Democrats town hall meeting at IU Northwest Savannah Center
Democrats at town hall want action
Contributed By: The 411 News
Rep. Vernon Smith sees largest crowd in his 35 years
From the number of cars filling the parking lot Saturday at IU Northwest’s Savannah Center, it looked like a Red Hawks basketball conference game.
But inside, the long line wasn’t for the gym; they were waiting to enter the town hall meeting hosted by Gary’s Democratic Party state legislators.
“I've been in office now 35 years as a state representative. I have sponsored many of these town hall meetings. I have never seen the crowd that we have today,” said State Rep. Vernon Smith, who hosted the meeting along with Rep. Regan Hatcher, Rep. Earl Harris, and Senator Mark Spencer.
On the agenda were House and Senate bills that had received passage in their respective chambers during the first half of the 2025 session. For a bill to pass, both chambers have to give their approval. In the second half, Senate bills will be considered in the House and House bills in the Senate.
The session ends April 29th.
Outnumbered and outmaneuvered by Republicans in both chambers and a Republican governor, Rep. Smith was clear in his frustration with the bills coming out of the House.
“It’s become a plaything, a toy, omnipotent over the other party. Just see what can we do? And guess what? We're destroying public education,” Smith said. “This is intentional. Don't let them do it to this great nation.”
Governor Braun’s campaign promise of universal vouchers for K-12 students is in the House budget bill – HB1001. It eliminates the income limit on the state’s private school voucher program. Democrats voted in unison against the bill, saying it takes funds from public schools.
Smith, ranking member of the House Education Committee, scolded the opposition for a measure in HB1002 which changed the criteria for the position of Indiana’s Secretary of Education.
“Now, this bill says that the Secretary of Education is not only appointed by the governor, but doesn't have to have any qualifications; none, no qualifications. If a superintendent of a school corporation has to have multiple degrees and an educational specialist or a Doctor of Education, you don't put somebody over the superintendents and they don't have to have any qualifications,” Smith said. “Is that being an idiot or not?”
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton had kinder words for the legislature.
“I know sometimes we believe the entire General Assembly is out to get us, and it feels like that sometimes, but we do have some allies and friends downstate. To convince 150 people to support the community is always going to be tough, so I do realize it's going to be a balancing act to get things accomplished,” Melton said
Gary residents did feel legislators were out to get them in early January when the first bills of the General Assembly were filed.
Gary Community School Corporation, Indianapolis Public Schools and 3 rural school districts were the targets in Republican HB 1136. That bill called for the dissolution of the five districts because more than half of the students living within the corporation’s physical boundaries attended schools in a different school district. HB1136 did not get House approval.
Next came HB 1448, a Republican bill requiring Gary to return $12.2 million dollars in casino revenues it had received because of a state accounting error. That bill received House approval and moves to the Senate.
But Mayor Melton did call out one legislator who proposed reducing the number of the mayor’s appointments to the Gary/Chicago Airport Authority from 4 to one.
“They slipped it into the budget. Whoever offered that, that was a very cowardly move; not to author a bill and to own it. This is our airport. We're paying the bills,” Melton said.
The line was long for questions and comments to the legislators. They responded to concerns about high fees on consumer loans, possible Medicaid cuts, access to voting, charter schools, DEI and more.
Marva Coleman’s question struck a chord with the audience and they gave her a big round of applause. “As leaders, what prospects do you have to lead the people to action; stop talking partiality, Democrats vs. Republicans.”
She didn’t get an answer.
Story Posted:03/05/2025
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