Statehouse Scoop: Every Action Counts
With the conclusion of the 2022 legislative session, I want to thank our advocates and advocacy partners for great progress made toward our goals to improve access to early childhood education, housing, transportation and mental health services. Here is what we accomplished during this short, but active, legislative session:
Lead: Early Childhood Education
Through our leadership with the Early Education Works coalition, we supported policies that would increase access to high-quality early learning opportunities in Indiana. We took action on multiple bills, including HEA 1093, HEA 1318, and HEA 1361.
United Way and the Early Education Works coalition are especially proud of HEA 1093 (Education Matters), a key achievement that resulted from partnerships with the Indiana General Assembly and the governor’s office to realize a core component of Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Agenda. The approval of this bill will address growing shortages in Indiana’s early care and education workforce, empower the Early Learning Advisory Committee (ELAC) to address child care access and kindergarten readiness and enable ELAC to evaluate early education licensure requirements.
We look forward to building on our progress in the coming session, and these bills now await the governor’s signature.
Collaborate: Housing
Alongside Prosperity Indiana and the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition, United Way advocated for increased access to safe, reliable, affordable housing. Key legislation approved during this legislative session includes HEA 1214, HEA 1306, HEA 1048 and SEA 62. Together, these acts help address barriers to housing while creating opportunities for increasing the supply of affordable housing in Indiana.
Collaborate: Mental Health
In partnership with Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers, NAMI Indiana and Mental Health America of Indiana, United Way tracked the progress of mental health legislation this session. Of these bills, approved legislation includes HEA 1222, SEA 84 and SEA 284. This legislation will help increase access to mental health services for Hoosiers and collect data to inform future policies.
Other Areas of Engagement
In addition to our three top priority areas, we worked closely with our partners at Transit Drives Indy, Indiana United Ways, Feeding Indiana’s Hungry and Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute on issues from transportation access and predatory lending to food access.
Our work in these areas this session was defensive. Through collaboration and mobilization of grassroots advocates, damaging legislation was stopped including:
bills and amendments trying to stop expansion of bus rapid transit in Marion County;
a bill that would have expanded predatory lending practices; and
a bill that would have limited access to SNAP benefits.
As we close the book on this legislative session, I’ll leave you with this reminder: Every action counts. Whether you’ve been an advocate for decades or you’ve just recently found a passion for advocacy, each and every one of your efforts has had an impact.
Continue to use your voice, and good things will happen.
Now, we turn our attention to next year – a budget session. We’ll continue fighting for better opportunities for Hoosier families.
