A narrowly divided vote to roll back portions of Indiana’s environmental code — plus a high-profile bid to lure the Chicago Bears across the state line — anchored a deadline-day push Tuesday as the Indiana House advanced a slate of bills and set up end-of-session negotiations across the rotunda.
Lawmakers also narrowly approved a controversial proposal to ban public camping. The measure split both parties and drew hours of emotional debate about whether the state should criminalize homelessness.
The measures were approved on the House’s third-reading calendar deadline and now head back to the Senate for final consideration. Any disagreements with House changes would send the bills to conference committees in the final days of session. The General Assembly is expected to finish legislative business on Friday.
One of the most contentious votes of the day came on Senate Bill 277, an environmental policy overhaul that passed the House 53-45, with 16 Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.
Environmental dereg bill narrowly moves from committee
The proposal makes dozens of changes to Indiana’s environmental statutes, including replacing certain mandatory requirements with discretionary authority at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
Supporters argued the measure modernizes outdated language and gives regulators flexibility. Critics, meanwhile, have warned it weakens safeguards for air and water quality.
Rep. Beau Baird, R-Greencastle, who carried the bill in the House, repeatedly emphasized on Tuesday that the legislation does not eliminate environmental protections or strip IDEM of its enforcement powers.
“This bill modernizes portions of Indiana’s environmental statutes,” Baird said. “When you look at it in the entirety of the code, IDEM’s ability to enforce the law is kept intact.”
But Democrats repeatedly returned to the bill’s shift from “shall” to “may” in several sections of code — a change they said turns mandatory IDEM enforcement requirements into “optional” actions — arguing it would allow regulators to decline enforcement even when violations are identified.
Rep. Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis, noted Indiana has long lagged behind other states on environmental protections and warned the bill moves the state further in the wrong direction.
“We should be doing more, not less, to protect Hoosiers,” Hamilton said. “How does weakening the agency that should be protecting Hoosiers from toxic emissions make our communities safer?”
Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, additionally cited more than 1,400 public comments submitted during recent state environmental rulemaking, the “vast majority” of which expressed concerns about clean air and water.
“This bill is coming for the wrong reason at the wrong time,” she said. “Taxpayers expect their money to be spent to protect them.”
Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond, questioned the bill’s elimination of IDEM’s pollution prevention division, arguing residents need faster — not weaker — regulatory response.
“When it comes to polluting the air and the water, especially in Northwest Indiana, we want IDEM to be able to come in immediately,” Jackson said.
Multiple GOP supporters pushed back, saying the legislation reflects real-world regulatory experience.
Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer, who described himself as the chamber’s only swine farmer — and the only member who currently holds an IDEM permit — said he operates under extensive state and local environmental rules already.
“We are a highly regulated industry — extremely,” Culp said, describing IDEM permitting requirements, nutrient management plans and local ordinances governing agricultural operations. He said farmers have a strong incentive to protect land and water because their livelihoods depend on it.
“Farmers are the original environmentalists,” Culp said, pointing to widespread use of cover crops and buffer zones along waterways. “I don’t need IDEM or any other government agency to tell me that protecting our water is the right thing to do.”
Bears stadium plan advances with bipartisan support
The House also approved Senate Bill 27 in a 95-4 vote, pushing forward the proposal that seeks to help finance a new Chicago Bears stadium and surrounding development in Hammond.
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said the bill mirrors the funding models used for Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, relying on locally generated revenue — including food and beverage taxes — to back bonds for the project.
“The bottom line is this project will be paid for by those who benefit from this investment,” Huston said, though the Republican leader has yet to say how much the project is expected to cost, overall. “This isn’t just a sports venue. It’s a transformational opportunity for the region and the state.”
Even so, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said earlier Tuesday there is “broad agreement” in Illinois on a competing proposal. He questioned, too, how Indiana taxpayers feel about the tax increases outlined in fiscal analyses of the Hammond plan.
Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, framed the plan as a “rare” economic development opportunity for Northwest Indiana.
