After receiving unanimous support in the Senate, two bills inspired by the city of Gary have passed their committees and move to the Indiana House floor.
State Sen. Mark Spencer, D-Gary, authored Senate Bill 164 and Senate Bill 232, which both passed unanimously out of their committees this week.
Senate Bill 164 would require the Indiana Department of Agriculture to conduct a feasibility study to establish urban microfarm zones statewide, according to the Indiana General Assembly website. The department must submit a report with findings and recommendations to the Indiana General Assembly by Dec. 1, 2027.
Spencer previously told the Post-Tribune that he was inspired by Faith CDC, specifically through the documentary, “Nourishing Lives: The Power of Food is Medicine,” in which he was the director. The documentary gives a deeper look into the organization’s programs and how providing access to medically tailored meals can help transform lives.
The legislation was heard by the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee Thursday morning. It passed in a 9-0 vote.
“Indiana is an agricultural state, and we know that to be true through and through,” Spencer said during Thursday’s meeting. “This bill lets us take a closer look at a possible way to engage even more communities.”
Freida Graves, director of Food is Medicine for Faith CDC, testified in support of the bill. Graves explained Faith CDC’s significance in Northwest Indiana, saying that the organization has produced more than 40,000 pounds of food and donated most to the food bank.
Passage of Senate Bill 164 would help Faith CDC, Graves said, and it would help other communities create similar programs.
“As a (retired) nurse, I understand the correlation between access to fresh produce and proteins and chronic disease,” Graves said. “This is why I support this legislation.”
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, G-Gary, voiced her support for the legislation and Faith CDC during Thursday’s hearing.
“The farm is amazing,” Hatcher said. “Not only do they have fruits and vegetables, but they also have chickens and goats. It’s just awesome what is being done on this small plot of land in the heart of Gary.”
Earlier this week, Spencer’s Senate Bill 232 passed the Senate Local Government Committee in a 13-0 vote during its Tuesday morning meeting.
The bill would allow the city of Gary to hire a professional to appraise residential and commercial properties, and it prohibits employees or electric officials of the city from buying the appraised properties. City officials can’t buy the property to ensure it’s given to the community, Spencer previously said, with the hope that neighborhoods will grow in the future.
The city has 7,000 properties “stuck in red tape,” Spencer previously said, and it would cost about $1,000 each to appraise. If the legislation passes, an appraiser could look at 10 residential and 10 commercial properties throughout the city.
Spencer was unable to present the bill Tuesday, so its House sponsor — state Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point — gave the overview.
Through the legislation, the city must post and annually update the average value per square foot for residential properties and the average value per acre for commercial plots. The averages will be used to establish a minimum offering price, Olthoff said.
“The goal is to bypass the need to create two appraisals for each property, saving time and money,” she said. “This special method would expire in December 2029.”
Mayor Eddie Melton and Gary Zoning Primary Contact Corrie Sharp testified on the bill during Tuesday’s committee meeting. Melton told state representatives that Gary is now in “the process of a great economic return.”
“This would help tremendously,” Melton said. “Right now, in the midst of this economic revitalization, we have a lot of opportunities to create blank slates and clean development opportunities. Right now, it has been cost prohibitive in terms of getting these properties back on the tax roll, and we believe this legislation will help us make that happen.”
Sharp helped draft the legislation’s language, Melton said. During her testimony, Sharp said it would cost the city about $7 million to appraise all necessary properties.
“We’d be able to take an average of 10 appraisals for an annual year and then offer the public an average of those 10 appraisals for similar sized residential lots,” Sharp said. “This fills an effort for us to have the financial wherewithal to actually get these properties back on the tax rolls.”
The House will hear both bills at a later date.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/multiple-gary-related-bills-move-to-indiana-house-floor/
