Sen. Deery Shares Update

Last week I told you about my efforts to establish local vetoes over carbon sequestration projects and why that’s important to Vermillion and Warren counties. This week, I want to tell you about another bill of high importance to Parke County, but that could also benefit Fountain, Montgomery and even Tippecanoe counties.

The issue is that District 23 is home to amazing state properties like Turkey Run State Park, Shades State Park and Raccoon Lake.

These destinations receive hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, some of whom end up getting lost, injured or stranded in the parks. For one volunteer fire station close to Turkey Run, one out of every six emergency calls is to a state park.

In my view, the state should help these fire departments stay operational, both as a matter of public safety and fairness to the counties that maintain them.

Volunteer firefighters are the backbone of emergency services in rural communities, and they also keep property taxes lower. By one estimate, property taxes in District 23 would need go up 123% if all volunteer firefighters were professionalized.

But the job of a volunteer firefighter also is exceptionally challenging and getting harder.  On Tuesday after I finished my meetings at the Statehouse, I drove to Parke County to attend two different firefighter meetings. 

These amazing volunteers spend time away from family and their full-time employment so they can serve. They undergo hundreds of hours of training, attend multiple meetings a month and are always on call, sometimes to respond to dangerous situations. 

With the costs of fire equipment and emergency vehicles on the rise and volunteerism on the decline, these departments are struggling.

I have enjoyed attending dozens of volunteer fire department fundraisers over the last few years, but I believe the state is asking too much and should do more to help them. One answer could come through House Bill 1204. This bill will be heard on Monday, and it would allow some counties to add up to a $1 fee to a state park entrance fee if the money is used to support emergency services or tourism related infrastructure.

I am proud to sponsor HB 1204 in the Senate and to stand up for the rural counties that shoulder the costs of protecting millions of visitors to our state parks.

General Assembly Reaches Halftime

The Indiana General Assembly has reached the midway point of the 2026 legislative session, meaning bills must have passed out of their original chamber to continue through the legislative process.

Of the 290 Senate bills introduced this year, 112 were passed by the Senate. More than 90% of these bills passed with bipartisan support and nearly half passed with unanimous support.

This year, welfare reform and public safety top our caucus’s priority list.

Senate Bill 1 would root out waste, fraud and abuse in Indiana’s welfare programs by increasing eligibility checks for SNAP, ensuring illegal immigrants do not claim benefits and updating Indiana’s laws to comply with new federal Medicaid reforms, including work requirements for able-bodied, working-age adults.

Senate Joint Resolution 1 seeks to amend the Indiana Constitution to allow judges to deny bail if a suspect clearly poses a substantial risk to any other person in their community. If passed, SJR 1 would go before the voters in November.

Four of my Senate bills are now under consideration in the House. These bills would:

• Protect counties from being another county’s carbon dumping ground;
• Help kids build healthy tech habits by increasing parental control over school-issued technology at home;
• Keep Hoosiers safe by cracking down on masked criminals and hate groups; and
• Improve education by creating a smooth pathway to becoming a high-quality teacher and reducing the administrative burdens that raise costs at universities.

This Week at the Statehouse

Legislative Update

This week, some of my bills worked through the legislative process. Here is a quick update:

Senate Bill 159 would help kids build healthy tech habits by increasing parental control over school-issued technology at home. It was heard in the House Committee on Education Wednesday.

Senate Bill 204 would get the best people into Indiana’s schools by reforming teacher training and improving licensing pathways. It was heard in the House Committee on Education Wednesday.

House Bill 1115 would require home owners associations to provide a meeting notice with the agenda at least four days in advance of any board meeting. It was heard in the Senate Committee on Judiciary Wednesday.

House Bill 1335 would require nonprofit hospitals to provide community benefits that are at least equal to the dollar value of their tax exemption. The bill was heard during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services Wednesday.

State Sen. Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette) represents Senate District 23, which includes Fountain, Parke, Vermillion and Warren counties, and portions of Montgomery and Tippecanoe counties.