DeLaney: Republicans are dodging the real issue

Today, April 9, the House discussed a series of amendments on the latest Republican property tax plan. According to a statement from Gov. Mike Braun minutes before the bill was called to the floor, the version we have now is the compromise between House Republicans, Senate Republicans and the governor. 

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement after offering several amendments on the floor: 

“The latest version of Senate Bill 1 puts pressure on local income taxes to fund this $300 temporary stopgap in an ongoing increase in property taxes. If people look at both the local property tax and their local income tax, at the end of the day this may be a wash. It is hard to know if anyone will really benefit from this maneuver. 

“This bill will restrict local governments, particularly in growing areas, in their ability to do what communities expect. Schools in growing areas and fire departments that can’t get enough equipment to suit the needs of the area will face significant hardship. 

“Because of the way this has been handled, the public’s understanding of what we are doing has been undercut. The constantly shifting sands have muddied the waters. 

“Today’s rabbit from the hat picks winners and losers. While playing this game, we refused to act about real needs, such as those of first-time homebuyers as well as renters. 

“Instead of giving parts of industry massive breaks, we should be looking to support young Hoosiers as they strive to achieve homeownership. Supporting young Hoosiers will not only boost our economy and grow our workforce but increase the property tax base itself.”

DeLaney concerned about latest Republican property tax proposal

Today, Monday, April 7, the House Committee on Ways and Means discussed the latest version of the Republican property tax plan. 

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement: 

“If the attempt was to thread the needle, we have stabbed ourselves in the thumb. Senate Bill 1 offers very little relief to individual taxpayers while leaving local governments in potential chaos. 

“The precise fiscal impact of this version of the bill has not been released. House Republicans in Ways and Means decided to move full steam ahead.

“This latest proposal seems to do little to address the damage these funding cuts may do to public schools, police departments, fire services, road funding and other local services. The constraints will be the greatest on growing communities. There will also be a shift in financial burden from manufacturing to retail operations. 

“This is one of the reasons that I have serious questions on what this bill will do to our ability to meet our current bond obligation and obtain bonds at reasonable rates in the future.”

DeLaney comments on two-step strategy to bring divisive ideology into our classrooms

Wednesday, April 2, the House Committee on Education discussed Senate Bill 442 regarding sex education in schools. The bill shifts certain responsibilities from school administrators to the elected school boards. This comes on the heels of the passage of SB 287 out of the House to make school board races partisan. 

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement: 

“For years, our school administrators have successfully provided information to parents about sex education. Now that the supermajority is hoping to impose partisan school board elections, they want to shift this responsibility to the school board members in both public school corporations and charter schools. This is a transparent two-step strategy to bring divisive ideology to our classrooms and our voting bodies.

“Each board will have to annually review all materials to be used in sex education and decide such issues as whether a male or female instructor will provide the education. The author of the bill, Sen. Byrne, stated the need for this provision is the growth of ‘gender confusion.’ He did not identify anyone who is so confused. 

“The author also testified that in his eight years on a school board, he had never had to review sex education materials in detail and that there had been no problem. As is a favorite pastime of the General Assembly, this bill will create a problem, not solve one.” 

DeLaney reacts to state replacing the firm responsible for the $1 billion ‘error’

Tuesday, April 1, the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA) issued a preliminary notice that the state may well be contracting with Deloitte Consulting LLP, not with the Milliman actuarial firm, for projecting Medicaid expenses. This comes after the $1 billion "error" that led to the Medicaid shortfall announced in December of 2023. State officials have left the impression that the miscalculation was made by the present actuary, Milliman. 

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement in response: 

“While I am still coming to terms with the fact that the public may never know what exactly happened to allow this egregious error, this is a good first step in correcting course. Someone may be held accountable at last. 

“If $1 billion was miscalculated in a private sector firm, heads would roll. If the story is that the actuary messed up, the only responsible reaction seems to be to fire the actuary.

“I passed an amendment last session to require FSSA to report on exactly what happened to lead to this shortfall and what they would do to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. The report that was given to the General Assembly gave no answer to either question. 

“If the state won’t give answers, at least they gave action. I applaud this step to prevent forecasts that taxpayers and legislators rely on from being erroneous in the future.”  

DeLaney comments on Beckwith protesting 20 years of Republican rule

Today, March 17, Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith held a Property Tax Rally at the Statehouse to protest the current state of property taxes. 

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement congratulating the lieutenant governor on taking a stand against 20 years of Republican property tax policy:

“It is refreshing to see our lieutenant governor stand up in protest against two decades of Republican property tax policy. Apparently, the current administration has woken up and decided to address a problem created by their own party. 

