INDIANAPOLIS – State senators on Tuesday approved a bill that would define and ban antisemitism at Indiana’s public education institutions despite pushback from many in the state’s Jewish community.
In contention has been a definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which was included in the original version of House Bill 1002 but removed by the Senate education committee last month.
The definition includes “contemporary examples” of antisemitism which numerous members of the Hoosier Jewish community said are necessary to codify in state law. Critics of the proposal maintained the IHRA’s definition is overly broad and limits free speech, however.
The Senate ultimately voted 42-6 Tuesday in favor of the bill language without the IHRA definition. Voting against the measure were five Republicans and one Democrat.
“I’m frankly disappointed that it’s not everything that I would want this bill to be,” said Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, who sponsored the bill. “Politics is about what’s possible. And this is what is possible. It’s a very strong definition of antisemitism.”
The legislation, authored by Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, now heads back to the House chamber for final considerations. House Speaker Todd Huston suggested last week the proposal will head to a conference committee, where further negotiations over the bill will take place.
Read the entire Casey Smith story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, here.
