All posts in the category General Assembly History

Mr. Bayh goes to Indianapolis: A look at Birch Bayh as State Representative

Before Birch Bayh became a “modern day Founding Father” in the U.S. Senate, he served in the Indiana General Assembly. But there’s been virtually nothing written about his four terms there, until now.

Reading Time: 8 minutes

A brief history of Indiana’s female legislators

Julia Nelson never set out to be the first woman elected to the Indiana General Assembly. She was added to the ballot just days before the 1920 election, beginning an unbroken streak of Hoosier women legislators.

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Filling in the data on filling vacant legislative seats

Back in October of 2013, Niki Kelly wrote an article for the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette analyzing the number of state legislators who first came into the General Assembly by way of a partisan caucus, rather than through a general election. Five years later, I’ve pulled more data together to re-look at this issue.

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Three legislators vie for tenure records in 2018 election

Wins in November would set up Pat Bauer to become the first legislator to serve for 50 years, and Frank Mrvan or Joe Zakas to become the longest-serving State Senators in history.

Reading Time: 5 minutes

A brief history of Special Sessions in Indiana

Since 1970, there have only been 11 special sessions. 9 were to finish state budget process.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Making of the Modern State Senate Pro Tem: Part 3, Taking Back the Senate

Part 3 of a three-part series explores the establishment of the modern version of the Pro Tem after Phil Gutman’s “Take Back the Senate” campaign.

Reading Time: 6 minutes

The Making of the Modern State Senate Pro Tem: Part 2, the “Black Day” of the General Assembly

Second in a three part series: One of the most infamous events in State House history sets the stage for the State Senate’s modern power structure.

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Baseball: America’s Pastime (*but not always on Sundays in Indiana)

It took decades to get done, but you can now buy beer on Sunday in Indiana. Still, that debate didn’t come close to matching the intensity of another Sunday activity that the General Assembly debated at the turn of the 20th century.

Reading Time: 7 minutes

No, the ban on Sunday alcohol sales isn’t a prohibition era holdover

With Sunday sales of alcohol on the verge of being legal in Indiana, some reports claim that the ban dates back to the repeal of prohibition in 1933. Contrary to popular belief, though, it isn’t just an anachronistic holdover from the prohibition era, but actually dates back to the General Assembly’s first session.

Reading Time: 4 minutes