“This bipartisan legislation represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the region — and frankly the entire state,” Harris said.
He pointed to construction jobs, transportation investment and retail growth tied to the project.
Several lawmakers from Lake County and surrounding areas also highlighted the region’s existing infrastructure, including rail lines, interstate access and the Gary airport, as positioning Indiana to capture economic activity currently flowing into Illinois.
“Opportunities like this do not come often,” Harris said.
Four lawmakers opposed the bill — Reps. Andrew Ireland, Ryan Dvorak, Matt Pierce and Tim Wesco.
Public camping ban narrowly passes
After passionate debate, the House also approved Senate Bill 285 — a proposal to ban long-term public camping on state and local property — in a 53-44 vote, with bipartisan opposition.
The bill establishes a new Class C misdemeanor for “street camping” but includes multiple procedural steps and defenses before charges can be filed. Law enforcement must first assess whether a person qualifies for emergency mental health detention, issue a warning, provide information about shelter and services, and wait at least 48 hours before considering charges.
Rep. Alex Zimmerman, R-North Vernon, the bill’s sponsor, said it was designed to address homelessness “in a compassionate manner” and give local governments another tool to respond to encampments.
“This bill is not going to solve all things,” Zimmerman said. “This bill is giving a tool in the toolbox.”
Democrats disagreed, though. They argued Tuesday that the measure criminalizes people for sleeping outdoors when they have nowhere else to go.
“Senate Bill 285 makes it a crime to sleep outside on public land,” Rep. Blake Johnson, D-Indianapolis, said. “We’re not talking about vandalism, we’re not talking about violence — we’re talking about sleeping. Let that sink in.”
Johnson said the bill forces an untenable choice for unhoused people with mental illness: involuntary commitment or criminal charges.
“We do not solve homelessness by making it illegal to be homeless,” he continued.
Democrats also raised concerns about the bill’s impact on veterans, domestic violence survivors and minors. They warned the legislation contains no age exemption and could allow children to enter the juvenile justice system for sleeping outdoors.
“All this bill is doing is creating more criminals,” said Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis. “It’s not solving a problem. It’s creating criminals, because the person doesn’t have money to pay for somewhere to live, and this is just simply shameful.”
Other lawmakers cited data showing many counties lack shelters or mental health services and held that the bill sends people into the criminal justice system without providing housing alternatives.
Supporters countered that Senate Bill 285 includes multiple off-ramps, including defenses when no shelter beds are available within five miles and diversion programs that can lead to automatic expungement if a case is dismissed.
“This does not start and end with arrest,” Zimmerman said in closing. “I would not have sponsored this bill if it were just going straight to charging a crime.”
Other bills move along, too
Several other Senate measures cleared the House with less discussion.
- Senate Bill 78, restricting student cellphone use during the school day, passed 82-13. Rep. Jake Teshka, R-North Liberty, said the measure responds to growing concerns about classroom distraction. Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, said schools that have adopted similar policies report improved attention and fewer behavioral issues.
- A township consolidation measure, Senate Bill 270, also advanced in a 61-35 vote a day after the House adopted amendments that softened consolidation thresholds and limited assessor eliminations. Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, called it a middle ground between eliminating townships outright and preserving those that meet performance metrics, saying it could reduce overhead for taxpayers without dismantling effective local services.
- Senate Bill 88, which adds “success sequence” concepts — including finishing high school, securing full-time employment and waiting until marriage to have children — to certain instructional standards in K-12 schools, passed 67-29. Much of Tuesday’s debate centered around how schools would teach the material and the inclusion of the Classic Learning Test as a college entrance exam option.
- Senate Bill 282, regulating compounded drugs and medical spas, cleared the House 93-4. Bill sponsor Rep. Brad Barrett, R-Richmond, said the measure prioritizes patient safety and strengthens oversight by existing regulatory boards. But pharmacy compounding advocates said the bill was “rushed” and could restrict patient access to customized medications.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.