Blue 812 News Issue 53 - January 25

follow blue812news: facebook | instagram | bluesky | blue812.news

On Saturday, while we were hunkering down and buying Kroger out of their French toast supplies, Border Patrol was out in force in Minneapolis, where they murdered a 37-year-old VA nurse, Alex Pretti. Videos of the incident reviewed by The Washington Post show federal agents swarming Pretti, wrestling him to the ground, taking away his gun and shooting him after he attempted to get up. It is not clear whether the other agents realized Pretti had been disarmed. A witness to the shooting has reported being fearful of returning to her own home, as “agents were looking for [her].” Another witness described CBO officers as more concerned with “counting [the victim’s] bullet wounds” than rendering aid.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara requested National Guard support in the aftermath of Border Patrol’s shooting of Pretti. “It was very clearly an emergency,” O’Hara said on CBS News’s “Face the Nation” Sunday. “We are doing everything that we can to manage this chaos. But there’s only 600 cops here and there’s thousands of immigration agents.” A federal judge appointed by Trump granted a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Homeland Security from altering or destroying evidence in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in south Minneapolis.

Sen. Jim Banks | Sen. Todd Young | Find your sen

Hours after Border Patrol shot and killed Pretti, Senate Democrats announced they will block a sweeping government funding package this week, citing concerns over funding ICE, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) said.

Existing government funding runs out Friday afternoon, and most of the government would shut down if a funding bill is not approved in time. While the thought of a partial shutdown might be a relief, ICE operations will surely continue and could escalate during that time because of 2025’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which created a large reserve fund for mass-deportation actions outside the regular appropriations process.

At least seven Senate Democrats would need to vote for the legislation for this final minibus bill to pass in the upper chamber, where 60 votes are needed to overcome the filibuster. “I don’t think we will look sincere in our moral outrage about what’s happening in DHS if we vote to fund a budget that puts no constraints on their illegal, inhumane operations,” Sen. Chris Murphy (CT), the top Democrat on the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee, said Thursday in an interview.

Earlobes have no biological purpose. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

A little bit of a relief - the Greenland situation is maybe resolved? Last week at Davos, Trump announced he had gotten what he wanted re: Greenland, and that he was backing off the tariff plan. We don’t have full details yet, but Trump said he had “agreed to a future deal” with the head of NATO regarding Greenland. Sources say Denmark leaders have agreed to give us sovereignty over small pockets of Greenland to build military bases, which we… already have. Anyway, so glad it worked out! Voters oppose the taking over of Greenland by military force by 86 - 9 percent. And don’t worry – there’s no chance of this deal falling through, since Trump confirmed it would last “forever.”

In other Davos news, Trump officially launched his “Board of Peace” to remake Gaza. A board that he controls himself, that is definitely not a rival to the UN. As The New York Times reported: “one man has the power to veto decisions, approve the agenda, invite members, dissolve the board entirely, and designate his own successor.” Some world leaders – those from France, Norway, and Sweden – refused to join. Germany says they can’t join as it is currently set up for “constitutional reasons,” according to Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Is that it? Or is it because Trump invited dictators to join, or the fact that he disinvited Canada? The U.K. and other American allies also aren’t on board, but at least Trump got… Hungary, Russia, Belarus and Israel, though we don’t know if they’ve agreed to Trump’s $1 billion price tag.

There’s some interesting party division over a bill to expand Indiana’s cell phone ban to the entire school day. The bill passed the Senate this week, but with eleven Republicans and eight Democrats voting no.

The division is such that the week before, there was quite the kerfuffle over floor amendments: Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith ruled in favor of a voice vote for a Democratic amendment that would have declawed the bill, and some Republicans challenged the voice vote. Then their challenge failed, but as we have seen from this party before, they refused to give up and called for a vote to move the bill back to the floor for amendments. In further TACO-fashion, this did happen, and a Republican amendment uno-reversed everything they accomplished the day before. Efficient governing!

