New state laws that took effect July 1 are drawing attention across Indiana, particularly in places like Gary, where access to health care and the ballot box is already uneven.
In a city like Gary, where voter turnout is often low and civic trust is fragile, the new laws raise the stakes ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Under one law, the state’s Medicaid expansion program, known as the Healthy Indiana Plan, now requires most adults ages 9 to 64 to work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week to keep their coverage. Exemptions exist for people with disabilities, caregivers, and full-time students, but critics worry the policy will disproportionately impact low-income residents who already face job instability and administrative barriers.
While the law is framed as a cost-saving measure, health advocates say it risks pushing vulnerable people out of the health care system, not because they’re unwilling to work, but because they’ll struggle to meet paperwork and reporting requirements.
Gary lawmakers have taken steps to offset cuts, especially as it relates to mental health. Just last week, Mayor Eddie Melton announced a nearly $1 million investment in mental health programs in the city.
“At a time when we’re seeing reduced access to health care and cuts in funding due to federal and state policy changes, Gary is making a different choice,” Melton said.
“We’re choosing to invest in expanding mental health care access for our residents, with the resources we have available. This investment reflects our belief that Gary’s recovery must include mental, emotional, and spiritual healing, not just economic development.”
Mental health was the primary focus of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus for the 2025 legislative session.
“We’re not naive; we know we can’t fix all of Indiana’s health problems in one legislative session,” said Rep. Earl Harris, IBLC chair. “But we were committed to doing everything we can to help Hoosiers get access to preventative care, lower health care costs, bring more doctors to the state, and to improve mental and physical health outcomes for citizens across the board.”
In addition to health coverage cuts, a number of laws related to voting access recently went into effect. One particularly relevant law for young Hoosiers is Senate Enrolled Act 10, which bans the use of college student IDs — even those issued by public universities like Indiana University or Purdue — as valid voter identification at the polls. That means students must now present a state-issued driver’s license, passport, or other government ID to cast a ballot in person.
Voting rights advocates have filed a federal lawsuit, arguing the law violates the 26th Amendment, which protects against voting restrictions that discriminate by age. For cities like Gary, which have long fought voter suppression in various forms, the change raises alarm about further disenfranchising young, often Black and working-class voters who attend in-state colleges or live at home without traditional forms of ID.
Another law, House Enrolled Act 1264, has sparked alarm among voting rights advocates who say it could unfairly target Black, foreign born, and low-income voters in cities like Gary. The law, which passed last year but took effect July 1 of this year, allows county election officials to challenge a person’s voter registration if that individual appears in Bureau of Motor Vehicles records as having used a temporary identification credential.
Once flagged, voters have just 30 days to submit proof of U.S. citizenship such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers, or risk being purged from the rolls. Civil rights groups have already filed a federal lawsuit against the law, arguing it violates the National Voter Registration Act and could lead to widespread disenfranchisement, particularly of naturalized citizens and people who lack easy access to documentation.
In addition to the citizenship checks, HEA 1264 also tightens requirements for new voters, mandating in-person registration with both a photo ID and proof of residency. State officials say the law helps maintain “election integrity,” but critics argue it’s a solution in search of a problem, rooted in a long history of voter suppression disguised as fraud prevention. “There’s an overarching myth of voter fraud as some issue that needs to be addressed,” said Ryan Snow, an attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
“This has been cover for voter suppression for a century, essentially. After civil rights protections became effective in preventing discrimination and discriminatory voting laws, the new kind of rallying cry to support these restrictive voting practices has been to stop fraud, which, of course, is vanishingly rare,” Snow told Capital B Gary.
Advocates worry the law will add confusion, increase barriers, and discourage participation in a community like Gary, which already struggles with systemic disenfranchisement. In an independent analysis of Gary voting trends, Capital B Gary found a 5% decrease in turnout between the 2020 and 2024 general elections.
Snow said the Lawyers’ Committee is currently monitoring how House Enrolled Act 1264 is being implemented across Indiana. The organization is pursuing several next steps, including working directly with clients to assist voters who may be impacted by the law, particularly naturalized citizens.
A key focus is public education and making sure communities understand the new rules, know how to respond if they receive a notice threatening removal from the voter rolls, and are equipped to navigate the additional documentation requirements.
The team is also actively requesting records from the state to better assess how the law is being enforced and whether it is being applied fairly. If necessary, Snow said, the Lawyers’ Committee is prepared to pursue litigation.
“Our goal,” he said, “is to achieve the best possible outcome for eligible voters in Indiana.” With the next federal election scheduled for May 2026, the organization has a limited window to determine its final approach.
The post New Indiana Laws Could Strip Health Coverage, Voting Access in Gary appeared first on Capital B Gary.
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