UPDATED: Young removed from committee

Indianapolis Republican Sen. Michael Young has been removed from the Senate Judiciary Committee and replaced with Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell.

Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray made the move public last week in the latest chapter of a rocky relationship with Young.

Bray Spokeswoman Molly Fishell said Young was removed because he wasn’t attending the Judiciary meetings.

Young also hasn’t attended other committee meetings.

He left the Senate Republican caucus last summer during a special session targeting abortion restrictions. He expressed concern in a letter about exceptions in the ban and also listed other reasons for his departure.

Since then, Young has lost his chairmanship of the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee.

Additionally, Young’s longtime chamber seat surrounded by fellow Republicans was moved to the corner by the Democrats.

Young clarified his committee removal, noting that he was asked to choose five committees he would like to serve on last year. Bray appointed him to none of those.

As a result, Young said he told Bray he would not attend the five committees he was named to. But he told Bray to replace him so that Republicans have enough votes to move legislation.

Bray chose not to do so until several bills were stuck in the Judiciary Committee recently needing an additional Republican vote, Young said.

He remains on the four other committees but still is not attending.

This brief has been updated with comment from Young.