HARRIS, IBLC UNVEIL 2025 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA: ‘HEALTHY BODIES, HEALTHY MINDS’INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC), announced that mental and physical health will be the focus of the caucus’ 2025 legislative agenda.The “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds” agenda aims to increase access to health care, improve health outcomes for Hoosiers, bring more physicians to the state of Indiana and enhance funding for mental health care.The collection of bills, which includes a “Momnibus” package in honor of the late Sen. Jean Breaux, also includes access to safe housing, maternal health resources for incarcerated women and legislation requiring mental health professionals to assist law enforcement with calls pertaining to a mental health or substance use disorder crises.“When speaking about public health, we need to be thinking about the many facets of life that have an impact on our overall health and wellbeing,” Harris said during a press conference today. “From making schools safer to increasing access to affordable housing, we in the IBLC are hard at work to make Indiana a safer, healthier and more equitable place to live, study, work and raise a family.“We’re not naïve; we know we won’t fix all of Indiana’s health problems in one legislative session,” Harris said. “But this year, we’re committed to doing everything we can to help Hoosiers get access to preventative care, lower health care costs, bring more doctors to the state and to improve mental and physical health outcomes for citizens across the board.”
