INDIANAPOLIS — After more national and local legislative changes this week, the fight for democracy carried on for hundreds of Hoosiers Saturday.
One by one, Hoosiers stood up and voiced their concerns at a "People’s Town Hall" by Democracy for Hoosiers at Broadway United Methodist Church.
“We organized it because we could not get responses back from our elected leaders whether or not they were having a town hall,” said Debbie Asberry, the Co-founder of the grassroots organization. “It was a chance for people to be in community and solitary.”
13-year-old Haddix Titus was one of those who showed up with their mom, both speaking to the town hall.
The middle schooler is worried about the future after President Trump announced funding cuts to the department of education this week.
“I want to make sure every student gets an education, no matter gender, no matter age, no matter if you need more accessibility, no matter if you’re disabled. You deserve an education. We deserve an education,” the teenager told WRTV.
Saturday’s rally followed several already this year calling on lawmakers to step up and protect the millions of Hoosiers impacted by federal and local policy shifts to things like health care, social security, and other funding cuts.
“We worry about communities who are not going to be able to feed themselves and have housing. Public health has a big role and being funded and it’s really worrisome,” added Haddix’s mom, Melissa Titus, who works in public health.
They joined around 300 Hoosiers who showed up to the town hall that organizers said was more than just about gathering.
“We have huge letters to Governor Braun to Jim Banks to Todd Young that we’re going to deliver next week personally,” Asberry told WRTV. “We will capture some of these stories. Folks wrote down some of the things that they’re most concerned about and we’re going to deliver that to their office."
The plan is to keep gathering and rallying until they get action.
“With people just continuing to organize and mobilize to strengthen up or own Democratic Party,” said Asberry. “We’re not whiny, we’re people who are concerned and we want them to listen to us and stop dismissing us.”
The organization told WRTV they plan to hold a protest next Saturday, March 29 at noon at the statehouse.