“I am glad that Gov. Braun has changed his mind from his time on the House Ways and Means Committee. While there, he took no action to address rising property taxes. House Democrats have been warning that this crisis was brewing for years. But as the saying goes, better late than never. 

“Today’s event was advertised as a rally to persuade the legislature to return to Gov. Braun’s original property tax proposal. If my colleagues across the aisle are going to insist on such public infighting, I am more than happy to hold their coats. What a way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

“Our complex property tax system has finally become a topic of focus for both parties. What the Republicans have come up with to solve the problem they created manages to provide very little real relief for homeowners while severely damaging local government. 

“I agree with our lieutenant governor that Hoosiers need their government to come together to alleviate the financial strain of increasing property taxes. Let's go back to the drawing board and find a solution that will do that.

“At the rally, I saw many signs reading ‘property tax is theft.’ If so, who has been the thief for the last 20 years?”

DeLaney comments on property tax proposal: ‘This is a lose-lose’

Today, March 5, the House Committee on Ways and Means is hearing testimony on Senate Bill 1, the Senate majority’s plan for property taxes.  

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement as the committee began its fourth hour of testimony: 

“Senate Bill 1 would create a reduction in property taxes of an average of $48.10 per homeowner in 2026, eventually reaching $133.58 per homeowner in 2028. This is an inadequate response to the dramatic increase in property taxes on homeowners. It does not address the reduced percentage of property taxes coming from apartment owners and businesses. It seems that the Governor shares this concern as well. 

“At the same time, this bill will reduce funding for schools, police departments and fire departments across the state. Should this proposal go through, it will force local governments to either raise local income taxes or limit vital services. 

“Instead of a 'sweet spot,' this proposal as it stands is a lose-lose. This bill will not reduce property taxes enough to really help homeowners, but it will reduce the ability of localities to take care of the communities they serve. We need better solutions like cutting back the number of taxing units which stands at 2,384 as of today.”

DeLaney keeps his word, opposes funding increase for Secretary of State

Today, Feb. 19, State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) offered an amendment to the state budget that would revert the funding for the Secretary of State’s office to what was allotted in 2023. 

This comes after a tense exchange between DeLaney and Secretary Diego Morales in the House Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 15 about his employment of a relative, awarding of ‘spot’ bonuses and awarding no-bid contracts to potential campaign donors. The video of the exchange has over 2.1 million views across social media platforms. The amendment failed on party lines by a vote of 26-68. 

“In January, I demanded answers from Secretary of State Diego Morales about the financial shenanigans in his office,” DeLaney said. “ I was met with deafening silence. He refused to admit that he hired his brother-in-law for a newly created position and paid him over $100,000. He refused to admit that he offered no-bid contracts to companies that became major campaign contributors. He refused to explain his spot bonus program. 

“On that day in January, I promised to vote against sending any additional funding to the office of the Secretary of State. 

“Hoosier taxpayers deserve to know that their dollars are being used responsibly. This man cannot be trusted with state money. I cannot in good conscience vote for any measure that gives another cent to Secretary Morales.

“With the push from my colleagues across the aisle to ‘drain the swamp’ and reduce bureaucratic waste and corruption, I am surprised at the willingness to give our Secretary of State additional funding in this already-tight budget.”  

DeLaney offers amendment to support first-time homebuyers

Today, Feb. 19, State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) offered an amendment to the state budget that would require the state treasurer to establish a first-time homebuyer loan program. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 29-67. 

DeLaney released the following statement following the defeat of his amendment on the House floor: 

“I am troubled by the fact that we have made it halfway through session without addressing the barrier our young people face to homeownership. The average age of a first-time homebuyer in this nation is reported to be 38. That is unacceptable. 

“Nobody loses from investing in young people. By offering reduced-interest loans for first-time homebuyers, we would make our state more attractive for young families. In turn, this will boost our workforce, economy and property tax base. 

“The bottom line is that the market is failing young families trying to settle down and build generational equity. If we cannot act to provide a backstop when the markets don’t work, then why are we here?” 

DeLaney offers amendment to protect Hoosiers from federal funding cuts

Today, Feb. 19, State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) offered an amendment to the state budget that would allow the state surplus to be used to restore funding for state programs if they are impacted by federal funding cuts. The amendment failed along party lines by a vote of 29-65. 

