State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond, will lead the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) for the next two years after being elected chairwoman for the 125th Indiana General Assembly, the NWI Times reported.
Jackson succeeds state Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, who chaired the caucus during a stretch that put the group at the center of several high-profile policy battles at the Statehouse.
The leadership change keeps the IBLC under Northwest Indiana direction. Harris represents the 2nd House District, which covers East Chicago, Gary's west side and Hammond's east side. Jackson represents the 1st House District, covering Hammond and Whiting.
Harris's record as chair
Harris, a state representative since 2016 and small business owner, used the chairmanship to push an agenda focused on economic relief for working families.
In January, the caucus unveiled its 2026 session priorities: lowering the cost of living, easing medical debt, addressing rising utility fees and reducing barriers to homeownership. Members filed 14 bills tied to those goals, the Chicago Tribune reported. Harris himself introduced House Bill 1135, which would create a statewide housing down payment assistance fund for single-family homes.
"Too many Hoosiers are living paycheck to paycheck," Harris said in a January news release, according to the Tribune. "This session, we're committed to helping Hoosiers thrive, not simply eke by every month."
Harris also led the caucus's response when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana, a ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Harris called the decision "yet another blow in a decades-long attack on the Voting Rights Act," according to Chicago Tribune coverage of the caucus statement.
When Gov. Mike Braun issued an executive order ending the state's Minority and Women's Business Enterprises Program, Harris said the move eliminated opportunities for Black Hoosiers, women and other minority business owners "who have historically been shut out of contracting," the Chicago Tribune reported. The IBLC held a press conference Aug. 17 calling on affected businesses to come forward as the caucus investigated the order's economic and legal impact, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
What Jackson brings
Jackson has served in the Indiana House since 2018. She is a retired Cook County, Illinois, probation officer. She sits on the Elections and Apportionment Committee as ranking member, along with the Environmental Affairs, Family, Children and Human Affairs, and Natural Resources committees.
Both Harris and Jackson remain in the Indiana House. Harris continues to serve on the Ways and Means Committee as well as the Government and Regulatory Reform and Roads and Transportation committees, where he is ranking member.
The 125th Indiana General Assembly is set to convene in January 2027.