Democratic Secretary of State candidate Beau Bayh has so far outraised incumbent Republican Diego Morales in 2025 (by 400%!), but part of Bayh’s largesse, specifically a $25,000 donation from billionaire Trump ally Marc Rowan, was criticized by Democrat Blythe Potter, who is also running for secretary of state. Rowan, a private equity firm CEO who largely donates to right-wing causes, was recently appointed to Trump’s “Board of Peace” to plan the future of the Gaza Strip.

“Donald Trump’s billionaire donors are trying to buy Indiana politics and Beau Bayh just took the money, so I’m calling for him to give it back,” Potter said in a Facebook video. “If we are going to stand up to Trump’s attacks on our rights and our elections, we cannot cozy up to Trump’s donors.”

The race between Beau and Blythe will NOT be on the regular ballot next year - this race is voted on by state party convention delegates. Vigo county gets 32 delegates and you could be one of them!

We’ve finished week three of the session and committee deadlines are coming up on Monday. After tomorrow, bills will be officially dead, but expect some of their language to show up in other bills.

This coming Friday will bring us to crossover, the halfway point of the 2026 legislative session. In order to crossover into the second half of session, bills will need to have been passed by their original chamber no later than Friday 1/31. Due to the early start, Statehouse leadership has announced their intention to adjourn the session on February 27th.

SB-12, the prohibition on rank choice voting, has been referred to the House from the Senate. To contact your Senator and urge them to vote NO on SB-12, click HERE.

This past Wednesday, SB-236, which criminalizes the mailing of abortion-inducing drugs like Mifepristone and Misoprostol into Indiana, and enables private citizens to file wrongful death and qui tam lawsuits against people or organizations that provide abortion pills, passed in Committee. SB-236 is a dangerous and unnecessary escalation of Indiana’s already extensive abortion ban which will further harm Hoosier women, in particular those from low-income backgrounds.

This upcoming Monday, HB-1086 will go up for discussion before the House Education Committee. HB-1086 would require each school corporation to place a durable poster or framed picture representing the text of the Ten Commandments in each school library and classroom. As this is the first reading for HB-1086, members of the public will be able to provide testimony on the bill.

Last week, SB-182 passed out of the Senate Health Committee. One of the most extreme anti-trans bills Indiana has ever seen, SB-182 codifies definitions of “female,” “male,” “gender,” and “sex” within Indiana statutes, establishing that “sex” refers to biological sex at birth. It mandates that the Department of Correction assign offenders to facilities or programs based on their sex at birth, and that local health officers record an individual’s sex as male or female on birth certificates. The bill requires public schools and state educational institutions to designate multiple-occupancy restrooms and changing areas exclusively for male or female use, and generally prohibits individuals from using facilities designated for the opposite sex, except under specific circumstances like custodial or emergency assistance.

Click here to contact your legislator and tell them to vote NO on SB-182. To read Here is the the full statement from Indiana Youth Group (IYG) on SB-182 and its potential harm.

SB 285 has been moved from committee and now is on the Senate floor. This bill creates multiple points where individuals experiencing homelessness can quickly slip into the justice system and acquire a Class C Misdemeanor. SB 285 will also remove the ability for counties and cities in Indiana to address homelessness with locally grounded solutions, forcing them into a narrow pathway of engagement for those unhoused, and threatening legal actions for localities perceived to not follow the specific pathway outlined in SB 285.

Some good bills to watch, on their way to their full chambers:

some bad ones to keep an eye on:

Billtrackers:

State. Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute, will face a primary election challenge from Brenda Wilson, currently serving on the Vigo County Council. Wilson, a Republican, won election as an at-large member of the Vigo County Council in 2024.

Rob Roberts, currently Vigo County chief deputy prosecutor, has filed for Superior Court Judge Div. 5 in the May primary, running on the Republican ticket. The position is currently held by Judge Matt Sheehan, who is seeking re-election on the Democrat ticket as suspected.

In other new filings, Mary Allen of Evansville has filed as a Democrat for 8th District U.S. House of Representatives. She will face Christopher Rector in the primary. Incumbent Republican 8th District Congressman Mark Messmer has previously filed for re-election.

