The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Indiana Senate Bill 19 shifts Lake County superior court judges to general elections
Last action · December 8, 2025: First reading: referred to Committee on JudiciarySponsor: Lonnie Randolph
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What This Bill Proposed
Provides that the superior court judges of Lake County are elected in the same manner as other superior court judges. Provides that the change to the election of a judge does not occur until the general election that occurs immediately before the expiration of the term of a judge sitting on the court under current law. Repeals superseded provisions.
Changes how 16 local trial court judges reach the bench in Indiana's second-most populous county, shifting from a appointment and model to direct popular election.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Lake County superior court judges
Their method of selection and retention changes from gubernatorial appointment and periodic retention votes to popular election at the end of their current terms.
Lake County voters
Voters gain the authority to elect their superior court judges directly via the ballot instead of relying on gubernatorial appointments from a nominating commission.
Lake County Board of Commissioners
The board's authority and responsibilities to appoint members to the local judicial nominating commission are eliminated along with the commission itself.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do current Lake County superior court judges lose their seats immediately?
What happens to the Lake County judicial nominating commission?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Dec 8, 2025SenateIntroducedFirst reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary
- Dec 8, 2025SenateAuthored by Senator Randolph Lonnie M
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transition from Merit Selection to Popular Election
The legislation rolls back a prior judicial selection reform by dissolving the local nominating commission and returning Lake County superior court judges to contested general elections.
Connected Entities
Sources
iga.in.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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