By LaMonte Richardson Jr.
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS — State Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, is counting on a strong relationship with Senate Republicans to address critical Democratic issues such as criminal justice reform and health care disparities in the next session of the General Assembly.

Taylor was selected by his peers last week to be the leader of the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus, making him the first African American to assume the role. He replaces Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson.

“I’m very humbled by the opportunity, being in the legislature for 12 years now and I think the Senate Democrats have done a great job at championing the needs of some communities that are being left behind and I hope I am able to continue that path,” Taylor said.

As the Republicans hold a 39-11 supermajority in the Senate and a 71-29 House supermajority, Taylor said he remains confident that issues brought to the light in 2020 will be handled come January in the legislative session.

Over the summer, Taylor played part in the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus calling for reforms to the criminal justice system that include a more inclusive hate crimes law, creating teams specially equipped to deal with mental illness, and decriminalizing marijuana possession.

Items on the criminal justice reform agenda include removing police officers from schools and replacing them with more social workers; developing local police policies that call for restraint on SWAT deployments; automatic external investigations of the shooting of unarmed civilians; requiring police to live in the communities they serve; and providing for more mental health testing of police officers.

“Anything that passes in any legislative body has to be cooperative,” Taylor said. “There has to be compromised.”

Taylor said he believes the relationship between Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, and Senate Democrats is strong enough to be able to pass bipartisan legislation in the Hoosier state.

Andrew Downs, a political science professor at Purdue University-Fort Wayne, said it will be challenging for Democrats to advance their agenda with the GOP having the supermajority. When asked about legislative redistricting, he said that from a numbers standpoint, Republicans can do what they want.

“There are things you can do, but being in the super minority makes their ability to have any impact very, very limited,” he said.

As for the new leaders among the Senate Democrats, Downs said it was time for a change, adding, “After a while, you expect there to be leadership changes when there is not a success.”

In addition, other selected caucus positions are Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, as assistant minority leader; Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, as minority caucus chair; Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, as minority whip; and newly-elected Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, as assistant minority caucus chair.

Indiana House Democrats re-elected Rep. Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, as the leader of their caucus. Other positions include Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, as floor leader, and Rep. Terri Austin, D-Anderson, as caucus chair.

House Democrats have four new members: Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster; Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, daughter of long-time Rep. Pat Bauer who did not seek reelection; Rep. Mitch Gore, D-Indianapolis; and Rep. Renee Pack, D-Indianapolis.

FOOTNOTE: LaMonte Richardson Jr. is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.