Senate Bill (SB) 325, co-authored by State Senator Karen Tallian (D-Ogden Dunes), died Monday on the Senate floor after Republicans decided not to move the bill on the Senate calendar. SB 325 would have reaffirmed the state’s ownership of the beaches along Lake Michigan.

“Some legislators who were against this bill wanted to make sure it would not make it out of the Senate, even if the districts they represent do not touch Lake Michigan,” Sen. Tallian said. “It’s a shame that the bill’s fate ends here, as it would have codified what the Supreme Court had told us in its Gunderson decision. The State of Indiana owns the beaches along Lake Michigan, and the public has a right to recreation along the beach. Hoosiers shouldn’t fret, though. The Supreme Court’s decision is still in place, and I will continue to try to make sure that Indiana code reflects what the courts have ruled.”