Committees have a lot of power at the Indiana Statehouse: Here’s what you need to know

By REBECCA THIELE Legislative committees are important. They’re the first time bills are heard and often the only times the public can speak for or against a bill in front of lawmakers that don’t represent them. It’s also where most bills die. What do legislative committees do? It would be impossible for the House and Senate to hear all of the roughly 800 to 1,200 bills introduced in an Indiana legislative session. So the leaders of those chambers assign bills to one of the more than 40 standing committees to give them a first look. These committees can cover topics like health or transportation. In the 2023 session, 67 percent of Senate bills introduced died in committee and more than 40 percent never even got a hearing. That shows just how powerful these committees are. How do committees form? The House speaker and the Senate president pro tempore decide which lawmakers serve on what committees and how many members should be on each committee. Ed Feigenbaum is the editor of the newsletter& Indiana Legislative Insight. He said sometimes the speaker and Senate president will bring in a small group of lawmakers to help them make these decisions. The minority party...