Indiana lawmakers reach bipartisan agreement in bill labeling antisemitism discrimination

Indiana lawmakers reached a bipartisan agreement on a contentious bill that condemns antisemitism as discrimination in educational settings in what will likely be the final hours of the legislative session Friday.

House Bill 1002, authored by Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, is on the way to Gov. Eric Holcomb for consideration after only one lawmaker in either chamber voted against its final passage. Filed in the wake of the eruption of the Israel-Hamas War in late 2023, the bill sailed through the House in the first half of the legislative session, but hit a roadblock in the Senate after lawmakers adjusted the definition of antisemitism.

The final version of the bill, which earned bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate, appears to address the concerns of advocacy groups and individuals on both sides of the issue that testified before lawmakers since the start of the year. It returns the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism to the bill, but leaves out language pointing to examples of antisemitism in that definition that organizations such as the Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network were opposed to. 

More:Indiana House passes bill to fight antisemitism on campuses. Will it pass the Senate?

Following the passage of the bill in both the House and Senate Friday evening, Caryl Auslander, speaking on behalf of the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council said the organization urges Gov. Holcomb to sign the bill as soon as possible.

"Antisemitism is the world's oldest hate," Auslander said. "I am hopeful that this legislation, once passed into law, will help be a tool for educators, for our institutions of higher education and our K-12 schools to be able to better define and learn what antisemitism is in the hopes to be able to eradicate it in the future."

Auslander said the Jewish Community Relations Council would continue working with government agencies to ensure the IHRA examples are included in how the bill is interpreted, despite no direct mention of the examples in the final bill on its way to the governor.

A similarly positive response from the Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network shows just how skillfully lawmakers were able to thread the needle on what was a divisive issue. In a statement Friday the group said it was grateful to see the bill protects Jewish Hoosiers without using examples from IHRA they said could restrict freedom of speech.

"Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network will continue to stand firmly against antisemitism and hate in our Hoosier communities and continue to monitor freedom of speech concerns in schools and college campuses," the statement reads.

The core debate around the bill had been the IHRA definition and examples attached to it. The definition itself states: "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Critics were opposed to the original bill largely because it referenced examples from IHRA that included labeling criticism of Israel as a form of antisemitism.

But in February, when a Senate amendment removed the IHRA definition, Jewish groups testified that the bill no longer provided adequate protections against antisemitism. Those who once supported the bill were opposed. Still, the bill passed out of the Senate.

Senate and House lawmakers from both parties reached middle ground in a conference committee this week.

"This is a very important moment, one in which I hope you all feel pride in this institution," Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, said.

The bill's passage marks a win for House Republicans, who included the bill on their list of priorities this legislative session. The original language of House Bill 1002 mirrored a 2023 bill Jeter carried that passed the House unanimously, but died in the Senate last year. 

“It’s been a good journey," Jeter said in a committee hearing Friday afternoon before the bill passed. "I owe a lot of things to a lot of folks on both sides of the aisle, both chambers that have really worked hard to make this bill a place where we can get it done.”

Contact IndyStar's state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.