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The 2026 legislative session recently wrapped up, and one new law I authored addresses the growing rural judge shortage across our state by easing residency requirements through an Indiana constitutional amendment.
According to an American Bar Association study, there are only 2.3 lawyers for every 1,000 Hoosiers, ranking Indiana 43rd compared with other states. Nearly half of Indiana’s 16,000 lawyers are located in or around Indianapolis, limiting rural communities’ access to legal services.
With Indiana’s constitution requiring a city or town court judge to live in the county in which they work, many rural communities face shortages. This can lead to longer wait times in our court system and delay justice for Hoosiers. To address the need, I authored House Enrolled Act 1019, which would amend the constitution to expand the area where city or town judges can reside to include neighboring cities or towns within the jurisdiction.
House Enrolled Act 1019 is the last step in the legislative process required to amend the Indiana Constitution. An amendment must first be passed as a joint resolution in two different general assemblies. I began this process by authoring the initial resolution to address Indiana’s judicial shortage during the 123rd legislative session and again in the 124th session in 2025. House Enrolled Act 1019’s passage completes the final step required by our constitution and will now appear as a question on the general election ballot in November.
The question will read: Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to permit the judge of a city or town court to reside in: (1) the county in which the court is located; or (2) the bordering county closest to the city or town in which the court is located?
Currently in the Indiana Constitution, all county, township and town officers must reside in their respective counties, townships and towns. If the amendment is passed by the public, the state constitution will alter the residency requirements only for city or town judges.
While this change is not expected to drastically alter the shortage of lawyers and judges we are facing, it is a start that will help smaller communities ensure their courts are operating effectively and that Hoosiers across our state are well served by our legal system.
As a state representative, it is my goal to advance common-sense solutions that help improve our state and local communities. Please reach out to my office with any questions at in.gov/h11 or by calling 317-232-9742.•
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State Rep. Aylesworth, R-Hebron, represents House District 11, which includes portions of Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties.
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