STATEHOUSE (April 30, 2026) – The governor recently ceremonially signed into law legislation authored by State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) to address the growing rural judge shortage by easing residency requirements through an Indiana constitutional amendment.
According to the American Bar Association, there are only 2.3 lawyers for every 1,000 Hoosiers. With Indiana's constitution requiring a city or town court judge to live in the county in which they work, many rural communities face shortages. To address the need, Aylesworth authored House Enrolled Act 1019 that will add a constitutional amendment to expand the area city or town judges can reside in to include neighboring cities or towns.
"Rural communities are hit the hardest by the growing judicial shortage our state is facing," Aylesworth said. "By easing residency requirements, we are taking a necessary step to ensure our justice system is operating effectively for all Hoosiers."
House Enrolled Act 1019 is the last step in the legislative process required to amend the state constitution. In 2023, it was originally passed as a resolution in the 122nd legislative session and again in the 124th session in 2025. Now passed as a law this year, it will appear as a question on the general election ballot in November.
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State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) represents House District 11,
which includes portions of Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
