INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (ADAMS) – Governor Mike Braun has delivered his first State of the State address to a joint session of the Indiana House and Senate. Braun called for cuts to property taxes, capping the annual increase for the taxes to protect farmers and homeowners, and reforming the system through better transparency. He added that retention and recruitment efforts for Indiana State Police need to improve with competitive salaries and cost-of-living adjustments.
Braun also said that his office is cooperating with the federal government in their effort to remove undocumented immigrants as part of President Trump’s deportation push. Braun noted that he’s signed an executive order that orders state law enforcement to cooperate with and assist ICE in removing undocumented Indiana residents. Still, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Indy FOP are pushing back, saying that is a federal issue and the federal agency should handle it.
Read Braun’s full speech HERE
Following the address, Indiana Democrats are calling for “real solutions—not just rhetoric” on housing, healthcare, and education.
The Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus is calling for real solutions—not just rhetoric—to the challenges Hoosiers face every day. While the governor outlined a vision of freedom and opportunity, freedom means nothing if you or your family can’t afford a home. Opportunity means nothing if your child’s education depends on what school they can—or cannot—get into. And prosperity means nothing if it’s only available to those at the top.
“Speeches don’t lower medical bills. Good intentions don’t build homes. Promises don’t pay teachers,” Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) said. “Governor Braun told Hoosiers what he wants Indiana to be—but where is the plan to get it done?”
Senate Democrats are demanding real action on the most pressing issues facing Hoosiers:
Housing: Indiana has a shortage of 140,000 affordable rental homes, yet the governor’s plan ignored the 30% of Hoosiers who are renters. What is being done for the renters—the seniors on fixed incomes and the families struggling with rising housing costs? How will we prevent out-of-control rent hikes and unsafe housing conditions?
Health Care: Nearly 500,000 Hoosiers are uninsured, one in five counties lacks enough providers, and more than 25% of Hoosiers skip medical care because they can’t afford it—yet the governor’s budget slashes public health funding by a third and kicks 200,000 Hoosiers off health coverage with the possible passage of Senate Bill 2. How will this administration make sure Hoosiers don’t just see prices—they can actually afford care?
Education: With 90% of Hoosier students in public schools, why are we shifting resources away from them while private schools receiving taxpayer money aren’t held to the same accountability standards? If transparency is a priority for health care, why isn’t it for education? And if we can fund school vouchers, why can’t we fully fund public schools and ensure teachers are paid what they deserve?
“This isn’t about politics—it’s about the future of Indiana,” Yoder continued. “The governor says he wants to support working Hoosiers. So what’s the plan for the family who can’t find a place to live? For the diabetic Hoosier rationing insulin? For the family drowning in medical debt? For the parents wondering if their child’s school will have enough teachers next year? Hoosiers aren’t waiting for promises—they need real solutions. And as Democrats, we are ready to work to make sure Indiana is a place where families don’t just get by—they thrive.”
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