The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things: Recent Episodes
AARP Indiana
A lot can happen when the Indiana General Assembly is in session on a whole host of issues impacting older Hoosiers and their families. The AARP Indiana office is here to help keep you updated on what’s happening through a weekly show from our Legislative Director who will talk about all of the legislative things. Watch episodes at www.aarp.org/legislativethings
This episode recaps another group of bills that made it across the finish line during the 2025 session, and this time they’re all about Medicaid and healthcare. Ambre and Jason participated in a panel at the IU School of Nursing Policy Academy and Fast Facts is all about Indiana nurses. Stick around for the full episode because you might get some fashion advice near the end!
This episode is all about money. Ambre and Jason give summaries of SEA 1: Local Government Finance and HEA 1001: State Budget, recap the last week’s legislative activities, and answer trivia questions about the budget. Watch to the end to see if there’s a leader change in Fast Facts!
Session is officially over, and the team is feeling the effects. The recap of session starts with a few Senate bills that made it across the finish line. A big congrats to Ambre who also made it across the finish line...of the 2025 Indy Mini Marathon! Be sure to stick around to hear it all and for a quick programming update at the end of the episode!
Session is still rolling, and Ambre has her fingers crossed they are done when you are hearing this episode. Special guest Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar Statehouse Reporter, takes time out of her busy schedule to chat with us about her journalism career. Anna’s Fast Facts are also Indy Star themed!
Third reading deadline has come and gone, but things are still moving full speed. Ambre and Jason give a full rundown on the bills they’ve been following all session. Fast Facts is a throwback to the beginning of the season. All that and more on this week’s episode!
We’re back, and the weather is starting to improve. Ambre made some big headway at the Statehouse this week, the Legislative Team was here in person, Sine Die moves ever closer, and Ambre has a twitchy eye. Hear it all on this week’s episode!
This episode almost didn’t get off the ground due to too much living, laughing, and loving. Spring break is here for some, but not for the Indiana General Assembly, or Ambre. Today’s episode is a quick update on the legislation as we rapidly head toward Sine Die.
This week LDTLT brings you an update on the last virtual legislative team meeting, Ambre testifies on SB 1587, and Jason can’t read his own handwriting. In the second half of the episode, Ambre and Jason are joined by another special guest, Niki Kelly, Editor-in-Chief of the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
It’s episode 101 of LDTLT and the 100th episode balloons are here to stay. Maybe. On today’s episode special guest, Dan Spehler, host of IN Focus on Fox 59 is here to chat all things legislation and Ambre may or may not take the lead in Fast Facts.
It’s here, the big 100! This special 100th episode is jam-packed with fun. We’ve got legislative updates, a coffee cart recap, and some fun AARP Indiana trivia. This episode is a long one, but be sure to stick around until the end for a fun interview with some very special guests!
The Indiana General Assembly is back from break! Ambre and Jason give updates on bills that are moving and which ones are going to be featured at the Coffee Cart next week. This week’s fast facts are all about the U.S. power grid.
The Indiana General Assembly is still on break, but things are getting ready to ramp back up! Jason and Ambre give a brief update, discuss Gov. Braun’s press conference, and preview the 2025 Coffee Cart giveaways. Anna is back with fast facts about the penny and someone gets a baby, maybe.
Ambre and Jason are a little under the weather this week, but they still brought you the 2025 Legislative Session Halftime Report. There’s a rundown of key bills, a debate on horizontal versus vertical, and a teaser for the 2025 Coffee Cart. Producer Anna is back from her Colorado vacation with a competitive Fast Facts segment.
While it was Galentine’s Day when the episode was recorded, it’s Valentine’s Day today, so grab that special someone and hear what’s happening at the Indiana General Assembly. Ambre is fighting off sickness and high-interest loans, while Jason tries not to make a mess of things because producer Anna is on vacation.
The weeks keep getting busier as deadlines are on the horizon and Ambre testifies on various bills. Anna provides both information and fun in a game and Jason asks Ambre some questions about her siblings and their viewership.
Ambre and Jason conclude the longest month ever at the Statehouse with lots of activities. The Legislative Team was in town to talk to Senators about retirement savings, Ambre testified on a property tax bill, and Anna launches a new segment! But the show didn’t go off without a hitch, there are some technical difficulties as the team tries something new.
It’s all property taxes all the time in this week’s show. Ambre and Jason recap a recent property tax event that AARP Indiana hosted, talk about results from a survey about property taxes, and discuss efforts at the Statehouse to provide some relief to Hoosier homeowners.
It's the passing of the torch on the show as Producer Dan steps in front of the camera to give hellos, farewells, and advice to Producer Anna. Oh, and there's some major legislation moving through the process. All this and more in this week's episode!
