Karen Tallian

During her 30 year law career in Northwest Indiana, Tallian represented government entities and has worked extensively on environmental issues, water/sewer issues and zoning.  She has experience in state and federal courts in both Indiana and Illinois.

In the Indiana Senate, Tallian has taken a leading role on issues important to working families, including labor issues, health care, property tax reform and environmental protection. In 2010, Tallian was awarded the Tommie Blaylock Award for Outstanding Leadership by the United Steelworkers (USW) Local #104. She was also inducted into The Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana in 2010, having been invited to join the Society after the successful passage of her consumer protection law focused on reducing mortgage foreclosures in Indiana. In 2008, she received the Joan Laskowski Legislator of the Year Award from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana. She was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in 2017 by The American Legion, Department of Indiana and was honored as a Small Business Champion in 2013 by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Tallian is the Senate Democrat delegate to the State Budget Committee, and serves on the Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council and the  Pension Management Oversight Commission. Tallian also served as the Co-Chair of the Northwest Indiana Delegation, a bi-partisan group of legislators focused on the advancement of the Region.

Additionally, Tallian has worked on a number of committees of the Conference of State Governments, a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the nation’s 50 states, and Canadian provinces. She also serves as a member of the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus, the U.S. Canada Relations committee, and a subcommittee on NAFTA.