Blake and Earl are joined by State Rep. Matt Pierce for a candid conversation about the brazen push to redraw congressional maps mid-decade at Donald Trump’s urging. From backroom deals in Indiana to the broader national implications, they break down why this power grab is unprecedented, what’s at stake for democracy, and how everyday Hoosiers can push back. This episode dives into history, law, and the raw politics shaping the fight over fair representation.

Session’s out, but the policy rollercoaster isn’t.

In this episode, Rep. Blake Johnson and Rep. Earl Harris Jr. reunite (virtually) to unpack the most consequential - and controversial - laws that took effect in Indiana this July. From a property tax “cut” that shifts the burden to local governments, to a partisan power grab in our school board elections, to cuts in healthcare and early learning, they don’t hold back.

They also get into:

Raising the teacher salary floor—and why it’s still not enough
Medicaid work requirements: effective policy or performative cruelty?
A spirited debate between the hosts over SEA 1461 (road funding, tolling, and why it’s a win for Indy)
How interim committees really work and why your voice matters right now

Blake’s got a new baby, Earl’s lost another hubcap, and together they’re breaking down what Indiana just passed and how it’s going to hit your wallet, your schools, and your future.

Indiana State Reps. Blake Johnson and Earl Harris Jr. are back with reflections on the Statehouse — and a major life change just around the corner for Blake.

In this episode, the co-hosts break down:

• The ongoing concerns around SB 287, which would make school board races partisan — and why that’s raising eyebrows across the aisle. Update: bill passed by razor thin margin.
• The drama around Senate Bill 1 and the governor’s push for real property tax relief
• The high-stakes budget talks, the politics of SB 518 (school funding), and the looming possibility of a special session
• Road funding, tolling fears in NW Indiana, and what’s still in play as the 2025 session hits the homestretch

Plus: Blake gets real about impending fatherhood (again), and Earl speculates on whether ChatGPT is gunning for the co-host chair.