Braun calls Nov. 3 special session on redistricting as shutdown halts SNAP, Congress idles

Staff report

INDIANAPOLIS — October 27, 2025

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun on Monday called lawmakers into a Nov. 3 special session to redraw the state’s congressional map and address tax-code conformity, a move coming while the federal government remains shut down, Congress is largely out except for brief pro forma meetings, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture says no federal SNAP benefits will be issued on Nov. 1.

Braun said the session is needed to “protect Hoosiers” from out-of-state efforts affecting representation in Washington and to align Indiana’s tax code with changes in a recent federal law, which state officials say would give filers clarity ahead of the 2026 tax season. The governor’s office set the start for Monday, Nov. 3.

The announcement drops Indiana squarely into a national push by Republicans and pressure by United States President Donald J. Trump to rework congressional maps mid-decade. Reporting Monday indicated Braun acted amid pressure from national GOP figures seeking to bolster U.S. House prospects next year, even as some Indiana Senate Republicans say they don’t currently have the votes for a redraw.

Democrats at the Statehouse condemned the session as partisan and unnecessary. House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta urged the GOP supermajority to focus on household costs instead of “rigging maps,” while other Democrats said the legislature could convene and immediately adjourn without passing new lines.

The timing underscores broader dysfunction in Washington. The government shutdown, now weeks long, has stalled federal services and prompted USDA to say it will not issue November SNAP payments without new funding; the administration has declined to tap limited contingency funds. Meanwhile, Congress has mostly met only in brief pro forma sessions during the impasse.

What’s next: Lawmakers are set to gavel in Nov. 3. Even with GOP supermajorities, uncertainty in the Senate leaves the fate of any redrawn map unclear; legal challenges are likely if new lines pass. The tax-conformity fix, if adopted, would align Indiana returns with recent federal changes.

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