Indiana House
- Democratic (30)
(100 seats)
(100 seats)
Indiana Statehouse
Indianapolis, Indiana
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, each State House district contains an average of 64,838 people.
The House convenes at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.
Districts in Indiana are among the most gerrymandered in the United States - analysis showing that if Hoosier Republicans receive at least 56 percent of the statewide vote they will likely hold around 70 percent of seats.
Terms and qualifications
In order to run for a seat for the Indiana House of Representatives one must be a citizen of the United States, has to be at least 21 years of age upon taking office, and should reside in the state of Indiana for 2 years and in the district to represent for at least 1 year at the time of the election.
Representatives serve terms of two years, and there is no limit on how many terms a representative may serve.
Composition of the House
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Democratic | Vacant | ||
| End 2010 session | 48 | 52 | 100 | 0 |
| 2011–2012 | 60 | 40 | 100 | 0 |
| 2013–2014 | 69 | 31 | 100 | 0 |
| Begin 2015 | 71 | 29 | 100 | 0 |
| Begin 2017 | 70 | 30 | 100 | 0 |
| Begin 2019 | 67 | 33 | 100 | 0 |
| Begin 2021 | 71 | 29 | 100 | 0 |
| Begin 2023 | 70 | 30 | 100 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 70% | 30% | ||
Officers
| Office | Representative | Party | Residence | First Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker of the House | Todd Huston | Rep | Fishers | 2012 |
| Speaker pro tempore | Michael Karickhoff | Rep | Kokomo | 2010 |
| Majority Floor Leader | Matt Lehman | Rep | Berne | 2008 |
| Majority Caucus Chair | Greg Steuerwald | Rep | Brownsburg | 2007 |
| Minority Leader | Phil GiaQuinta | Dem | Fort Wayne | 2006 |
| Minority Floor Leader | Cherrish Pryor | Dem | Indianapolis | 2008 |
| Minority Caucus Chair | Carey Hamilton | Dem | Indianapolis | 2016 |
Standing committees
As of 24 October 2023.
| Committee | Chair | Vice Chair |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and Rural Development | Michael Aylesworth (R-11) | Beau Baird (R-44) |
| Commerce, Small Business, and Economic Development | Robert Morris (R-84) | Julie Olthoff (R-19) |
| Courts and Criminal Code | Wendy McNamara (R-76) | Jennifer Meltzer (R-73) |
| Education | Robert Behning (R-91) | Michelle Davis (R-58) |
| Elections and Apportionment | Timothy Wesco (R-21) | Zach Payne (R-66) |
| Employment, Labor and Pensions | Heath VanNatter (R-38) | Mark Genda (R-41) |
| Environmental Affairs | Alan Morrison (R-42) | Kendell Culp (R-16) |
| Family, Children and Human Affairs | Dale DeVon (R-5) | Christopher Judy (R-83) |
| Financial Institutions and Insurance | Mike Speedy (R-90) | Jake Teshka (R-7) |
| Government and Regulatory Reform | Doug Miller (R-48) | Tim O'Brien (R-78) |
| Insurance | Martin Carbaugh (R-81) | Craig Snow (R-22) |
| Judiciary | Chris Jeter (R-88) | Jerry Torr (R-39) |
| Joint Rules | Todd Huston (R-37) | Jerry Torr (R-39) |
| Local Government | Chris May (R-65) | Randy Lyness (R-68) |
| Natural Resources | Shane Lindauer (R-63) | David Abbott (R-82) |
| Public Health | Brad Barrett (R-56) | Donna Schaibley (R-24) |
| Public Policy | Ethan Manning (R-23) | Peggy Mayfield (R-60) |
| Roads and Transportation | Jim Pressel (R-20) | Ryan Lauer (R-59) |
| Rules and Legislative Procedures | Ben Smaltz (R-52) | Sharon Negele (R-13) |
| Statutory Committee on Ethics | Karen Engleman (R-70) | Sue Errington (R-34) |
| Utilities, Energy, and Telecommunications | Edmond Soliday (R-4) | Dave Hall (R-62) |
| Veterans Affairs and Public Safety | Stephen Bartels (R-74) | Joanna King (R-49) |
| Ways and Means | Jeff Thompson (R-28) | Robert Cherry (R-53) |
Members of the Indiana House of Representatives
†Member was initially appointed to the seat.
History
The Indiana House of Representatives held its first session in the first statehouse in the original state capital of Corydon and the first speaker of the body was Isaac Blackford. Under the terms of the constitution of 1816, state representatives served one-year terms, meaning elections were held annually. In 1851, the constitution was replaced by the current constitution and terms were lengthened to two years, but sessions were held biennially. In 1897, it unanimously passed a bill determining the value of Pi to exactly 3.2. However, the bill was never voted upon in the State Senate. A 1972 constitutional amendment allowed for a short legislative session to be held in odd numbered years.
2012 Election
On November 6, 2012, the Republican Party in Indiana expanded their majority in the House of Representatives from 60 members in the 117th General Assembly to 69 members, a "quorum-proof" majority. The Republicans were able to take 69% of the seats, despite having only received approximately 54% of the votes for the state's House of Representatives.
Of the 3 newly elected members of the U.S. House elected to the 113th Congress from Indiana, two are former members of the Indiana House of Representatives. Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) represented Indiana's 21st district from 2005 to 2011 and Congressman Luke Messer (IN-06) represented Indiana's 57th district from 2003 to 2007. Congressman Marlin Stutzman (IN-03) was re-elected to a second term, he is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives where he served Indiana's 52nd district from 2003 to 2009.
Past composition of the House of Representatives
See also
- Government of Indiana
- Indiana Senate
- Politics of Indiana
- Speaker of the Indiana State House of Representatives
- List of Indiana General Assemblies
References
- ^ Smith, Brandon (September 16, 2021). "Analysis Says Indiana Redistricting Maps Among Worst Partisan Bias In Country". WFYI Public Media. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ Assembly, Indiana General. "Indiana Code 5003 - Indiana General Assembly, 5011 Session". iga.in.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ "Indiana House Standing Committee Appointments_123rd General Assembly_10-23-23". Indy Politics. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ "Indiana Once Tried to Change Pi to 3.2". www.mentalfloss.com. March 14, 2016.
External links
Media related to Indiana House of Representatives at Wikimedia Commons
- Indiana General Assembly
- Indiana House of Representatives at Ballotpedia
- State House of Indiana at Project Vote Smart
- Indiana House Democrats
- Indiana House Republicans
- 2015 Indiana Candidate Guide - Qualifications
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