Vaughn
The executive director from a nonpartisan, grassroots organization will be in Columbus next week to talk about the last state legislative session and preview what’s to come during the 2026 session.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus on Wednesday will be the site of a free presentation by Julia Vaughn, executive director of Common Cause, Indiana. It’ll be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 7850 W. Goeller Boulevard.
Vaughn will talk about what Common Cause is doing to protect Indiana voters, according to organizers, review the 2025 session and preview the 2026 session. There will also be a question and answer session.
Common Cause lobbies at the statehouse with a focus on voting rights, campaign finance reform, legislative ethics and lobbying reform, government transparency and redistricting reform, according to its website.
As an example, Common Cause last session worked to kill legislation that would have closed Indiana primaries to independent voters and cut the early voting period in half, from 28 days to 14 days.
The evening is part of the congregation’s BOLD Speaker Series, a monthly gathering “centered on meeting this critical moment in our country’s history,” according to a press release.
“Rooted in hope and courage, these Unitarian Universalist programs bring leaders and experts in our state to discuss the current state of affairs and how we can collectively ‘Build Our Living Democracy,’” an event flier reads. “Envisioned by UUCCI Courageous Action leaders, those who attend will be equipped with knowledge, skills, and pathways for facing the many challenges of our era.”
BOLD partners include Columbus Community United (CCU), Bartholomew County Indivisible (BCI), and the League of Women Voters of Brown County and Columbus.
Among the more consequential parts of the next legislative session is the push by Gov. Mike Braun, at the behest of President Donald Trump, to redraw the states congressional maps mid-decade with a goal of effectively gerrymandering out the state’s two districts with Democratic representatives. Braun also summoned lawmakers to make tweaks to the tax code.
Legislators normally reconvene for a ceremonial start to the session in November, with legislative business getting started in earnest in January. Rather than convene for a special session called for by Braun to consider the new maps, Republican legislative leaders opted to start the regular session early starting Dec. 1 to save costs.