DeLaney released the following statement following the defeat of his amendment on the House floor: 

“This is the most serious thing I have offered all session. We are in danger of falling off a funding cliff if the federal government cuts cost us billions of dollars. If the President is successful in cutting the programs he wants to, our legislature will face tough decisions to save our citizens from losing access to critical services. 

“One of my proudest moments in the Statehouse was when former Gov. Mike Pence expanded health care access for thousands of Hoosiers when he created the Healthy Indiana Plan. Now, we stand to lose tens of millions of dollars if the federal government cuts Medicaid, and thousands of Hoosiers face losing access to health care. 

“Health research. Veterans resources. Road funding. Infrastructure improvement. Agriculture support. Education programs. Hoosiers relying on these essential services will be in serious trouble if our new federal leadership is successful in cutting off funding. 

“Even my colleagues across the aisle acknowledge that our budget is at risk of Washington leaving us out to dry. We must protect Hoosiers from this potential financial catastrophe.”

DeLaney calls out the Supermajority for not hearing concerns of Hoosier voters

Today, Feb. 11, House Democrats offered several amendments aimed at expanding voting rights for Hoosiers. Instead of allowing a full discussion and vote about strengthening our democracy by making absentee ballots more accessible and allowing citizen-led ballot initiatives, the supermajority struck the amendments down on procedural grounds, stifling discussion. 

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement: 

“The Republican supermajority in the House has made it more than clear that they are reluctant to hear what concerns the public. They reject non-binding referenda. They seem to not want to hear how Hoosiers feel on controversial issues such as cannabis legalization or abortion rights. Could this be because they are afraid that their unpopular policies would be rejected by the majority of the voting public? 

“We are falling into a practice of using House procedures to dodge difficult votes. As an example, my colleagues in the House filed amendments on House Bill 1679 to make absentee ballots more accessible for Hoosiers, only to be told they didn’t belong in a bill quite literally entitled ‘Various election matters.’ Indiana has historically had one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the nation. The House should be disturbed by that fact. Instead of taking action to make voting more accessible, House Republicans chose to shut down any vote on the House floor. 

“My takeaway from today’s events on the floor is that House Republicans want to avoid any vote that is difficult for their members.” 

DeLaney reminds of the need for gun reform

Today, Feb. 10, State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) met with a group of local students at the Statehouse for Moms Demand Action advocacy day to discuss common-sense gun reforms. 

DeLaney issued the following statement after the meeting: 

“In 2024, the number of youth homicides from gun violence in Indianapolis decreased drastically, from 44 children in 2023 to 17 children in 2024. While this statistic is undeniably positive, it is one of the reasons that issue has faded from our focus. The untimely deaths of 17 young Hoosiers is a great tragedy, no matter how that number fits into the current statistic.

“As I was reminded by the passionate group of students from North Central High School that spoke with me today, Indiana has a long way to go to protect Hoosiers from gun violence. In 2024, Indiana ranked 7th highest in the nation for incidents of gunfire on school grounds. The legislature passed a bill in 2022 to allow permitless carry. We have yet to close the loophole that allows the purchase of firearms at gun shows without a background check. In 2023, we had the third highest rate of accidental child shootings behind only Florida and Texas, states with much larger populations. 

“The need to enact common-sense gun safety policies remains as strong as ever, even if it isn’t making headlines this session. I wanted to thank Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action for the work they do to shed light on the pressing issue of gun reform.” 

DeLaney reacts to the Braun budget: ‘It focuses on the wrong things’

Today (Jan. 16), Governor Mike Braun presented his “Freedom and Opportunity” budget proposal to the State Budget Committee (SBC). 

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement: 

“While there are parts of this budget that I am pleased with, it focuses on the wrong things. This budget chooses to favor people who will benefit very little from tax cuts while leaving our younger generation out in the cold.  

“The true worthwhile investment is in helping young families buy a home and find someone to look after their kids while they make an income and participate in the economy. These proposed tax cuts help those who have already saved at the expense of those trying to save. 

“One thing that particularly disturbed me is the proposed cut in funding for our new public health programs. Investing in public health and preventative care is not only beneficial for individual quality of life but relieves pressure on the budget going forward. 

“Between 2018 and now, the state contribution to Medicaid has gone from $2 billion to $5 billion. If we want to rein in the amount we spend on Medicaid, the solution is not to kick people off of it but help them to grow off of it. Our Medicaid system is so strained because we have a very low median income. 

“The bottom line is that we don't bother to look at the full chessboard because we are distracted by the most current problem. We must focus more on getting poorer families higher incomes, and less on better-off families having tax savings. This budget does not do that."