Indiana Statehouse follows Trump's MAGA playbook

Zoom in: They've followed Trump's footsteps in dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, targeting higher education and the transgender community, and looking for ways to cut spending on and limit access to entitlement programs like Medicaid.

Here are four issues where lawmakers passed legislation that mirrors Trump's MAGA agenda:

🛠️ Dismantling DEI

Trump has issued several sweeping executive orders revoking decades of diversity and affirmative action practices in the federal government.

What he did: He ordered the termination of all DEI programs in the federal government — including in employment procedures, union contracts and training policies — and eliminated all DEI positions.

What Indiana did: Gov. Mike Braun issued an executive order ending DEI practices in favor of what he calls "MEI," or merit, excellence and innovation.

• Lawmakers followed up by passing Senate Bill 289.
• It outlaws discrimination in education, public employment and licensing based on race, religion, color, sex, national origin or ancestry.

👩‍🎓 Targeting higher education

Higher education was an early target of the Trump administration.

What he did: The administration is squeezing universities by threatening funding cuts for everything from violating DEI policies to antisemitism to Title IX violations and has threatened to investigate international students.

Between the lines: Colleges have been a conservative target for years because of perceived "wokeness" on campuses, but under Trump, it's been total warfare on all aspects of higher education.

What Indiana did: Republican lawmakers dismantled several key tenets of the public higher education system, including tenure, with language slipped into the state budget bill at the last minute.

• Plus, provisions eroding shared governance — the concept by which governing boards, administrators and faculty members share responsibility for decision-making at higher education institutions — were added to the 215-page bill 24 hours before it was set to be voted on by the General Assembly.
• Lawmakers also took away alumni-elected positions from the IU Board of Trustees and made them gubernatorial appointments, giving Braun total control over the board.

🏳️‍⚧️ Transgender athlete ban

Trump barred transgender women and girls from competing in women's and girls' sports in an executive order, one of several targeting the transgender community.

What he did: The executive order denies federal funds for schools that allow trans women or girls to play in capacities corresponding with their gender identity.

• Schools that don't abide by the order will be considered in violation of Title IX, which could jeopardize their access to federal funding.

What Indiana did: Lawmakers had already banned transgender girls from playing girls sports at the K-12 level, but they expanded that to the collegiate level with House Bill 1041.

😷 Medicaid work requirements

Trump has indicated he would cut "waste, fraud and abuse" from any mandatory spending — including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security — as ways to pay for his border, defense and tax priorities.

What he's doing: Trump has expressed openness to work requirements for Medicaid and discussing ways to reduce the rate of growth of some health care programs.

What Indiana did: Lawmakers put work requirements on Indiana's Medicaid expansion plan as part of their effort to rein in Medicaid spending, the fastest-growing part of the state budget.

• With a $2 billion budget shortfall, lawmakers also cut spending on public health and limited access to child care and pre-K vouchers for low-income families in order to fund priorities that included private school vouchers and planned income tax cuts.

What we're watching: Braun and Trump came into office at the same time and have seemed to be essentially in lockstep.

• We'll see if Braun's actions continue to mirror Trump's as the impact of his economic policy hits Indiana and Trump's approval rating dips.