Dana Black: Harming Indy will hurt the rest of the state, too

I was looking forward to making this month’s submission about the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s opening night of “The Folks at Home.” IRT made this opening night special by being intentional about creating community.

Devon Ginn, the IRT’s director of inclusion and community partnerships, sent personal invitations to many of our city’s LGBTQ+ leaders, and we showed up in full force. We had the opportunity to engage in inspiring conversations with Benjamin Hanna, the theater’s Margot Lacy Eccles artistic director, and many other members of the IRT staff and board. Just a week after the conclusion of the 2024 NBA All Star Weekend, we were back downtown, enjoying all that our beautiful city has to offer.

Playwright R. Eric Thomas’ play, which uses mocking humor to tell the story of an interracial gay couple dealing with all the challenges life can bring to any young couple (including in-laws moving in), was the absolute best entertainment to end a long week of watching the Republicans in the Indiana General Assembly continually ignore the will of the people. But rather than write about the play, I think I have to discuss how Republicans continually erode local government’s ability to set policy for their municipalities.

Apparently, hours upon hours of testimony from concerned residents, millions of dollars invested and corporate buy-in weren’t enough for state Sen. Aaron Freeman and his Republican colleagues to understand why Indianapolis wants and needs the Blue Line route to complete a three-tier rapid transit project.

At first, Senate Bill 52, the legislation designed to end dedicated bus lanes, included all cities in Indiana. But when other cities balked, a committee on Feb. 27 approved an amendment making this bill apply only to Indianapolis. Passage of the bill out of the House Roads and Transportation Committee hit Rep. Blake Johnson, D-Indianapolis, particularly hard. When he was a member of the City-County Council, Johnson worked tirelessly to greenlight the rapid-transit project. And now, as a member of the General Assembly, he has witnessed his colleagues toss out all his hard work and countless hours of service for his constituents.

Fortunately for Indy residents, on Feb. 29, House Speaker Todd Huston opted to not call SB 52 for a final vote, announcing that lawmakers had made an agreement with the city under which IndyGo would ensure much of the route did not include dedicated lanes for buses.

However, a lingering problem exists: One person in the General Assembly is working to thwart the will of the people. Freeman indicated our city didn’t need rapid transit because he could simply summon an Uber to get where he needed to go.

This type of thinking is the exact opposite of the type of leadership our state needs. It does not occur to Freeman that everyone doesn’t enjoy his level of privilege. The rest of the Republican caucus doesn’t get a pass, either, especially since few of them even live in Indianapolis.

It is time for Republicans to address the real reasons there are shortages in multiple professions around the state. Simply lowering the barrier of entry for some professions—as legislation considered this session would do—in an attempt to entice folks to move and work in Indiana will not cut it. These shortages occur because the supermajority has let the country know that if you don’t think like them or worship like them, then you are not welcome in our beloved state.

Indianapolis can only prop up this state for so long, and with elected officials like Freeman, the collapse could come much sooner.•

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Black is former deputy chairwoman for engagement for the Indiana Democratic Party
and a former candidate for the Indiana House. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.

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