Illinois absorption, prosecutors crackdown and local road funding bills head to Indiana governor
The House gavel and sound block sit in a basket of legislative documents atop the rostrum on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Indiana legislation to study the absorption of secessionist Illinois counties heads to Gov. Mike Braun after a successful concurrence vote Thursday, along with measures to examine 'noncompliant' prosecutors and expand local funding options for transportation infrastructure.
'I think it's been a great opportunity to talk about all the great things going on in Indiana, and to say … we'd love to have that conversation,' Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, told reporters.
His House Enrolled Act 1008 would create an Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission tasked with exploring the absorption of Prairie State counties that have already voted to secede. Since 2020, 33 counties have passed such 'advisory referenda,' with seven of those votes occurring in the most recent general election.
Originally, Illinois would've had to appoint members for the commission to convene. Now, it must meet by September — with or without Prairie State representation.
'That's their choice whether they want to participate or not,' Huston said, shortly after the 64-23 concurrence vote.
House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne criticized the measure as a 'publicity ploy,' and argued the secessionist counties would sink Indiana finances instead of contributing revenue.
A proposal punishing public prosecutors who 'categorically refuse to prosecute' criminal laws also crossed the finish line Thursday, on a 60-20 concurrence vote in the House.
House Enrolled Act 1006 initially would've also boosted the number of qualified special prosecutors available for appointment and offered partial reimbursement for prosecutors, defenders and more.
But those came with price tags, so the Senate stripped them out.
Now, it mainly creates a prosecutor review board that will scrutinize prosecutors and issue reports to the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council on those labeled 'noncompliant.' But it no longer requires that funding be withheld.
And a complex transportation funding measure avoided negotiations — contrary to Senate expectations — when it earned a 69-19 concurrence vote in the House.
House Bill 1461 would change up the popular Community Crossings Matching Grant Program, raise the speed limit on Interstate 465, let communities tap into excess township funds and ease barriers to tolling, among numerous other provisions.
Opponents largely cited the tolling provisions as problematic, complaining about the impact to residents and local streets.
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'I agree we can do more to limit the use of eminent domain, promote transparency, and ensure responsible land restoration,' Reynolds said. 'We can do better.' Reynolds, who is not running for reelection in 2026, said she is 'committed' to working with legislation to 'strengthen landowner protections, modernize permitting and respect private property.' Taking one element from HF 639, Reynolds will ask the IUC to require all commissioners to be present for live testimony and ensure at least one commissioner is present at every informational meeting. In a statement from Iowa House Republicans, Speaker Pat Grassley said he has requested members sign a petition to reconvene the Legislature in a special session. 'This veto is a major setback for Iowa,' Grassley said in the statement. 'It is a setback not only for landowners who have been fighting across Iowa, but for the work the House of Representatives has put in for four years to get legislation like HF 639 passed. We will not stop fighting and stand firm on our commitment until landowners' in Iowa are protected against Eminent Domain for private gain.' Rep. Charley Thomson, R-Charles City, said he was 'very disappointed' in the governor's decision and that he was supportive of a special session to override the veto. Two-thirds of the Legislature must sign a petition to request a special session, and to override a veto, two-thirds of the members from each chamber must vote to pass the bill again. Sen. Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, the majority leader for the chamber, said he expects most of his caucus will 'not be interested in any attempt' to override the governor's veto. The bill likely would not have advanced in the Senate had it not been for a dozen Republican senators who vowed to block necessary budget legislation until the chamber debated eminent domain. The 12 were also joined by Senate Democrats in pushing for amendments, which were ultimately defeated, and approval of the bill. Senate Democrats said the fight for property rights will continue. 'I'm disappointed by the governor's veto of HF639, but, unfortunately, I cannot say I'm surprised,' Sen. Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City, said. 'There is simply no amount of political posturing or legislative stonewalling that can deny the fact that Iowans' right to private property should never be infringed upon for private gain.' One of the 12 to disagree with the Senate majority, Sen. Kevin Alons, R-Salix, said signing the bill was 'the single option available' to protect the rights of impacted landowners. Alons pledged to 'never quit working' on the issue, but said that means 'very little' to landowners who have been impacted by the 'unprecedented, and unconstitutional land grab.' 'To be clear: the Iowa government has given this private company the right to take people's land for one reason: corporate earnings,' Alons said in a statement. 'This has nothing to do with public use. It's absolutely not necessary for the ethanol industry in our state … And it certainly is not what the founders had in mind.' Alons said when the Legislature returns in January, he and other lawmakers 'will use every tool at our disposal' to 'return property rights back to the people.' Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, who sponsored the legislation, wrote in a social media post he was 'profoundly disappointed' by the veto. Holt said the state constitution and the Republican platform are clear in their message that eminent domain is for public use projects. 'Today the Governor has chosen to ignore landowners, the vast majority of the Legislature, the Republican Party Platform and the Iowa Constitution by choosing the economic development argument of special interests,' Holt wrote. Holt said Reynolds, and the Senate had opportunities of the past several years to offer their own suggestions to the eminent domain issue instead of opposing House legislation. 'On behalf of the people of Iowa and their fundamental property rights, the Governor's veto should be overridden,' he wrote. 'This fight for who we are as Republicans is far from over.' House Democratic Leader Rep. Brian Meyer said parties in the House collaborated to 'protect property rights.' 'At the end of the day, there is only one group to blame for the failure of the eminent domain bill: Iowa Republican lawmakers,' Meyer said in a statement. The first phase of the Summit Carbon Solutions project was approved by IUC nearly a year ago, which granted Summit the right to condemn easements from landowners who do not want to voluntarily sign agreements to put the pipeline on their land. Per the Iowa permit, Summit still needs a permit from South Dakota, which it has been denied twice, to begin construction. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
