Letter: Tell us where you stand on the Mid-States Corridor

Dear Amy Kippenbrock,

I read your recent Facebook post regarding the Mid-States Corridor, and rather than clearing up your position, it left me with even more questions.

You wrote, “I never believed this issue must be an all-or-nothing conversation.”

But on the fundamental question of whether the Mid-States Corridor as currently proposed should move forward, it really is. At some point, an elected representative has to make a decision. You either support this project moving forward, or you don’t.

You also wrote that you are “not going to be bullied or pressured into taking an absolute position simply because that is what others expect” of you.

I don’t consider voters asking a candidate where she stands on perhaps the most divisive issue this county has faced in years to be bullying. I consider that democracy.

A December 2025 Public Policy Polling survey of 636 registered Dubois County voters found that 81% opposed the Mid-States Corridor, while 14% supported it. The poll was funded by opponents of the corridor, and readers should know that. But its results and methodology were released publicly. A separate question found that 87% wanted local elected officials to clearly state where they stand on the project.

That last number is particularly important to me.

When nearly nine out of ten voters surveyed say they want their elected officials to clearly state a position, asking you to do exactly that isn’t bullying you. It’s asking a person who wants to represent us to tell us what she believes.

So, Amy, what additional information do you need?

Have you independently researched this project? Have you listened to the information presented at County Council and Commissioner meetings? Have you attended meetings held by Stop the Mid-States Corridor or other opponents and listened to their concerns and evidence? Have you attended INDOT meetings and listened to the state’s side?

This issue didn’t appear yesterday. People have been studying it, arguing about it and attending public meetings about it for years.

Maybe two or three years ago, saying you needed more information would have made sense. This issue wasn’t where it is today. A lot has happened since then, and an enormous amount of information has come out.

That’s why I keep coming back to the same question: what information are you still missing?

You say you want to bring people to the table and find common ground. That’s fine. There can absolutely be common ground when we’re talking about improving existing roads, making intersections safer, addressing transportation needs, encouraging economic development and spending taxpayer money responsibly.

But what exactly is the “common ground” between building this particular corridor and not building it?

Eventually somebody has to make the hard decision.

And that’s exactly why I want to know where someone seeking to represent me stands before the election, not afterward.

You aren’t someone who just wandered into local politics last week. You are the Dubois County Clerk and chair of the Dubois County Republican Party, and you have presided over Republican caucuses filling important local offices.

I see your campaign around town. I’ve seen your campaign vehicle parked around the square. You’re clearly involved in this community and its politics.

So I have a hard time believing that someone who is that involved in local government and local politics hasn’t formed an opinion about the biggest political issue facing this area.

If you support the Mid-States Corridor, say so. Explain why. You may lose some votes because of it, but at least voters will know where you stand.

If you oppose it, say so.

And if you truly haven’t decided, then tell us specifically what information you are waiting for before you can make that decision.

What doesn’t work for me is trying to occupy the space in between those answers.

Your post says, “Finding common ground does not mean everyone will get everything they want.”

You’re right.

But being an elected representative also means making hard decisions. Sometimes people are going to be angry with you. Sometimes a decision will cost you politically. That’s part of the job you’re asking voters to give you.

And I think candidates in this area need to understand something else.

Maybe there was a time when a Republican candidate in Dubois County and the surrounding area could assume enough people would walk into the voting booth, vote straight Republican and walk back out without asking many questions.

I don’t think candidates should assume that anymore. I also think candidates need to realize that, for a lot of people going into the voting booth this year, the Mid-States Corridor may be the one issue that determines their vote.

I don’t care what letter is beside someone’s name when it comes to an issue this important. I want to know what the person actually believes.

I will not vote for a candidate who won’t tell me where she stands on the Mid-States Corridor.

That’s not bullying you. I’m not demanding that you agree with me. You have every right to support the corridor if that’s what you believe.

But if you want my vote, I have every right to know what I’m voting for.

So I’ll ask it as plainly as I can:

Amy Kippenbrock, do you support the Mid-States Corridor as currently proposed—yes or no?

Because I know where your opponent stands. Tiffanie Arthur has publicly stated, “I oppose the Mid-States Corridor project as it is currently proposed.”

There is no ambiguity in that answer.

I should know where you stand, too.

Allen Hartman
Jasper