1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose House Bill 1343, which passed the House on January 28, 2026, by a vote of 67-29. This legislation would allow the governor to deploy a military police force comprised of Indiana National Guard members with arrest powers, search and seizure authority, and firearms throughout the state "at any other time the governor considers necessary." This vague language creates dangerous potential for abuse. The bill fundamentally undermines local control by allowing the governor to supersede elected local officials' authority over law enforcement in their own communities. While supporters claim the governor must provide "reasonable notice" to local agencies and coordinate "as circumstances permit," these provisions offer no meaningful protection. The governor already has emergency powers during genuine disasters. This bill goes far beyond that, granting authority to deploy armed military personnel for any reason the governor deems necessary. The timing of this legislation is particularly troubling given President Trump's Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, where federal immigration enforcement has resulted in two U.S. citizens killed this month alone. As Rep. Matt Pierce noted during the 90-minute House debate, having an invading force dropped into communities for political reasons is insulting enough, but when it results in deaths, the consequences become deadly serious. Proponents justify this bill by citing the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, a 13-year-old incident that hardly reflects current needs or circumstances. Guard spokeswoman Lauren Houck claims military police would "only be called upon in extreme circumstances," but the bill's language contains no such limitation. The broad discretion granted to the governor invites politicized deployments rather than genuine emergency response. Our communities need accountable, locally controlled law enforcement, not a governor-controlled military police force that can be deployed anywhere in the state for any reason. I ask you to vote no on HB 1343 when it reaches the Senate.