Most of us think about contacting our state Representative and Senator when the legislature is in session during the first few months of every year. It makes sense. That is when our elected officials are considering how to vote on bills and when state lawmakers are most often in the news. You may be surprised to learn, though, that the most effective time to advocate with your legislators is between now and the end of October.

During the legislative session, your legislators are swamped by the sheer number of bills they have to consider. In 2025, there were 689 bills proposed in the House and 543 in the Senate. Legislators also spend a lot of their time during session meeting with each other – Committee hearings, their caucus meetings, and floor sessions. 

It's much easier to have meaningful conversations with legislators outside of session when they are back home in your local area. Since there are no bills under consideration, you could choose to have a discussion with them that leans more into your values than one centered on the text of a specific piece of legislation.

So, if there isn’t a specific bill to discuss what would you talk about? One of the easiest things to discuss is how your legislator already voted on bills that are important to you. Each year, the ACLU of IN releases a legislative scorecard. In this year’s scorecard, we detail how the 150 members of the Indiana General Assembly voted on six bills. We share whether they voted with us on making it easier to access fentanyl test strips and other common-sense safety tools – or against us on diversity programs or rights for minors and students, immigrants, voters, and transgender Hoosiers. If any of these bills are important to you, you can use your legislator’s vote to start a conversation.

In addition to, or instead of discussing specific bills, you can ask them more about themselves and their values. Even if it is a legislator who votes against your positions on bills, you can see if there are values you share that can serve as a point of agreement. You may also find that someone who disagrees with you about 90% of the issues, agrees with you on one thing that is important to you. And that one thing can be a way to build a relationship with them over time that helps you move them on certain issues where you currently disagree.

If you aren’t interested in meeting with your legislators, no problem. Sending them an email is another way to make sure your voice is heard. Concise emails that identify you as someone living in the legislator’s district, clearly explain the issue you’re concerned about, and share why this issue is important to you are ones that are most likely to have an impact.

Contacting your legislator is easy. Begin by entering your address here. Once you do, you’ll get links to your elected representatives’ official pages. From their official page, you can use their contact form to request a meeting.

Of course, contacting them doesn’t guarantee a meeting (if you’re asking for one). You’ll improve your chances if you have already gotten some friends or neighbors to agree to go with you or if you belong to a civic group on whose behalf you can request the meeting. If so, share the number of people or the name of the group in your original outreach. And, if you haven’t heard back in about two weeks, call the phone number on their official page. You’ll most likely go to voicemail, but their legislative assistant will check your legislator’s messages once a day or so. And then call every week or so until you get a response.

Reaching out to, and especially meeting with, elected officials can be intimidating for many. But remember – they work for you, whether you voted for them or not. And don’t be discouraged if the response you receive isn’t exactly what you hoped for. Making Indiana a better place to live for all Hoosiers will take time and effort – but it is worth the fight.

DEI rollbacks. Police Mandates. Trans Sports Bans. Usurping Local Control.  

Make no mistake: Indiana has entered its big government era. 

The key message from the 2025 legislative session is clear: lawmakers know best. In fact, they know better than local police chiefs, sheriffs, educators, school boards, doctors, and even parents. 

It sets a dangerous precedent when lawmakers strip authority from local governments in order to mimic the worst of national politics — eroding the very values they claim to uphold.  

In the face of sweeping overreach and efforts to erode fundamental rights, the ACLU of Indiana, our partners and thousands of Hoosiers made their voices heard. While this was a tough year in many ways, there were also some bright spots, including the decriminalization of fentanyl test strips and other safety devices– a move that will no doubt save lives.   

Click through below to read more about some of the bills that will soon become law and scroll to the bottom to see how your lawmakers voted on those bills. We’re also highlighting some bills that failed but that we anticipate will resurface in future years.

Bills to watch in 2026 and beyond 

As anyone who has followed legislation knows, failed bills can always make a comeback.  The ACLU of Indiana will be watching out for bills that are likely to return in the future – both good and bad.  

