By Kendall Pierson for WISH-TV.

Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service Collaboration

The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus kicked off its 2026 interim town hall series at the Julia M. Carson Government Center in Indianapolis on Saturday.

“We had a great turnout,” Democratic State Representative Earl L. Harris Jr said, one of the event’s panelists. “I was happy to see so many people here.”

The panelists, all state lawmakers from throughout Indiana, took turns highlighting legislation they consider impactful – both positive and negative – for Indiana’s Black community.

“It’s important for us to talk to the people that put us in office and share with them legislation that passed during the session, legislation that’s going to impact pretty much every part of their life,” Harris said.

For Harris, a key issue is protecting voters’ rights for minorities. He says these rights can be protected by staunch advocacy from citizens.

“You can’t hide during an election year,” Harris said. “You have to get out at community events, debates, show up, talk to the reps running for office or that are in office, talk to the senators. Let them know the importance of protecting voter rights and not destroying minority and women voices.”

Democratic State Senator Greg Taylor agrees, saying the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the Louisiana v. Callais case, in which the court declared a Louisiana congressional map unconstitutional, is a step toward voting rights being taken away.

“There’s going to be a significant dilution of the minority vote in this country,” Taylor said. “These types of actions are things that we thought we had left behind in the 1960’s.”

Both Harris and Taylor saying the best tool for voters to protect themselves, is voting itself.

Taylor’s message is: “Go vote. That’s it.”

“If you are of age and can vote, register, and make sure in November, you get out there and vote,” Harris said. “Your vote is your voice and it means so much. Don’t give it away for nothing.”

There are seven remaining IBLC Town Halls this year, and they are all open to the public.

Kendall Pierson wrote this article for WISH-TV.

Source: Public News Service