By State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond)
Last week, the Indiana General Assembly reached the halfway point of our 2026 legislative session. This means in the Senate we will begin hearing House bills and the House will begin hearing Senate bills.
During the first half of session, 290 bills were introduced in the Senate. Of those, 112 bills were passed by the Senate, 90% of which received bipartisan support. In the second half, 112 House bills will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Senate Republicans are working hard this year to root out waste, fraud and abuse in Indiana's welfare programs. We are also are working to protect Hoosiers by holding dangerous subjects without bail through Senate Joint Resolution 1.
As our session moves along, I am continuing to champion legislation that will make Indiana a better place to live, work and raise a family.
One bill I authored would ensure Hoosier students are getting the most out of their education by expanding Indiana's restriction on students having cell phones in school from "bell to bell," meaning students couldn't use their phone from the time they arrive at school until the time they leave.
Another bill I am working on would require schools to allow organizations like Scouts or military recruiters to talk to students twice a year. This bill would give students the opportunity to join reputable organizations to learn how to be better citizens and allow them to explore alternate career options after high school.
I look forward to all the second half of session will bring and working with my colleagues to pass meaningful legislation for our great state.
As always, I encourage constituents to reach out to me with any questions or concerns by filling out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Raatz website or by calling my office at 800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) represents Senate District 27, which includes
Henry, Union and Wayne counties, and portions of Franklin County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
