Feb 23, 2021 / 07:17 PM EST
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) “Enough is enough.”
Those words came Tuesday from the chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus after Thursday’s heated exchange of words between state lawmakers. The caucus members demanded action.
State Rep. Vernon Smith, a Democrat from Gary, said, “I’ve been here 31 years. I’m in my 31st year and I’ve never been booed on the floor, and we’ve had some challenging and difficult discussions.”
Those boos happened as two Democrat representatives, Smith and Rep. Greg Porter of Indianapolis, voiced concerns about racial inequality in House Bill 1367.
According to an online digest, the bill would establish a two-year pilot program in the John Glenn School Corp., based in Walkerton, to initiate a process to disannex certain territory from the existing school corporation boundaries and annex other territory. Walkerton is about 20 miles southwest of South Bend. The Associated Press reported that the bill would allo
Feb 18, 2021 / 10:59 PM EST
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) Emotions reached a boiling point Thursday among state lawmakers.
That heated exchange happened inside the Indiana Government Center where the Indiana House of Representatives was meeting. At one point, News 8 heard shouting and saw several people quickly leave the House chamber, a meeting room outside the Statehouse being used during the coronavirus pandemic.
The commotion started when lawmakers were talking about House Bill 1367. According to an online digest, the bill would establish a two-year pilot program in the John Glenn School Corp., based in Walkerton, to initiate a process to disannex certain territory from the existing school corporation boundaries and annex other territory. Walkerton is about 20 miles southwest of South Bend. The Associated Press reported that the bill would allow a rural, mostly white, St. Joseph County township to leave the South Bend Community Schools. Rep. Jake Tashka, a Republican from South Bend,