ICV Legislative Update: Week of April 4, 2025
THANK YOU, our members, for showing up in a big way throughout this legislative session! Hundreds of actions have been taken to advocate for clean air, clean water and clean energy in Indiana, including sending letters, calling and meeting with your lawmakers to talk about bills we have been following.
For House Bill 1037 alone, you have sent almost 500 comments to your lawmakers to share your concerns about weakening construction stormwater protections! They have taken notice and are hearing your comments.
We have until Monday morning for a final push to stop HB1037 from moving out of committee! Without amendments that at least ensure stormwater permitting is protected at sites less than 1 acre, we cannot change our stance on the bill. Be sure to submit your comments throughout the weekend! Even if you’ve already submitted comments, please do so again or level up your efforts and make a call – we can help you do that.
CATCHING UP WITH ICV
Delaney and Desi were in Washington, DC again this week to advocate for preserving funding and programs for clean energy and conservation practices.
They spoke with Indiana members of Congress and Senators to encourage them to fight for these programs that bring business into our communities, safeguard our farms and drive economic growth.
IT’S FINALLY EARTH MONTH
There are Earth Month and Earth Day events happening all across Indiana throughout April! We have collected them into an interactive map so you can easily find events in your area.
Join ICV across the state at the following Earth Day events in April:
- Northwest Indiana Earth Day: April 12, 2025, Valparaiso
- Wesselman Woods Earth Day: April 19, 2025, Evansville
- Elkhart Earth Day: April 26, 2025, Elkhart
We will have educational items, games, activities and giveaways, so come see our team at any of these events! And in the coming weeks, we’ll also be announcing an Earth Day contest with a great prize up for grabs!
BILL UPDATES
NEXT WEEK IS THE LAST WEEK FOR COMMITTEES!
😐 NEUTRAL: Senate Bill 4 establishes a permitting structure for significant water withdrawals. This is a fantastic step forward for water stewardship, but we feel it is incomplete without the categorical inclusion of groundwater and water quality considerations. SB 4 passed the House on Tuesday and a motion to concur has been filed in the Senate.
🛑 OPPOSE: Senate Bill 424 creates a pathway for utilities to bill ratepayers up front for SMR project development costs before anything is built and does not require project completion.
➡️ SB 424 is headed to the Governor’s desk, use our action below to urge Governor Braun to veto SB 424. Thanks to everyone who has already taken action ⬇️
🛑 OPPOSE: House Bill 1037: Stormwater management. This bill could remove the ability for localities to require stormwater permits for construction projects under an acre. This could significantly increase flooding and pollution and reduce water quality across the state, costing taxpayers money.
➡️ HB 1037 was rescheduled this week after the meeting was canceled. Now, it is scheduled for the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee on Monday, 4/7 at 11am Rm. 431. It is important to take action now! ⬇️
🛑 OPPOSE: House Bill 1007 shifts costs of small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) and outdated coal generation costs on to ratepayers and taxpayers. Use our link to action below to contact your legislators to vote NO on raising your monthly bills. ⬇️
➡️ HB 1007 is scheduled for the Senate Tax & Fiscal Committee on Tuesday, 4/8 at 9am Rm. 431.
🛑 OPPOSE: Senate Bill 10: Voter Registration. This bill removes student ID from the list of acceptable voter ID, and unnecessarily discourages young people from participating in elections. Take action: Our partners at Stand Up Indiana have made it easy to let your lawmakers know that you oppose SB10!
➡️ SB 10 passed out of the House this week, view the roll call vote here. Please thank your Representative if they voted NO. The concurrence vote will be held next week in the Senate, please contact your Senator today!
🛑 OPPOSE: Senate Bill 287 : By injecting partisan politics into Indiana school board races, these bills will increase political division in schools and make it difficult for ordinary citizens and members of the military to serve their communities.
➡️ SB 287 passed the House on Monday, view the roll call vote here. Please thank your Representative if they voted NO. The concurrence vote will be held next week in the Senate, please contact your Senator today!
🛑 OPPOSE: House Bill 1680: This sweeping election bill creates additional voting barriers for naturalized citizens, opens the door to increased voter intimidation, burdens houseless people and disenfranchises independent voters by closing Indiana primaries. Join the League of Women Voters of Indiana and ask lawmakers to vote NO! On HB1680.
➡️ HB 1680 passed the Senate Election Committee on 3/31. It is now eligible for second reading.
🛑 OPPOSE: Senate Bill 423 Small modular nuclear reactor pilot program. We are encouraged by SB 423’s pilot project model which allows multiple stakeholders to bear the financial risk and advance this new technology in Indiana. However, it contains identical language from SB 424 allowing utilities to bill ratepayers upfront for project development costs and does not require financial risk sharing between public/private partners.
➡️ SB 423 has a proposed amendment that would take out the pilot program model. It was held in committee on Tuesday. Next week is the last week it can be heard and voted on in committee, but the meeting has not been posted yet.
🛑 OPPOSE: Senate Bill 425 Energy Production Zones. This bill includes language to incentivize land re-use for new energy projects by limiting local control of project siting. Unfortunately, it excludes wind and solar energy from participating in energy production zones. Next week is the last week SB 425 can be heard in committee. We will keep you up to date on our social media.
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS
🚨 Tell Indiana lawmakers and Governor Braun consumers can’t afford to bankroll utilities + big business! 🚨
Indiana lawmakers currently are considering multiple bills that would shift the enormous potential costs of development and deployment of untested energy production onto ratepayers. One bill is already on its way to Gov. Braun’s desk for action.
Contact your elected officials today and tell them you want utilities and big businesses to pay for their own research and development of experimental technologies. Email Gov. Braun and ask him to veto Senate Bill 424.
Hard-working Hoosiers can’t afford any more charges on their monthly bills!
ASK GOVERNOR BRAUN TO VETO SB 424
Say no to paying for developers’ messes!
Developers are asking lawmakers to sign off on shifting cleanup costs from their messes to taxpayers. Without proper measures in place, these messes send dirt and sediment into our waterways and sewers, backing them up and causing flooding and poor water quality that end up costing YOU more money to fix.
Tell your senator today that you don’t want to pay for developers’ messes!
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 12: Brown Faces Green Spaces Shoreline Cleanup 2025
April 12: Northwest Indiana Earth Day 2025, 9am-1pm (Porter County Expo Center)
April 25: Pregúntele a un Organizador Comunitario / Ask a Community Organizer: Indiana Conservation Voters (Goshen Library)
April 26: Elkhart Earth Day, 10am-1pm (Elkhart Environmental Center)