One bill, HB 1662, which would have criminalized homelessness, failed in the 2025 session. Its language was then added as an amendment to two other bills before finally being removed. This was a hard-fought victory – one that advocates will likely have to keep fighting in the future. 

Legislation that would allow chaplains to work in public schools was proposed in 2024 and again in 2025 as SB 523. It failed both times. This language would violate important constitutional principles separating church and state, and the ACLU of Indiana will be watching to see if it returns in 2026.  

Among the good bills that may be proposed again is a repeal of Indiana’s sales tax on period products, HB 1042 and SB 173. Although these bills failed, advocates were hopeful when the tax was repealed in the first budget proposal. Ultimately, however, the tax was added back into the budget that passed and was signed into law. Because these products are a necessity, not a luxury, some lawmakers will continue to push for Indiana to join the 20+ states who have eliminated this unfair tax.  

Other good bills that may return include a repeal of the death penalty, HB 1030, which enjoyed bipartisan support but did not receive a committee hearing, and driver cards for immigrants (HB 1224/SB 296) that would make Indiana streets safer.  

DeOnyae-Dior Valentina is an activist in Indianapolis and the subject of our June advocate profile. Valentina serves as an Urban Leaders Fellow with the City of Indianapolis’ Office of Equity, Belonging & Inclusion, where she leads a project identifying service gaps for immigrant and refugee communities. She is also a Policy Fellow with the Positive Women’s Network, where she works to advance national campaigns for HIV decriminalization, healthcare justice, and the leadership of woman of color and nonbinary people living with HIV.

Tell us about you (i.e., your hometown, your hobbies, family, interests).
I’m a Black and brown trans woman and community advocate from Indianapolis. My lived experience navigating child welfare, housing instability, and the justice system fuels my commitment to building a more just and equitable world, especially for youth who live at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities.

When you’re not working in these roles, how do you spend your time?
Outside of these roles, I’m a poet, organizer, and podcast host. I created Strength Over Struggle: The Up & Coming Podcast to spotlight mental health, survival, and joy within QTBIPOC communities. I believe in storytelling as a sacred act of resistance—and in building a community rooted in care, accountability, and faith.

How did you start advocating for LGBTQ+ social justice causes?
My advocacy started from survival. As a Black and brown trans girl in Indiana, I grew up facing rejection, instability, and systems that tried to erase me. I didn’t see people like me represented in leadership, let alone protected by the policies shaping our lives. That absence lit a fire in me. 

I began organizing in high school—first around LGBTQ+ visibility in child welfare systems, then around youth homelessness, sexual health justice, and trans healthcare access. Over time, my lived experience became my expertise, and I committed to making sure that other queer and trans youth, especially those of color, wouldn’t have to fight to be seen, heard, or valued the way I did. Advocacy became my way of surviving—and now, it’s how I help others thrive.

In your time advocating, what has been your proudest moment?
One of my proudest moments was co-facilitating a legislative teach-in at the Statehouse, where I guided a group of young LGBTQ+ Hoosiers, many of whom were new to advocacy, through meetings with legislators. Watching them speak their truth with power, despite fear and stigma, brought tears to my eyes. That day, they didn’t just feel seen; they knew they belonged in those halls.

This year, what were you fighting for? Did you have any successes?
This year, I fought to protect Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and the rights of LGBTQ+ people, especially trans youth, in Indiana. While many of the bills I opposed ultimately passed, I had the opportunity to testify against harmful legislation—including HB 1041, SB 289, and SB 442—to make sure our voices were heard. Even without legislative victories, showing up, speaking out, and building community resistance was a powerful act of defiance and care in a hostile climate.

What piece of advice would you share with other advocates?
Start from your story. There’s power in our lived experiences, especially when systems try to silence us. And don’t forget: you’re not alone. Build community, rest when needed, and know that faith-rooted justice isn’t just about resistance—it’s also about joy, healing, and collective care.

Design the Democracy You Want to Live In: Democracy Designers is a year-long volunteer cohort program from the ACLU of Indiana that prepares you to lead, engage, and inspire in the lead-up to the 2026 election.

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