspects and underlined the importance of ending the session early and under budget.
Lawmakers have a much tighter timeline to pass bills after coming in early this December. Committees are expected to meet only a handful of times.
Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) indicated just one bill and a resolution were part of the chamber’s priorities. The bill would check eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and ensure that people without legal status can’t claim benefits. The measure is part of a broader effort to “root out waste, fraud and abuse in Indiana's welfare programs.”
In the House, Speaker Todd Houston (R-Fishers) promoted bills deregulating housing and education. Houston said the way to help Hoosiers is for the government to get out of the way.
“Our priorities are aimed at continuing Indiana's momentum while addressing some of the highest costs facing Hoosiers, including the cost of owning a home and energy costs,” he said.
One bill is specifically aimed at reducing regulations around home building, hoping to cut red tape that adds to the cost of housing. Another would eliminate a number of state boards and commissions with overlapping or redundant agendas. A third would cut some rules for education institutions. And finally, a fourth bill would streamline utility regulations to help with customer reliability and affordability.
During a Q&A with reporters, Houston was asked about legislator’s relationship with Gov. Mike Braun following a contentious December where Senators ultimately rejected efforts to redraw congressional boundaries at Bruan’s request.
“It’s very good,” Houston responded.
Democrats in the House say while they support some of the affordability measures put forward by Republicans, they don’t go far enough.
House Democratic leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) said he is excited about some of the housing issues being put forward by Republicans but is disappointed overall.
“At first glance, it's pretty lackluster when it comes to trying to save Hoosiers money on their utility bills,” he said. “It doesn't mention anything with regards to health care or child care. These are issues that we've been talking about for, obviously, for a long time now.”
GiaQuinta said he’d also like to see further efforts to bring down utility costs for Hoosiers.
Lawmakers are expected to conclude at the end of February.
Contact Government Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org