Blake Johnson

We do not solve homelessness by making it illegal to be homeless. This bill criminalizes sleeping outside after 48 hours - for veterans, for domestic violence survivors, for children. Homelessness requires housing and mental health investment, not misdemeanor charges.

Some weeks are about small tweaks. This week was about big principles. Who decides? What does the data say? Do we trust local communities? More details here. open.substack.com/pub/indyblakej…

Hoosiers are feeling the squeeze. Health care, child care, housing, and wages are front and center for families in every corner of our state. As we wrap up Organization Day, I shared a few thoughts on where our focus needs to be heading into session. ➡️ open.substack.com/pub/indyblakej…

Indiana is #9 for business, but 48th for quality of life. That means families can’t find childcare. Pre-K is being cut. Reproductive care is out of reach. It’s not just bad policy. It’s bad for all of us. open.substack.com/pub/indyblakej…

A variety of new Indiana laws took effect today. I broke down 10 of the most important: what they do and why they matter. Some are wins. Others? Not so much. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly 👇 indyblakej.substack.com/p/10-indiana-l…

We say we care about opportunity. It’s time we act like it, starting with early learning. 📰 More from @mirrorindy: mirrorindy.org/indianapolis-p…

High-quality pre-K improves test scores, boosts graduation rates, and strengthens the workforce. The best time to invest in education? When kids are 3.

IPS is losing pre-K seats next year. Some families will face costs up to $570/month. That’s not a local failure. It’s a failure of state policy. 🧵

🚨 IPS pre-K is changing. Many families will likely need to start paying for it. I shared with @carleylanich why this is the moment for bold solutions on early learning access. Appreciate her reporting and @IndyBlakeJ for driving the convo forward. mirrorindy.org/indianapolis-p…

Sure, @Hinchtown is a good broadcaster. But where he really shines is on @blippi.

If you believe we can do better—read this piece. Share it. Talk about it. And let’s start building a politics that reflects the best of who we are. open.substack.com/pub/indyblakej…

We can argue fiercely. We can disagree passionately. But we don’t have to abandon decency. We can still choose kindness—especially when it’s hard.

Every day, I teach my kids to be kind. But then I turn on the news—and I see the opposite. Cruelty is winning in American politics. I wrote about it. And why we can’t accept it. open.substack.com/pub/indyblakej… (THREAD)