The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things is back for a new season! The Indiana General Assembly is wasting no time this year and Ambre is not only ready for it, she's already in mid-session form. Jason on the other hand still has no notes. Hear about Ambre testifying in committee on Day 1 of session as well as what issues AARP Indiana will be working on at the Statehouse.
Ambre and Jason are back in the studio and update the audience on Indiana's Multisector Plan on Aging. Will the state be ready for the population to be older? The team is engaged and helping so Hoosiers can age in place. We're bringing the heat. Also, Ambre's water heater got fixed.
What is going on!? You may want to say not much, but Ambre and Jason (with a little help from Anna) taped this week’s episode from the Indiana Statehouse. They were there to hear which topics legislators will be discussing this interim. Is it going to be a busy summer? A boring summer? Also, did you have a recent birthday? All of this is discussed and more!
On this week's episode of The Legislative Director Talking about Legislative Things, Ambre and Jason are lacing up their running shoes. They're trading out the Statehouse and their lobbying threads for the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and running shorts. Try to keep up!
Ambre and Jason have non-eclipse news to share! We're just a month away from the 2024 Primaries, and AARP is rolling out Video Voter Guides for the gubernatorial contest. And there's an update from the Indiana Behavioral Health Commission, as well as Prosperity Indiana's recent conference.
On this week's episode, Ambre and Jason are joined by special guest Anna Forster, PhD. Anna joined AARP Indiana's volunteer Legislative Team during the 2024 General Assembly. They talk about her experiences in statehouse halls, an upcoming project, and of course, get hyped for Purdue's appearance in the Final Four!
On this episode of The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things, Ambre and Jason are ready for their close-up! They talk about their debut on Indy Now, AARP Indiana's sponsorship of a recent gubernatorial primary debate, and the team's plans around voter engagement.
On this week’s episode of The Legislative Director Talking about Legislative Things, Ambre is packing her bags. That’s right, this year’s legislative session is over, and the Legislative Director has a lot of people to thank before heading to the beach. Who and what are we thankful for this session? A 13th check for retired public servants, new measures curtailing predatory real estate practices, a pilot program expanding mobile integrated healthcare, and every single person, organization, and advocate who helped AARP Indiana secure these incredible victories for older Hoosiers! Oh, and did we tell you we're sponsoring a gubernatorial primary debate?
We didn't hear any bell! The 2024 Indiana General Assembly is duking it out in its last round. Can HB 1004 Pension Matters hang on? Could Producer Dan figure out a better metaphor for this political fight? Look, it's been a long, short session. All we know is that time is running out. And, Ambre and Jason take some time to preview what's next for the show.
Ambre and Jason are on the road again. This time it's down in Evansville for a rate case hearing. But they are safely stopped to give you an update on the latest from Southwestern Indiana and then they have HUGE news about dedicated lanes and the Blue Line in Indianapolis.
Legislative Director Ambre Marr and Not the Legislative Director Jason Tomcsi hunker down in the AARP Indiana studio for a quick Indiana General Assembly update. With a storm brewing outside, Ambre and Jason turn to a slate of bills that may need a rescue. Or, in the very least, a decent umbrella, as committee deadlines look more like squalls and less than light sprinkles. Will mobile integrated health, pension matters, and transportation weather the storm?
The 2024 Indiana General Assembly is taking its mid-semester break, and Legislative Director Ambre Marr found a spot on the beach to kick her feet up. It’s totally not a cheesy Zoom background, and she totally isn’t sitting at her desk combing through a dozen different bills that will see action after the legislative break. Haven’t had a chance to keep tabs on legislation that will impact the 50-plus? This is a great place to start. Oh, and Not the Legislative Director Jason Tomcsi finally gets to live out his dream of coaching the big game.
On episode four of The Legislative Director Talking about Legislative Things, Ambre and Jason talk progress on three bills and a setback on a fourth. Jason recounts his experience with the recently convened Indiana Behavioral Health Commission - a study group AARP Indiana advocated for during the 2023 Indiana General Assembly.
On this week's episode of The Legislative Director Talking about Legislative Things, Ambre and Jason break down AARP Indiana's recent lobby day activity, the Coffee Cart! Get an inside look at how our Legislative Team operates, as well as this week's action at the statehouse. Coffee brewed, issue fact sheets printed, ready to advocate for the 50-plus.
On this week's episode, the gang talks Mobile Integrated Health, an approach to healthcare that reaches people at home - where they want to be! Ambre and Jason also dig into the latest round of the Indiana General Assembly's year's-long transportation tussle as SB 52 advances. The stakes are high for Hoosiers who want reliable transportation AND the option to age in place.
