This bill is not yet final. It is going to the full Senate next week and then back to the House. But progress in favor of traditional public schools happened in Senate Appropriations this week. 

In the realm of public school advocacy, it is both powerful and necessary to take a moment to offer genuine gratitude when it often feels like our work is a relentless cry of “stop.”

If you have a moment, send thanks to the Senate Appropriations committee for the changes made to HB 1001, the biennium budget. 

Thank them for: 

• Removing language that would make vouchers universal. Indiana prides itself for being a low tax state. There should never be enough funding to warrant providing private school subsidies to the wealthy.
• Funding traditional public schools (overall – not each individual district) actually at 2% in both 2026 and 2027. $870 million over the biennium vs $543 million in the House version will help our public school students. This gets us closer to the 3% funding increase needed each year that will help public schools keep up with the rate of inflation.  

Contact the Senate Appropriations members by calling (317) 232-9400 or emailing:

Senate Appropriations Committee Members

Sen. Ryan Mishler, Chair (R) District 9 – Email: s9@iga.in.gov
Sen. Chris Garten, Ranking Member (R) District 45 – Email: s45@iga.in.gov
Sen. Eric Bassler (R) District 39 – Email: s39@iga.in.gov
Sen. Liz Brown (R) District 15 – Email: s15@iga.in.gov
Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R) District 5 – Email: s5@iga.in.gov
Sen. Michael Crider (R) District 28 – Email: s28@iga.in.gov
Sen. Aaron Freeman (R) District 32 – Email: s32@iga.in.gov
Sen. Greg Goode (R) District 38 – Email: s38@iga.in.gov
Sen. Travis Holdman (R) District 19 – Email: s19@iga.in.gov
Sen. Jeff Raatz (R) District 27 – Email: s27@iga.in.gov
Sen. David Niezgodski, Ranking Minority Member (D) District 10 – Email: s10@iga.in.gov
Sen. Rodney Pol (D) District 4 – Email: s4@iga.in.gov
Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D) District 30 – Email: s30@iga.in.gov
Sen. Lonnie Randolph (D) District 2 – Email: s2@iga.in.gov 

Copy and paste the addresses into the “To” field of your email.

s9@iga.in.gov
s45@iga.in.gov
s39@iga.in.gov
s15@iga.in.gov
s5@iga.in.gov
s28@iga.in.gov
s32@iga.in.gov
s38@iga.in.gov
s19@iga.in.gov
s27@iga.in.gov
s10@iga.in.gov
s4@iga.in.gov
s30@iga.in.gov
s2@iga.in.gov