This episode launches a weekly collaboration between Progressive Indiana Network and MAD Voters to track and explain Indiana Statehouse activity during the 2026 legislative session. The inaugural discussion focuses on education policy, identifying two dominant legislative trends:
Christian nationalist efforts to inject religion into public education, and
Continued privatization and defunding of public schools through vouchers and charter expansion.
Host Scott Aaron Rogers and MAD Voters’ Devon Wellington walk through how bills move through the Indiana General Assembly, then analyze several House and Senate bills. The conversation frames these proposals as ideologically driven, constitutionally dubious, poorly grounded in research, and frequently disconnected from actual educational outcomes. The episode closes by emphasizing civic engagement, legislative accountability, and the role of MAD Voters’ bill tracker as a tool for public action.
Breakdown of the Included Discussion
1. Purpose of the Series & Guest Introduction
Announcement of a weekly legislative recap show during session, focused on explaining bills before they pass rather than reacting after the fact.
Devin Wellington introduced as an education policy expert with MAD Voters.
MAD Voters described as nonpartisan but not neutral, focused on grassroots civic engagement and legislative transparency
2. How a Bill Becomes Law in Indiana
Overview of the four main stages:
Committee assignment and hearings (many bills die here).
Second and third readings in the originating chamber, with amendments and votes.
Crossover to the opposite chamber for the same process.
Conference committee and governor’s signature, if needed.
Emphasis on the power of committee chairs to quietly kill bills by denying hearings.
Context of the short session, compressed timelines, and lost time due to redistricting
3. Major Themes in Education Legislation
Culture war legislation as distraction from unpopular economic and education policies.
Privatization of public education, including vouchers, charter schools, and religious institutions receiving public funds.
Legislating education by lawmakers with little to no education background.
Federal context: dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and shifting responsibility to states without guaranteed funding
4. Christian Nationalism in Public Schools
House Bill 1086 (Author: Michelle Davis) – Ten Commandments Displays
Requires posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms and school libraries.
Framed as:
A First Amendment violation (Establishment Clause).
A recurring “zombie bill” used to energize the base rather than pass.
Linked to broader efforts by the governor and attorney general to reinstall a Ten Commandments monument at the Statehouse.
Discussion of coercion, especially for young students unable to meaningfully opt out
Senate Bill 138 (Author: Stacey Donato) – Chaplains in Schools
Allows volunteer religious chaplains to provide guidance, including religious guidance with parental consent.
Criticized for:
Lack of training, licensure, and accountability.
Undermining professional school counselors.
Increased risk to student safety and confidentiality.
Hypocrisy highlighted in light of abuse scandals within religious institutions
Senate Bill 88 (Author: Gary Byrne) – “Various Education Matters”
A catch-all bill including:
Incorporation of Ten Commandments into civics instruction.
Restrictions on discussing racism, sexism, and class conflict.
Promotion of abstinence-only education.
Critiqued as:
Historically dishonest.
Contrary to educational research.
Internally contradictory, given the Bible’s own engagement with class conflict and inequality
5. Privatization of Public Education
House Bill 1176 (Author: Jake Teshka) – Converting Public Schools to Charters
Makes it easier to convert public schools into charter schools.
Core criticisms:
Charter schools in Indiana function as privately run entities funded with public money.
Reduced accountability compared to public schools.
Property tax revenue sharing further starves traditional public schools.
Framed as intentional defunding followed by claims that public schools are “failing” rather than under-resourced
Indianapolis Case Study (IPS)
State-mandated restructuring via the ILEA.
Transfer of power from the elected school board to the mayor.
Bipartisan complicity, including Democrats funded by pro-charter interests.
Historical context involving mayoral charter authorization and groups like the Mind Trust
6. Pro-Public School Oversight Efforts
Senate Bill 86 (Fady Qaddoura) – Charter Accountability
Proposes:
Transportation requirements for charter students.
Public budget transparency.
Increased oversight.
Praised as good policy but acknowledged as likely DOA under the current supermajority.
Highlights disparity between rhetoric and reality around charter accountability
7. Attack on Teachers’ Unions
House Bill (Andrew Ireland) – Payroll Dues Deductions
Seen as a direct assault on teachers’ unions.
Part of a broader anti-union, anti-public-sector strategy.
Framed as destabilizing public education by weakening collective bargaining power
8. Civic Engagement & Call to Action
MAD Voters’ bill tracker highlighted as a key public resource.
Tools include:
Bill summaries and status updates.
Thumbs up/down/needs-more-info indicators.
Legislator contact info and call scripts.
Reinforcement of weekly updates and the importance of early public pressure during fast-moving sessions