The Indiana General Assembly is back in action, and you know that means we’re ready to start a new season of The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things! New to the show? Here’s what you need to know: The AARP Indiana Legislative Team is in the thick of advocating on behalf of the 50-plus while at the Indiana Statehouse. Tune in every week to learn about bills we’re engaging on, and find out what’s on the policy menu during our season seven premiere!
It’s over. The 2023 Indiana General Assembly closed for business in the early hours of April 28. When the session ended just before 3 a.m., what did the state’s budget look like? Ambre and Jason analyze the budget decisions made by legislators that will impact Hoosiers for the next two years and beyond. There are reasons for the 50-plus to celebrate – but there is much more work to be done. Get a sense of the road ahead on this week’s episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things. And someone get these staffers some coffee!
On this week's episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things, Ambre and Jason dissect five bills the Indiana General Assembly is considering. And once again, there are efforts to put transit expansion in the slow lane. Where's the exit ramp for this issue?
Ambre and Jason dissect HB 1001, the main budget bill being ushered through the Indiana General Assembly. Did AARP Indiana’s funding priorities survive the lawmaking process so far? The team braces itself for the chaos that is the last few weeks of the session.
Fear and loathing infiltrate the show this week when Not the Legislative Director forgets a key task. Also, the team gives an extra glimpse into the day of a Legislative Team Volunteer.
On the latest episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things, the team makes quick work as they wait for Ambre's allergy meds to start working.
Ambre and Jason are searching for synonyms on this episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things. There’s good – even great – news about some of the bills we continue to watch this session.
A live show. A legislator guest. A team of volunteers at the Statehouse. Coffee AND pie. This episode has it all!
The crossover episode everyone has been waiting for! Directors of Community Engagement, Emily and Addison, join Ambre and Jason for this week's episode. They talk about what the AARP Indiana team has been up to all over the state and preview a big event next week.
There’s the halftime buzzer! On this episode of the Legislator Director Talking About Legislative Things, Ambre and Jason give a lightning fast rundown on the status of a ton of bills that AARP is watching or has engaged with. Both an APRN bill and anti-transit legislation ended the first half of the session on the bench – will they get any minutes in the second half? Time will tell.
On this week’s episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things, Jason and Ambre talk about a couple of bills that have been stopped cold… but that doesn’t mean the fight is over. We’re nearing the halfway point of session, and it’s too early to declare victory. It’s a race against time, especially because Ambre’s computer is dying.
On the latest episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things, there's an in-studio guest! Andy Nielsen from the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute drops by and things get wonky! From housing to installment loans, the team takes a deep dive into legislation. And in a first-ever for the show, Jason doesn't have much to add to the conversation.
Ambre and Jason get right down to business and analyze a slew of bills. Our Legislative Team gets a shout-out for their work on behalf of Hoosier renters. Also, Jason is ready for a nap. Can someone get this guy a cup of coffee?
On this week's episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things, Ambre and Jason provide updates on AARP Indiana's priorities at the Statehouse. A couple of our friends make special appearances, and... Jason, is it getting dusty in the studio? Are you OK? Let's try and keep it professional.
It's Public Health Day at the Statehouse and the Legislative Director is in attendance and chats with Indiana Health Commissioner, Dr. Box!
What is going on!? The team is back for a brand new season of The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things. And they're back in their old confines and ready for 2023 Indiana General Assembly. Sort of. Can we get two tenderloins, please?
The team takes a break from heavy legislative analysis. On this episode, Ambre and Jason take a few minutes to talk about how you can recognize volunteers in your community. The Golden Hoosier Award and the Andrus Award for Community Service are on the horizon.
On this episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things, Ambre and Jason welcome two special guests that help provide analysis on the continuing battle over transit expansion in Indianapolis. It's a LDTLT first!
In this lightning round episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things, the team gives a rundown on tax-related bills that will impact older Hoosiers when they become law. Buckle in!
On this episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things, the team chats about AARP Indiana's victories for healthcare access during the 2022 Indiana General Assembly. The show is back, and now with more boops and beeps!
The 2022 Indiana General Assembly has come to a close. How did AARP Indiana's Legislative Team fair at the Statehouse? Ambre and Jason give a quick overview and tee up part two of Season 5.
The team takes a moment to celebrate a big win in the housing space. Questions still remain about legislation that could impact transit.
The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things hits the road! On this episode, the team is making its way back from beautiful Fort Wayne! And we learn about two bills that can impact Hoosiers' healthcare.
The 2022 Indiana General Assembly is officially at halftime! What bills still have a chance of becoming law? Why are Ambre and Jason wearing cozy hats? Why haven't you subscribed to Producer Dan's Substack?
