Black leaders call for training after heckling
Lawmakers pulled apart in Statehouse hallway
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus and Democrats are renewing calls for racism and implicit bias training at the Statehouse after Republican lawmakers shouted down and booed Black lawmakers during floor debate.
The conflict spilled out into the hallway after the debate Thursday, and resulted in lawmakers having to separate Reps. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, and Vanessa Summers, D-Indianapolis.
House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta called on House Speaker Todd Huston to reprimand his caucus if they heckle Democrats. He said it’s not the first time his members have been taunted while speaking.
“Our members deserve to be heard, and they deserve the respect of all members on the floor,” GiaQuinta said. “It needs to stop and it needs to stop immediately. And that’s a message that needs to, frankly, come from the speaker.”
Huston, who is in his first full session as Speaker, said he would try to do better to control the room, and encouraged lawmakers to treat one another with respect.
But it’s unclear if any substantial changes will happen. Huston would not say Thursday if the training would occur. “We’ll continue to have those conversations,” he said. “We all want to be better.”
He also did not say whether anyone would be disciplined.
“I’ve got to figure out what the facts are and take note of what happened,” Huston told reporters. “I want to make sure we’re always respectful.”
Lawmakers were debating a bill on Thursday when tensions flared.
Indianapolis Democrat Rep. Greg Porter, a member of the Black caucus, argued the bill, which would allow students in a St. Joseph County township to leave the racially diverse South Bend Community Schools to join a nearby school district that’s smaller, more rural and made up primarily of white students, is discriminatory.
He walked off the House floor after several Republican lawmakers loudly objected to his warnings of discrimination in the bill. Republicans deny the bill is discriminatory.
Soon after, Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, reiterated concerns about discrimination and spoke about his own experiences facing discrimination as a Black man, being pulled over for “driving while Black” and being denied access to certain places because of the color of his skin. He was met with “boos” from several GOP lawmakers.
Both Porter and Smith were wearing traditional African garb in honor of Black History Month.
Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, attempted to call for a point of order, claiming Smith was in violation of chamber rules. When he wasn’t granted one, Lucas walked out, encouraging others to follow. Lucas would not say what rule he thought Smith violated.
He was disciplined by Huston during the summer after posting a meme of black kids dancing with the words “We gon’ get free money!” The meme was a reaction to federal stimulus payments.