Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, unveils caucus priorities for the 2025 legislative session. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
A third caucus released legislative priorities this week, with Senate Democrats seeking advancements for Hoosiers in health care, education and housing during the 2025 budget session.
“This year is especially important because it’s a budget year; budgets aren’t just numbers on a page, they’re a statement about priorities,” said Sen. Shelli Yoder. “They show what we value and who we are fighting for.”
The Bloomington Democrat became the leader of the Senate Democrats last month after the caucus privately ousted Indianapolis Sen. Greg Taylor, who faces allegations of sexual harassment.
Health priorities for the ten-member group will be lumped into one bill, or a “Momnibus” maternal health package named for the late Sen. Jean Breaux, who did last year and frequently spearheaded such efforts.
Indiana has one of the worst maternal and infant mortality rates in the country, something Senate Democrats would rectify by:
- Requiring Medicaid reimbursement for doulas
- Expanding postpartum mental health care
- Establishing a stillbirth prevention program and
- Creating a behavioral health helpline for mothers
“These measures are critical when 85% of pregnancy-related deaths occur postpartum, with more than half happening after six weeks,” said Yoder, citing Department of Health statistics.
Additionally, the caucus proposed “fully funding” Medicaid, a program under fire as cost growth outpaces incoming revenue.
Senate Republicans, who released priorities on Wednesday, would instead cap enrollment in the state’s Medicaid expansion program and suggested waitlists were the way to continue funding priorities like education. Both Democratic caucuses rejected the proposal, pushing to eliminate waitlists for seniors, disabled Hoosiers and parents.
Seniors, disabled Hoosiers and children all on the state’s waiting list for services
Capping enrollment, Yoder said, could potentially reverse longstanding efforts to lower health care costs if uninsured Hoosiers seek health care in emergency departments.
“That will put more and more families at risk and throw more families into a critical state of not having the access that they need,” Yoder said.
Other priorities for Senate Democrats include preventing utility disconnections, establishing tenant rights, protecting public school funding and expanding access to pre-K programming.
When asked about where to get the funding in a tight budget session, Indianapolis Democratic Sen. Fady Qaddoura pointed to billions spend on capital improvement projects and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
“I would be in favor of reallocating dollars from the IEDC to public education and health care. Because what is the point of having 100,000-plus open jobs if we can’t have the talent to fill them?” Qaddoura said.
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