The Hoosier Action Resource Center says 91 percent of all campaign contributions for the Indiana General Assembly come from Political Action Committees and large donors.
The group says because there are no limitations on campaign contributions from PACS, individuals, and limited liability companies, lawmakers have a vested interest in prioritizing the interests of larger donors.
In a recent report, the Hoosier Action Resource Center looked at legislation passed this session and 2020 campaign contributions.
Dennis Davoren is a center member and coordinator. He said the report highlights the passage of HB 1002 and SB 1.
The bills provide broad COVID liability protections for businesses, schools, healthcare providers, and nursing homes. Davoren said this is especially significant considering more than 6,200 long-term care facility residents in Indiana died from COVID – one of the highest rates in the nation.
“They did this but then there was not a single piece of legislation progressed that did anything to protect residents of nursing homes or make things safer for them,” Davoren said.
Representative Jerry Torr is a Republican from Carmel. He authored House Bill 1002, and received more than $37,000 from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers Association PACS in 2020 – one of the highest campaign contributions from the PAC.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s PAC, the Indiana Business for Responsive Government, focuses on electing pro-business legislators.
The Hoosier Action Resource Center gets its data for the report from FollowTheMoney.org.