The 2022 Indiana General Assembly is speeding towards half-time. It is a short session, after all. And the AARP Indiana staff and volunteers are weighing in heavy on the issues. Can the team keeps things... on track?
Payday lending strikes back and with a different spin! Ambre and the team update everyone on what is going on at the statehouse. There are too many puns.
What is going on? Welcome back to The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things. The 2022 Indiana General Assembly is already proving to be a blockbuster. After a quick welcome back to the original Not The Legislative Director, the team gets down to business and talks action at the Statehouse.
You can fry an egg on the sidewalk outside the Statehouse, but inside the General Assembly's summer study committees is where the real cooking is happening. The team gets updates from Ambre about these committees, and we give a special shout-out to a partner organization in Indianapolis.
Let's talk about the American Rescue Plan, housing and utility assistance, and our recent letters to Governor Holcomb.
AARP Indiana invited the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority's executive director, Jacob Sipe, onto the show to answer literally every question we could think of about Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance. This podcast is nothing but critical information for anyone having challenges with their rent, and in some cases, utilities.
Not the Legislative Director Jason Tomcsi joins us to discuss the Emergency Broadband Benefit. Learn how you or someone you know can help get better Internet with some financial assistance.
Most of the business of the 2021 Indiana General Assembly has concluded. What does that mean for the 50+? Ambre, Mandla, and Addison talk about the state's budget, the outcome of the highly publicized transit battle, high speed internet, and much more.
What does the last month of the 2021 Legislative Session hold for AARP Indiana? Let's check in with Ambre, Mandla, and Addison.
What's going on at the Indiana Statehouse? Transit is on our minds. Let's check in with the Legislative Director to see what's going on.
It's the season premiere! We catch up with the Legislative Director and AARP Indiana's community engagement team. But where is Jason? We'll find out what "Not the Legislative Director" is up to, as well as what is going on at the Statehouse.
It's the season finale! In this episode there's discussion on Indiana's latest COVID-19 response in long-term care facilities, the upcoming 2021 General Assembly, and some friends of the show come by to chat about the 2020 elections.
In this episode: discussion on the latest letter that AARP Indiana sent to the Governor around CARES Act money, new home office setups, and a brief interruption during recording.
In this episode: new long-term care data is released, upcoming telephone town halls, and Producer Dan makes an appearance...kind of.
In this episode: an update around COVID-19 reporting in long-term care facilities and attempts to shake off some rust.
In this episode they discuss a letter that AARP Indiana sent to the governor about COVID-19 transparency in long-term care facilities. There's also some shout outs to some Southern Indiana fans.
In this episode: a discussion on communication requirements for nursing homes during this health crisis, an update on Indiana's upcoming primary, Fannie speaks up, and a shout out to our educators.
Part 2 of our 2020 General Assembly recap is here! In this episode the remaining wins from the past session are reviewed and some special shout outs!
It's Part 1 of the session recap! Also included in this episode: more coronavirus resources, discussion of the word y'all, and a guest appearance from a canine fan of the show.
The Governor has vetoed a bill and AARP has a lot of information available to help during COVID-19.
Session is OVER! The Legislative Director is here to quickly chat about some Legislative Things before taking a much-deserved break. The show will be back in a few weeks to dig deeper into what transpired this session, but in the meantime listen to the Sine Die episode!
A large guest requires an extra large show. The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things is here to give you the latest updates from the Statehouse as well as the triumphant return of your favorite dinosaur.
It's been a week. With session winding down, good and bad things are happening at the Statehouse.
Back from the road and in studio for the latest episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things! In this episode there's bill updates, special testimony about Rx transparency, and a tease about a future format for the show.
A SPECIAL REPORT from Community Engagement Director Mandla Moyo on several last-minute amendments that are impacting transit in Indianapolis and tenants across the state.
The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things...while driving? That's right. This show has special guests, a fun discussion, and a car ride. It's time for a ROAD TRIP!!!
It's halftime at the Indiana General Assembly and that requires an update on the latest happenings... as well as some new uniforms.
Our Legislative Director couldn't let a little work travel get in the way of her update about what's happening at the Statehouse. A special Saturday episode of the Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things is coming in for a landing!
The good times continue to roll at the Indiana General Assembly! The Legislative Director is here to talk about all the action this week in an extended episode that is jam packed with information Lots of bills. Lots to follow.
The pace of the Indiana General Assembly is picking up and the Legislative Director is here to tell you all about it. Listen until the end because there's a homework assignment.
A new year. A new session of the Indiana General Assembly. A new season of The Legislative Director Talking About Legislative Things! Check out the first episode of the new season
There's a lot that is happening at the Indiana Statehouse and AARP Indiana is here to let you know what's moving and what's not.