Statehouse Roundup: Senator violates Indiana's Open Door Law; CRT-inspired bill's fate pending

INDIANAPOLIS — Though it was a mostly slow week for state lawmakers there was a small, yet major bit of news.

It lasted only three seconds, but it was only a violation of state law.

During the Senate Education Committee hearing for House Bill 1041, which would ban transgender girls from playing girls' sports, committee chair Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Centerville.

Not allowing someone in attendance of a Senate meeting is a violation of Indiana's Open Door Law, which states citizens have the right to attend and record the meetings.

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Sen. Raatz corrected himself later in the meeting.

As for the bill itself, the committee could take a vote on it as soon as this coming week.

We could find out this week whether a bill that could restrict what teachers say in the classroom about racism, U.S. history and other matters will have life in the state senate.

So far, House Bill 1134 has not been heard by a Senate committee — and an event happening outside the legislature this week could help determine its fate.

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This coming Wednesday, the Greater Indianapolis NAACP is hosting a public forum entitled "Critical Race Theory: What It Is and What It Is Not."

Scheduled to attend the forum are two key legislative republicans: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, the chair of the House Education Committee, and Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville.

Baldwin was the author of a similar bill that died in the senate after he said about the teaching of Naziism in the classroom, "We need to be impartial."

That comment garnered Indiana all kinds of negative national attention.

We may know by the end of the week whether an explanation of actual critical race theory, as opposed to what some people are claiming it to be, will mean House Bill 1134 lives or dies.