Lawmaker says he was verbally accosted after debate on South Bend schools-related bill southbendtribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from southbendtribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Feb 22, 2021 / 07:56 PM EST
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) State Rep. Todd Huston, speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, on Monday said Hoosiers deserve better.
After heated moments Thursday during discussions of a bill to change boundaries of a school district, a measure that some see as discriminatory, the Republican from Fishers said he’s spoken with quite a few state lawmakers over the last few days. Some of those conversations were challenging, others inspiring, and all of them important.
He acknowledged COVID-19 protocols have separated everyone, limiting important social interactions in this year’s legislative session. The House has moved into a temporary chamber in the Indiana Government Center to improve social distancing. He said it’s far less than perfect for conducting legislative business, but said that’s no excuse for what happened Thursday.
WATCH NOW: Black lawmakers seek bias training for Indiana state representatives
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus wants all 100 state representatives to participate in implicit bias training following a series of allegedly race-based verbal confrontations between its members and some House Republicans.
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, has acknowledged there was inappropriate booing and jeering by a few Republican lawmakers while state Reps. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, and Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, who both are black, were speaking during House debate Thursday.
The booing spurred many black caucus members and some GOP representatives to exit the temporary House chamber in the Indiana Government Center South building for the hallway where shouting ensued, along with alleged threats of physical violence.
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus isn’t satisfied with the response to last week’s incidents in the House that culminated with lawmakers having to be
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus called for diversity training for legislators after two of their members were booed as they addressed racial inequality in an education bill, while Republican leadership pledged to enforce house rules.