(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana's redistricting battle is heating up, and lawmakers will return to the Statehouse next month to take it on. Republican House Speaker Todd Huston announced Tuesday that the Indiana General Assembly will reconvene on December 1, saying all legislative business is back on the table -- including whether to redraw the state's congressional map months ahead of schedule. Huston says the early start means lawmakers plan to wrap up work by the end of February. Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray said the Senate will reconvene one week later, on December 8, acknowledging the map debate has created "strife" across the state. Democrats blasted the move. House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta said Hoosiers "don't want redistricting" and accused Republicans of ignoring real issues like rising costs. Republicans, meanwhile, are openly discussing a plan to eliminate Indiana's two Democratic-held congressional seats, shifting the map to a 9-0 GOP advantage. The debate has been fueled by national pressure. Former President Donald Trump criticized Bray for suggesting the votes weren't there to redraw the maps. Governor Mike Braun has also pushed for new "fair maps," urging lawmakers to approve a 9-0 GOP plan.
Current districts were drawn in 2021 using 2020 census data and created Indiana's long-standing 7-2 Republican majority. Democrats Frank Mrvan and André Carson currently hold the state's two blue seats. The map fight has become part of a broader national push, as Trump and Vice President JD Vance continue urging GOP-led states to redraw their congressional boundaries.