Reporting sourced from Indiana Public Media; this version has been edited and shortened.
The prospects of President Donald Trump getting a new Indiana congressional map were revived Tuesday as state Senate Republicans reversed their refusal to meet next month. Minutes after the Indiana House speaker announced the chamber’s return on Monday to take up redistricting, the Senate’s leader said it would meet beginning Dec. 8 to “make a final decision on any redistricting proposal sent from the House.”
House Speaker Todd Huston said Tuesday that “House Republicans will gavel in on Monday, Dec. 1… including redrawing the state’s congressional map.” No proposed maps have been released as of Tuesday afternoon showing how the General Assembly might accede to Trump’s wish for more GOP-friendly U.S. House districts. Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray had said too few senators support redistricting, but confirmed Tuesday the chamber will convene: “The issue of redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife… To resolve this issue, the Senate intends to reconvene.”
Trump celebrated the announcements after repeatedly blasting Bray and other Senate opponents. “I am glad to hear the Indiana House is stepping up… and I hope the Senate finds the Votes,” he said in a social media post.
About a dozen incidents of swatting, intimidation and bomb threats were reported by lawmakers and the governor last week. Indiana State Police are still investigating. Republican Rep. Ed Soliday called the incidents “disgusting and repulsive,” adding, “Good people [are] being dragged through the mud… behavior matters.” Asked to clarify his position on redistricting, he responded, “none of your f****** business.”
Supporters want a map with all nine congressional districts favoring Republicans, based on 2020 census data. Current maps drawn in 2021 maintain a 7–2 GOP majority.
Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder said “the moment Donald Trump intensified his bullying campaign, they caved.” Gov. Mike Braun praised the moves: “Hoosiers deserve to have fair representation… [and] the General Assembly needs to deliver a 9-0 map.”
House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta said, “Hoosiers have already said loud and clear that they don’t want redistricting,” and indicated his caucus may not show up in December, citing House rules and a previously agreed-upon Jan. 5 return date. But House Republicans cite Indiana Code, saying the General Assembly may reconvene when both chambers gavel in with a quorum.
Reconvening early carries added per-diem costs. If the full House attends, the per-diem total is $21,300 per day; the Senate would cost $10,650 per day. A full week for both chambers would be approximately $159,750, not including mileage. A special session in 2022 cost about $240,000.
