School Curriculum

HB 1134, "Education Matters," passed its third reading in the House chamber on Wednesday evening with a vote of 60-37 and will now be sent to the Senate for further review. If passed, this bill would put unnecessary burdens onto teachers to post their full curriculum online for committee review and restrict or eliminate critical lessons on racism and history of marginalized people in the US. Click here to read more.

Please continue contacting legislators and ask them to oppose HB1134. You can send key legislators an email here in just a few clicks! 

MCCOY will be hosting a press conference on Tuesday, February 1 at 10am so that members of the press can hear from community leaders, education advocates, teachers, and students who will be expressing their opposition to HB1134 and share how it will negatively impact education outcomes in Indiana. Click on the link below to register to tune in!

Trans Youth

On Monday, members of the House Committee on Education heard HB1041, "Participation in School Sports." If passed, this bill will prohibit transgendered girls from participating in a girls' sport. Excluding trans students from participation deprives them of opportunities available to their peers and sends the message that they are not worthy of the same things that their non-trans friends are. MCCOY provided testimony on Monday alongside advocates from all over the state including the ACLU, faith leaders, parents of trans youth, community leaders, women's rights groups, and more to oppose this legislation.

Despite the powerful testimony from other opponents of the bill, HB1041 passed through the committee 8-4, and then it passed its third reading before the full House chamber with a vote of 66-30. It will now head to the Senate chamber for further review.

MCCOY will continue to support trans youth in Indiana by opposing this bill. 

SNAP Benefits

HB1354, "Requirements for SNAP Participants."  will be voted on for final passage in the House as early as 10am on Monday, January 31st. Please call your Representative TODAY and urge them to vote NO to prevent Hoosiers from losing access to food assistance! If passed into law, this bill would erect costly and complex barriers that would cut vital food assistance for Hoosier families. SNAP and the Child Support program form an important lifeline for low-income children, which is why the state should ensure that changes to these programs help families-- not hurt them. 

 Tell House legislators that you want to ensure no food assistance will be cut for Hoosier children. Please call (800) 382-9841 and ask to be connected to your State Representative to ask them to VOTE NO on HB 1354!

Climate change

MCCOY supports any efforts to get the voices of young people heard, especially in the rooms and hallways of the Indiana State House when bills are voted on every day that will affect these young people's futures. We were so excited to see a group of Hoosier students come together to form an climate change advocacy group called "Confront the Climate Crisis."

This year, this group worked with legislators to introduce SB 255, "Climate and Environmental Justice Task Force." If passed into law, this bill would have created a task force that would develop a climate action plan that recommends policies the state should implement to systematically mitigate climate change, facilitate adaptation to the effects of climate change in Indiana, and simultaneously enhance statewide economic development. 

Despite bipartisan support for this bill, it never received a hearing in the Senate committee on Environmental Affairs and has died. MCCOY supports the continued effort of this group of young people to protect the environment and we look forward to the opportunity to support any other environmental advocacy actions they do in the future.