Lawmakers gather for ceremonial start of new legislative session, a 'new time' at Statehouse

Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) said the Statehouse is entering a “new time” ahead of the 2025 legislative session.

Lawmakers gathered Tuesday for Organization Day, the ceremonial start to the session in which all newly-elected members are sworn in.

It’s custom for the House Speaker to lay out his caucus’s agenda — but Huston broke with tradition, instead focusing on advice for legislators, particularly the new ones.

His biggest piece of advice: avoid hyperbole.

“And focus on productive, sensible solutions that actually help the people we represent,” Huston said.

READ MORE: Indiana legislative leaders say likely no major tax changes in 2025 session
 

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Huston did mention property tax reform as an area of focus for the 2025 session, a sentiment shared by Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville).

“We’ve heard that loud and clear,” Bray said. “We need to make some changes to that and we will work through that and do it in a substantive way.”

Lawmakers will return to the Statehouse for the legislative session in January.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.