The Braun administration has published a rural economic development plan for Indiana. It looks a lot like plans offered by GOP and Democratic governors over the past 75 years. Indeed, the only element distinguishable from such a plan in the 1960s is broadband. Back then, we were worrying about better phone service. Braun’s plan discusses…
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters Aleksandra Appleton, Chalkbeat Mar 7, 2025 at 12:22pm EST Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news. The 2025 legislative session is likely to bring big…
by Whitney Downard, Indiana Capital ChronicleMarch 6, 2025 The Indiana House tackled property tax legislation for the first time this session, listening to hours of public testimony on two bills with a wide-ranging impact on local government services and school budgets. The meeting was still going at 10 p.m. — more than eight hours after…
Over the years, I’ve written frequently about government efficiency and inefficiency. I even wrote a book that, among other things, measured types of efficiency across 38,000 local governments in the U.S. We now live in a time when lots of folks complain about government efficiency. Some of them have experience in government and some have…
by Whitney Downard, Indiana Capital ChronicleFebruary 28, 2025 The state of Indiana receives more than $20 billion from the federal government annually, or 44% of its budget, and is the third-most reliant state — behind only Louisiana and Mississippi, according to an analysis from the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Under President Donald Trump,…
by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle February 25, 2025 Indiana Gov. Mike Braun pushed property tax savings and budget cuts — expressing little concern that federal slash-and-burn tactics would hurt the state — in a Tuesday news conference held halfway through the ongoing legislative session. During the 30-minute availability at his Statehouse office, he…
by Niki Kelly, Leslie Bonilla Muñiz and Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle February 25, 2025 It started with more than 1,250 bills. And after last week’s chamber-swapping deadline, the Indiana General Assembly is down to about 340 pieces of legislation that can move forward into law. From birth control and bats to gambling and marijuana,…
by Niki Kelly, Indiana Capital ChronicleFebruary 21, 2025 After slashing a popular reading program from the budget, Gov. Mike Braun said Friday he asked First Lady Maureen Braun to spearhead an initiative to keep Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Indiana. “She has agreed and she will work with philanthropic partners and in consultation with state…
by Niki Kelly, Indiana Capital Chronicle February 21, 2025 I think everyone agrees that Indiana’s elections are safe and secure, which makes a move by Senate Republicans to hamper voting even more perplexing. The chamber collected three bills that would’ve made significant changes to Indiana’s election system without a convincing explanation why. The trio of…
by Whitney Downard, Indiana Capital Chronicle February 18, 2025 Indiana Senators on Monday voted to move forward with a proposal for property tax relief over the qualms of Democrats and Indianapolis Republicans. The bipartisan coalition wasn’t enough to defeat the measure, which moved on a 37-10 vote and will get further consideration in the House. …
