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State Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville) recently introduced a bill to make instructional and training materials used by public institutions dealing with nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, race, ethnicity, sex and bias easily reviewable by the general public.

Senate Bill 289 would require school corporations, charter schools, state agencies and political subdivisions to post such content to their websites. This would make it easier for taxpayers to hold public institutions accountable for how they use their tax dollars to teach students and train public employees.

"It is every parent's right to know what is being taught to their kids in the classroom, and every taxpayer’s right to know how the government trains its public servants," Byrne said. "With that, no Hoosier student should be forced to affirm discriminatory beliefs in the space of their academic career."

Additionally, this bill would prevent schools from requiring students to affirm certain discriminatory beliefs and from using public funds to hire positions that would promote such beliefs.

As the 2025 session gets underway, Byrne encourages residents of Senate District 47 to contact him with any questions or comments they may have. Byrne can be reached by filling out a "Contact Me" form online at IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Byrne or by phone at 800-382-9467. 

State Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville) represents Senate District 47,  which includes Harrison and Washington counties, and most of Floyd County.  

State Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville) recently met with legislators and several students from around the state to discuss promoting a culture of life and advancing protections for pregnant women and unborn children. State Sen. R. Michael Young (R-Indianapolis) recently introduced Senate Bill 171, which Byrne joined as an author, to help in this goal by holding in-state and out-of-state distributors of dangerous abortion pills accountable for putting pregnant women and their unborn children's lives at risk.

A recent case study noted that 29% of participants who took these pills reported adverse events like heavy bleeding or a fever, and 43% needed to seek subsequent medical help from a health provider. Another case study saw 0.7% of participants needing a blood transfusion, 2.6% needing antibiotics for an infection and 8.7% seeking medical attention due to a symptom resulting from taking the pills. Advertised side effects of the pills range from possibly severe pain to maternal death, and the pills can force the death of unborn children.

"Holding distributors of dangerous abortion pills accountable is an important step to ensure both pregnant women and their unborn children are protected from those who would take advantage of them for profit," Byrne said. "I will always support protecting the sanctity of human life, especially for the most vulnerable among us."

Byrne encourages residents of Senate District 47 to contact him with any questions or comments they may have. Byrne can be reached by filling out a "Contact Me" form online at www.IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Byrne or by phone at 800-382-9467.

Attorney General Todd Rokita announced that Indiana and 23 other states have won a battle against a California effort to impose a radical climate agenda on all states by requiring trucking companies operating in California to use electric vehicles in their fleets.

Following pressure applied by Attorney General Rokita and likeminded attorneys general, California dropped its request that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant the state special permission to impose the mandate as part of its “Advanced Clean Fleets” regulation.

“Since the day I took office, we have fought for common sense, free enterprise and the rule of law,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Our efforts are paying off. In Indiana and across the country, liberty and prosperity are on the march while government overreach and climate radicalism are in retreat. But we cannot rest. We will stay relentless in our mission on behalf of all Hoosiers."

The proposed mandate would have forced trucking businesses from ALL states to abide by California’s edict when operating in the Golden State — and it would have applied to trucking companies that operated one truck for as little as one day per year in California.

In a September 2024 letter to the EPA, Attorney General Rokita and others explained the important principles at stake.

“Granting California a preemption waiver,” states the Nebraska-led letter, “would run headlong into the equal sovereignty of the States protected by the Constitution.”

Governor Mike Braun’s administration presented the 2025-2027 biennial budget proposal to the State Budget Committee, outlining a vision for a leaner, more efficient government that puts Hoosier families first.

The proposed budget, delivered by Secretary of Management and Budget Lisa Hershman, builds on Governor Braun’s commitment to prioritizes tax relief, public safety, and education while ensuring fiscal responsibility and efficiency.

Key Highlights Include:

K-12 Education: Universal Choice Scholarships for all families, increased funding for K-12 schools, and a 2% increase in tuition support each year.
Tax Relief: Elimination of the tip tax, phased-out tax on retirement income, and new sales tax holidays.
Public Safety: Increased funding for school safety, law enforcement, and state police salaries, along with a major investment in the Indiana National Guard.
Fiscal Integrity: Increase the FY26 rainy-day fund by $400 million, slow the growth of government expenses, put Indiana in a strong fiscal position for the future.

Governor Braun's Statement:

"This budget streamlines government operations while focusing on areas that matter most to Hoosiers—education, tax relief, and public safety. I look forward to working with the legislature to make this proposal a reality and ensure Indiana’s continued success."

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) recently introduced the Complete COVID Collections Act to ensure that billions of stolen taxpayer dollars can continue to be recovered.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) created COVID relief programs to help small businesses, but unfortunately, many of these programs were taken advantage of by bad actors. The Complete COVID Collections Act would extend the authorization of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery – a role that was designed to conduct oversight of pandemic funds – and expand its jurisdiction to cover additional SBA COVID-related programs. It is estimated that more than $200 billion still needs to be recovered.

“Programs designed to provide relief to our small businesses were repeatedly taken advantage of, leaving small businesses hurting and taxpayers on the hook. I’m glad to join Senator Ernst in this effort to recover taxpayer dollars and protect Americans from fraud and abuse,” said Senator Young.

“Con artists took advantage of small businesses’ pain during COVID to defraud government programs designed to help hardworking Americans,” said Senator Ernst. “While we are $36 trillion in debt, we especially cannot afford to leave more than $200 billion floating around, especially in the hands of fraudsters. My Republican colleagues and I are making sure that all resources are available in this fight to get taxpayers’ money back and hold these criminals accountable.”

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and John Curtis (R-Utah) also sponsored the legislation.

Full text of the legislation can be found here. More about the legislation can be found here.