By Andi Anderson
Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) marked several important policy successes following the end of the 2026 Indiana General Assembly. The session moved unusually fast, but INFB worked throughout to protect the interests of Hoosier farmers.
INFB President Randy Kron described the session as highly unusual. He said, “This was a truly unique legislative session for Indiana across the board, and the fastest I’ve experienced in my decades of advocating for agriculture at the Statehouse. Losing two weeks off an already short session meant that bills moved through quicker than they should have. We probably tried to kill more bills than we tried to promote, and that’s not normal.” Kron credited the organization’s public policy team for their efforts in preventing harmful legislation and encouraging members to stay engaged with lawmakers.
One of INFB’s major priorities was stopping unauthorized drone activity near farms. Although House Bill 1064 did not move forward, INFB worked to place its language into other bills. The protections were ultimately included in House Bill 1249.
The final bill restricts drones from flying through barns, conducting unauthorized spraying, or harassing livestock and crops.
Township reform was another major topic. A compromise was reached through Senate Bill 270. Katie Nelson, INFB executive director of public policy, said, “We were concerned about representation for rural communities when engaging in the township reform conversations and making sure our members would still have a voice in local government. We were happy that the language we ended up with in SB 270 mostly aligned with what we have in our policy book. In other versions of legislation, some rural townships might have been absorbed by larger municipalities that were run by officials they didn’t even get to vote for.”
INFB also supported key changes included in House Bill 1210, the Department of Local Government Finance bill.
These changes clarified assessment rules for agricultural land and corrected the effective date for the 9% capitalization rate. This adjustment will provide an estimated $50 million in property tax relief for 2028.
INFB also monitored several other bills. House Bill 1001 improved conditions for home rule by removing harmful planning and zoning restrictions. House Bill 1003 created the Agricultural Promotion and Regulation Task Force, expanding its membership to include INFB and numerous agricultural organizations.
INFB successfully opposed House Bill 1137, which aimed to ban certain food ingredients used for safety and preservation. House Bill 1333, which threatened local control in land-use decisions, did not advance. House Bill 1424 expanded opportunities for home‑based vendors to sell products directly from their homes.
INFB also hosted its first Coffee at the Statehouse event, allowing members and lawmakers to discuss priorities directly.
Kron expressed appreciation for member involvement, saying, “We had a lot of priorities leading up to the start of this session, especially considering the shorter time length we had to work with during a non-budget year. Thankfully, our members showed up and used their voices at the Statehouse, at Third House meetings in their home districts, and by calling their legislators after receiving our action alerts. That really made a difference. We want to celebrate the success we’ve seen come out of this session for agriculture and rural communities, but our members can be sure we already have our eyes on next year’s budget session and will be laying that groundwork now for future legislation.”
Photo Credit: indiana-farm-bureau
Categories: Indiana, Rural Lifestyle