House Speaker Todd Huston wants Hoosiers to know he’s not rushing into this special session—at least not yet. In a statement earlier this week, the Fishers Republican said House and Senate leaders are “working on scheduling” after Governor Mike Braun’s call for lawmakers to reconvene. Translation: the clock is ticking, but no one’s packing their bags for the Statehouse just yet.
By law, legislators have up to 40 days to do business once a special session is called. Huston confirmed they won’t meet on November 3, instead eyeing a “general time frame” that works with the calendar and “member availability.” (Read: after they check their Thanksgiving travel plans.)
For context, the 2022 special session didn’t exactly break any speed records either—Governor Eric Holcomb called it on July 6, lawmakers didn’t show up until July 25, and they were out by August 5. So this measured pace is nothing new.
Senate leaders echoed that same wait-and-see tone. Senator Rod Bray’s office said, “As it pertains to the governor’s call for a special session: We are working with our senators and our counterparts in the House to determine the scheduling availability of members. In all likelihood, the Senate will not be ready to convene the week of Nov. 3. Recall that in the most recent special session, the legislature did not convene for a few weeks after the initial date provided by the governor. I will let you know when we have an update to share.”
Huston also reminded everyone that the General Assembly is legally required to convene for Organization Day on November 18, which marks the official start of the 2026 regular session.
Huston said the goal is to do the people’s business “efficiently and cost effectively.” Whether that means actual legislative productivity or just fewer per diems remains to be seen. For now, Hoosiers will have to wait a bit longer for a special session calendar—and any clarity on what, exactly, the General Assembly plans to do once it finally shows up.
