(UPDATE: January 15, 2026):
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (ADAMS) – Governor Mike Braun focused his State of the State address on finding ways to make life more affordable for Hoosiers.
He did not discuss the redistricting battle that culminated in December, with the Indiana Senate not passing the legislation against the wishes of the White House. Braun did, however, say that Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray and other Republicans opposed to redistricting should be voted out of office.
The governor also said his administration is “working hard to bring the Chicago Bears to the Hoosier State.”
Read more HERE
Indiana Democrats responded. The following was released:
Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder delivered a forceful rebuttal to Gov. Mike Braun’s State of the State address Tuesday night, welcoming the governor’s stated focus on affordability while sharply criticizing what she called a year of policy decisions that have failed to deliver real relief for Hoosier families.
“Affordability is not a slogan. It is a test of how leadership serves the people,” Yoder said. “If policies were working, Hoosiers would feel it. Right now, they don’t.”
Yoder acknowledged that Braun’s agenda echoed long-standing Democratic priorities, including addressing medical debt, housing costs and utility bills, but questioned why the governor didn’t take responsibility for the Hoosier affordability crisis built on 20 years of Republican control.
“Agreement is welcome,” Yoder said. “But agreement without urgency is just a press release. Hoosiers have been living this affordability crisis for years.”
In her remarks, Yoder cited concrete pressures facing families across Indiana, including child care closures, rising housing and utility costs and continued barriers to affordable health care. She pointed to Braun-directed cuts to child care funding and reimbursement rates as decisions that directly contributed to growing child care deserts and workforce disruptions.
“You cannot claim to support workers and the economy while dismantling the system that allows parents to go to work,” Yoder said.
Yoder also directly challenged the governor’s public safety claims, pointing to Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1), signed into law last year, which reduced revenue available to local governments.
“Public safety is not a talking point. It’s whether help arrives when someone calls 911,” Yoder said. “SEA 1 cut funding that cities and towns rely on for police, firefighters and emergency medical response. No matter how it’s framed, that undermined public safety.”
Yoder emphasized that Hoosiers believe in the rule of law, accountability and due process, but warned that fiscal choices must align with those values.
“You cannot claim public safety as a priority while weakening the very services that keep communities safe,” she said.
Framing the moment as a broader reckoning, Yoder argued that Braun’s embrace of affordability rhetoric reflects years of unmet need under one-party control at the Statehouse.
“After twenty years of Republican control, Indiana is in an affordability crisis,” Yoder said. “Hoosiers don’t care who gets credit. They care who gets results.”
Yoder closed by urging the administration and legislative leaders to move beyond messaging and deliver measurable relief for working families.
“Hoosiers are doing everything right, and yet still fall behind” Yoder said. “They deserve leadership that offers more than words. Hoosiers deserve follow-through that offers real relief right now.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Indiana Governor Mike Braun will deliver his 2026 State of the State address on Wednesday, January 14, to a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly in the Indiana House of Representatives chamber. The address will begin at 7:30 p.m.
You can watch it online HERE
PBS Fort Wayne will also air the governor’s speech.
The following was released:
PBS Fort Wayne will be airing live coverage of Governor Mike Braun’s 2026 Indiana State of the State Address beginning at 7:30pm on Wednesday, January 14.
Wednesday night, Governor Braun is scheduled to deliver his 2026 State of the State Address before a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly. PBS Fort Wayne is one of several public media stations airing live coverage of this event as part of Indiana Public Broadcast Stations (IPBS).
IPBS and Ball State Public Media are providing the live broadcast feed for all public media stations plus commercial television and radio stations carrying this address locally, regionally (including parts of northern Kentucky) and statewide.
Those public media stations carrying this live coverage are:
Public Television Carriage
WTIU (Bloomington); WNIN (Evansville); WFYI (Indianapolis); WYIN (Merrillville); WIPB (Muncie); WNIT (South Bend); WVUT (Vincennes); WKMJ (KET) (Louisville, KY); WKPC (KET) (Louisville, KY)
Public Radio Carriage
WVPE (Elkhart); WNIN (Evansville); WBOI (Fort Wayne); WFYI (Indianapolis); WLPR (Merrillville); WBST (Muncie); WBAA (West Lafayette)
PBS Fort Wayne has also scheduled an encore airing of this broadcast, as recorded, for Thursday, January 15 at 7:30pm on the PBS Fort Wayne WORLD channel, channel 39.4.
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