In the Vigo County Council election, Johnny R. Norton, a Republican, has filed for the council District 1 seat. David Thompson, a Republican and incumbent District 1 council member, is seeking re-election.

from Chop Wood, Carry Water:

This week, Indiana Conservation Voters kicked off a campaign to make sure lawmakers hear widespread support for ratepayer relief, especially given that some of the proposals circulating this session would continue the state’s reliance on fossil fuels and embrace untested, expensive solutions instead of lower-cost, cleaner energy sources.

If you haven’t already sent a message to your elected officials, please click here to do so today!

In a recent Letters From An American post by Heather Cox Richardson, she shares a compelling historical account of how our government taught its soldiers about fascism during WWII. Beginning in 1943, the War Department published a series of pamphlets called Army Talks for U.S. Army personnel stationed in Europe, designed to help the personnel become better informed men and women, and therefore better soldiers. On March 24, 1945, the topic of the week was fascism.

The entire post is worth reading, but we’re all busy and Hoosiers for Democracy summarized her account of that document for us. Here is what our Department of War warned us about in 1945.

You can read the entire Army Talks pamphlet on fascism here.

visit the Blue812News Local Events calendar to see all upcoming events

Wednesday, January 28th at 3pm: Mingle with the Mayor at Grand Traverse Pie Co. At this informal and relaxed gathering, various topics will be covered each month with opportunities to ask questions and voice concerns. Free pie and coffee will be served courtesy of Clinton Gardens.

Thursday, January 29th at 6:30pm: 2026 Legislative Halftime Briefing Webinar . Register at citact.org/26iga-webinar. The Citizens Action Coalition team will share information about the legislation we’re tracking and what you can do to make your voice heard during the second half of the legislative session.

Sunday, February 1st at 3pm: Community Sign-Making workshop at the Magpie’s Nest in 12 Points from 3-5pm. “In times like these, finding your voice is easier when you’re standing with your neighbors. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or fired up, we invite you to join us for a relaxed, creative afternoon dedicated to community and the power of the First Amendment.” More information here.

Tuesday, February 3rd at 5pm: Vigo County Council Meeting in the Council Chambers in the Vigo County Government Center, 127 Oak Street,

Thursday, February 5th at 6pm: Terre Haute City Council Meeting at City Hall.

Thursday, February 5th at 7pm: 2026 Indiana Democratic Party Platform Input Tour - Join us on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 PM ET for the IDP Platform Input Tour on Zoom! You will get a link to sign up to your email. Register here. You can submit suggestions in advance of the meeting here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/OxS_6rYOJEadeQ-NLWc0Ug2

Thursday, February 19 at 11am: Indiana Reproductive Health Lobby Day from 11-1pm at the Indiana Statehouse, 2nd Floor South Atrium. Let’s show up strong to advocate for reproductive freedom, patient privacy, and health equity. Together, we can protect access and push back against harmful legislation.

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from retaliating against scholars and students for their pro-Palestinian activism.

The Supreme Court appeared likely to rule against Donald Trump’s firing of Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. If Trump loses the case, it would be a major blow to his attempts to seize control of the country’s central bank.

Minneapolis residents are organizing and volunteering in record numbers and what they’re doing for their neighbors—and each other—is not only truly inspiring but exactly the opposite of what the Trump admin hoped they’d do.

Nearly 15,000 nurses have gone on strike in New York City after months of stalled negotiations over pay raises, health insurance coverage and understaffing penalties. Mayor Mamdani joined them on the picket line last week.

A Minneapolis church has delivered free groceries to 24k families amid the ICE occupation.

A group of Buddhist monks is over halfway done with their “Walk for Peace” through the U.S., a 2,300-mile walk to promote “peace, loving kindness, and compassion.”

Jack Smith gave clear, measured, and direct public testimony that he had the evidence to prosecute and convict Trump on criminal charges.

A federal judge has blocked the Justice Department from examining Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s phone and computers for the time being.

Fingernails grow faster in the summer. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.