HamCo Dems Pack the House in Noblesville

It was a standing-room-only crowd at the Forest Park Inn on Tuesday night, as around 150 of Hamilton County’s most active Democrats gathered to hear from Josh Lowry, the newly elected County Chair, and other speakers.

As part of the monthly HamCo Connect party event, Lowry led a legislative discussion with State Senator J.D. Ford (representing parts of Hamilton County) and State Representative Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis), who were both energized by the enthusiastic turnout.

Bills of Concern

One of the bad bills from the current session that the legislators discussed is SB287, which aims to make school board races partisan. Current school board members from around the state testified against the bill, saying that it would keep them from being able to continue to serve on their school boards because, as government employees, running in a partisan race would put them in violation of the Hatch Act. Senator Ford stated that he believes Republicans want this bill to become law so that Republican candidates can be swept into office in straight-ticket voting. (In 2024, Carmel voters rejected the rhetoric of its declared-Republican school board candidates and elected the more progressive candidates.)

Another concerning bill is SB1, which would take significant funding away from police, fire departments, schools, libraries, and more, and in return would net the average Indiana taxpayer only about $50 in tax cuts.

“Gerrymandering has really had an impact,” Rep. Pryor said. “They [the Republicans] can vote however they want and will still be reelected.” 

What Can You Do?

So what can ordinary citizens do about bills like these? Ford and Pryor said we need to do a better job of letting people know what the Republicans are voting for and how it affects everyday people. They also suggested attending or testifying at committee hearings at the Statehouse, or watching them online (either live or recorded).

Sen. Ford, in answer to audience questions, said that in order for protests to be effective, they need to be tied to specific actions. He said we need to write more letters to the editor about how bills affect us.

Some Good News

Rep. Pryor said that so far in this legislative session, more Democratic-written bills have passed than in many years—19, as opposed to the usual 3 to 5. These wins include bills related to exempting military pay from income tax (HB1280), and reimbursing cancer clinical trial participants for expenses related to participating in the trials (HB1065).

“How do you eat an elephant?” asked Rep. Pryor. “One bite at a time,” the crowd chimed in. She suggested people contact US Senator Jim Banks to let him know how they feel about his recent votes and extremist rhetoric.

Moving Forward

Lowry said the future of the Hamilton County Democratic Party will be led by 

• Communication: Meeting people where they are at.

• Fundraising: Enabling us to be more visible.

• Building: Opening a year-round office.

Newly elected Vice Chair Meredith Fox recognized the leaders of the four city committees: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, and Westfield and cheered their activities, energy, and accomplishments. She also talked about the new committee forming for people outside the four largest cities.

Find out about upcoming events with the county party and the city committees here.