Indiana Senate Democrats outline 'bold, solutionsdriven' priorities for 2025 session
Jan 09, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS -- Officials with the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus announced a "bold and solutions-driven" agenda for the 2025 legislative session on Thursday, a plan that they believe address the issues that Indiana residents care most about, including education, healthcare and housing.
According to a news release from the caucus, Indiana State Senator Shelli Yoder, the Democrat from District 40 who serves as the senate's minority caucus leader, said that the agenda helps tackle the barriers holding the state back.
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“Budgets are more than numbers—they’re a reflection of who we fight for,” Yoder said in the release. “This year, we’re fighting for Hoosiers who want better schools for their kids, health care they can afford and housing they can rely on. Our priorities aren’t just ideas—they’re solutions to the challenges we’ve heard from families across Indiana. This agenda is about listening, acting and delivering.”
The caucus's priorities in 2025 include:
Healthcare
Momnibus bill
A bill that tackles Indiana's maternal health crisis through mandating Medicaid reimbursement for doula services, expanding postpartum mental healthcare, establishes a stillbirth prevention pilot and creates a behavioral health helpline for mothers.
Health care debt reform
The caucus stressed the importance of ending "predatory medical debt practices" by prohibiting wage garnishments and property liens, capping interest rates and protecting Indiana residents during insurance appeals
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Housing
Utility disconnections
Officials stated that utility companies should be prevented from shutting off services on Fridays, weekends or holidays, as well as eliminates punitive fees for reconnections and unpaid balances.
Tenant rights
The caucus said it is important for renter protections to be strengthened, as well as requiring landlords provide 60 days notice before property sales and ensuring repairs are made promptly.
Education
Public school funding
The caucus is proposing a minimum $65,000 salary for K-12 teachers, as well as measures that fully fund the Child Care and Development Fund as well as $50 million in investments for critical school staffing.
“Education and health care are not just moral priorities—they are economic imperatives," Indiana State Senator Andrea Hunley, a Democrat from Indianapolis and the assistant minority leader, said in the release. "Strong schools create a skilled workforce, and affordable health care keeps families and communities strong. These investments are the foundation of Indiana’s long-term prosperity.”
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For more information about the caucus's approach to the 2025 legislative session, click here.