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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana General Assembly will not meet on Nov. 3, the first day of a special legislative session to consider redistricting the state’s congressional districts, the House speaker said Wednesday.
Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said in a written statement that members of the House and Senate are working to determine the logistics of the session, which Gov. Mike Braun called for earlier this week following months of pressure from the White House.
Huston said that under Indiana Code, legislators have up to 40 calendar days to conduct business in a special session. For instance, in 2022, then-Gov. Eric Holcomb called for a special session on July 6, but the Legislature didn’t convene until July 25.
The General Assembly was already expected to be in session on Nov. 18 for Organization Day, the ceremonial kickoff of the legislative session.
“As always, our goal is to accomplish our work in a way that is most efficient and cost effective for Hoosier taxpayers. Our plan is to have a legislative schedule out as soon as possible,” Huston said.
A spokeswoman for Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray sent a similar statement saying the body is working with its members on scheduling availability.
Braun’s office made the announcement on Monday, confirming a report published by IBJ over the weekend.
“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” Braun said in a written statement.
The governor said the lawmakers would also “consider resolving an important issue regarding federal and state tax compliance that must be addressed.”
Currently, seven of Indiana’s nine districts are represented by Republicans, and advocates of redistricting say that new maps could give the GOP a strong shot at all nine seats.
Vice President JD Vance visited Indianapolis twice in recent months to discuss the Trump administration’s mid-cycle redistricting efforts with Indiana lawmakers. In August, more than a dozen lawmakers from the House and Senate traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak with Trump officials on the issue. On Oct. 17, President Donald Trump joined a call with Indiana Senate Republicans to speak to them directly.
Indiana’s 2022 special legislative session, to pass a near-total abortion ban, cost taxpayers about $240,000.
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