Senate session grows contentious as Democrats call for more debate

Partisan tensions boiled over Monday in the Indiana Senate, reaching a breaking point for some of Indiana’s state senators.

During the second reading of Senate Bill 391, which relates to the closure of school buildings, Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, brought forward two amendments. However, when opposing the amendments, bill author Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, didn’t say why she disagreed with them—she simply said she opposed them and urged her colleagues to do the same in a few short sentences.

This prompted Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, to stand and address the body, his main bone of contention being the lack of explanation.

“This is frustrating for all of us who want to have open dialogue about legislation,” Taylor said. “Sen. Hunley, your amendment … says that charter schools should be under the same rules as traditional public schools. What is wrong with that? And now we have a rule that says she (Rogers) can’t be questioned.

“When are you going to start treating this place like a democracy, people?”

Following this, Taylor and a few other senators continued their conversation outside the chamber.

Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, passionately addressed the Senate Chamber after the failed vote on an amendment for Senate Bill 350.

“No issue is a dumb issue,” he said. “No issue is non-debatable. If nothing else, we try to improve whatever issues that come up. So, don’t tell me issues that we discuss are incidental, that have no consequence. Every time we come up with an issue, every opinion should be listened to and respected.”

Monday’s schedule called for 45 bills to be discussed, and 13 were voted on before the Senate broke for recess (they were slated to return after press time).

Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, pleaded with her fellow senators when offering amendments to Senate Bill 480, which would prohibit a doctor from providing gender transition procedures to a minor.

Yoder referenced the individuals who gave public testimony earlier in the bill’s life, saying many relating personal experiences had been adults without the support of parents during their procedures, which took place outside of Indiana.

“So, you can understand that in order to pass 480 and to find individuals in support of this, you would have to bring them in from out of state, which is what happened,” Yoder said.

Her amendment failed.

Xain Ballenger is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.