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Indiana lawmakers will take up redistricting discussions next month, Statehouse leaders announced Monday.
Both chambers of the General Assembly on Monday announced they plan to convene for the first two weeks of December to take up Gov. Mike Braun’s call for a special legislative session centered on redistricting and tax code changes.
Statehouse leaders said those dates will not be part of a special session, but will instead be part of the 2026 regular session, which will be adjusted.
Both House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Roderic Bray said in written statements the scheduling plan will save taxpayer money and that lawmakers will still debate “time-sensitive legislative action.”
“Adjusting the 2026 legislative calendar is what makes the most sense when we consider member schedules, the logistics of legislative action and–most importantly–the costs to the taxpayer,” Bray said in a written statement. “Making this shift allows the legislature to consider the topics presented to us in a thoughtful way without burdening Hoosier taxpayers with the cost of a special session.”
The announced schedule would give lawmakers from Dec. 1-12 to debate and vote on new Congressional maps. The December dates would come a full month after the special session went into effect Nov. 3.
Braun’s announcement came after months of pressure from Donald Trump’s Administration, which has been pushing Republican-controlled states to redraw their Congressional maps to boost the party’s odds of maintaining control of the House in 2026.
Ahead of the December meeting dates, lawmakers will meet at the Statehouse on Nov. 18 for Organization Day, the ceremonial start of the new legislative session, and then recess until January and work through the spring. The 2025 legislative session ended on April 29.
“Because of this calendar alignment, starting the regular session early would be the most cost effective and efficient way to address the Governor’s call for a special session,” Huston said in a written statement. “Our goal is to avoid any added session-related costs, and we will continue to look for ways to save taxpayer dollars as we work through and finalize the schedule.”
Indiana’s 2022 special legislative session, to pass a near-total abortion ban, cost taxpayers about $240,000.
The condensed dates give Republicans less than a month to get any new maps to county clerks in time for the opening of 2026 primary campaign filing on Jan. 7.
In a written statement, House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, Fort Wayne, said the new schedule doesn’t change the party’s opposition.
“Whether the Statehouse comes back early for special session or regular session, House Democrats are going to be focused on the same thing: the skyrocketing cost of living here in Indiana,” GiaQuinta said. “From health care premiums and utility bills to child care costs and property taxes, Hoosiers are struggling to stay afloat and need relief. Redrawing political maps won’t solve any of these problems.”
In addition to redistricting, Braun is asking legislators to address recent changes that put Indiana’s tax code out of compliance with federal items.
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