GiaQuinta: Redistricting on Hold; Lawmakers Must Tackle High Costs

STATEHOUSE — House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) spoke after Organization Day at the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday, expressing relief that the focus might finally shift away from the mid-decade redistricting effort.

GiaQuinta suggested that the delay in a Senate decision, which he believes will be against the redrawing of the congressional maps, will allow the General Assembly to prioritize issues that matter most to people in Indiana.

“Now that we’ve seen the lean back date of January 5th, we can turn our attention to working on legislation that’s going to help reduce costs on all levels, utilities, healthcare, all kinds of issues that we’re going to be working on to make life affordable for more Hoosiers coming up and starting in January,” GiaQuinta said.

He said that public opposition to mid-decade redistricting is strong, citing polls that show 65-70% of people across the state are against the idea. GiaQuinta dismissed the small group pushing for the change, suggesting they may not fully grasp the implications.

GiaQuinta also commented on an attack against a Republican Senator, calling it “horrible” and emphasizing that such actions “have no place in our society.” He gave the Senator credit for holding a recent town hall on redistricting, where the majority of people also talked about their opposition to the proposal.

When asked about the political impact of the redistricting push, GiaQuinta acknowledged that tackling unpopular issues can harm the Governor’s approval ratings. He expressed confidence that if the redistricting effort dies, the legislature can return to its regular business of helping Indiana families reduce high costs.