Bauer elected to national Women’s Legislative Network Exeuctive Board

Indiana State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) has been elected to serve as the Midwestern Region representative on the Women's Legislative Network Executive Board of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The election took place at the network's board meeting during the NCSL Legislative Summit in Chicago on July 28.

As the Midwestern representative, Bauer will help guide the network's programming and priorities over the coming year while serving as a voice for women legislators across the Midwest within the national organization.

"It's an honor to represent Indiana and the Midwest on this board," Bauer said. "Women bring essential perspectives and leadership to the work we do in every statehouse, and I'm looking forward to strengthening the connections and programming that support women legislators across the country. I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve."

The Women's Legislative Network of NCSL includes every woman state legislator in the country by virtue of her election to office. The organization promotes the participation, empowerment and leadership of women serving in state legislatures nationwide, and its executive board supports the implementation of that mission throughout the year.

Board members serve a one-year term and are eligible to serve up to two terms.

DeLaney expresses concern over medical crisis mismanagement in Department of Correction

Yesterday, July 20, IndyStar published an investigation revealing several critical flaws related to healthcare practices within Miami Correctional Facility. State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) is calling on the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) to accelerate the termination of its contract with Centurion Health, the state's for-profit prison medical provider, in response to the findings.

The Star investigation found that after Gov. Mike Braun agreed to house up to 1,000 ICE detainees at the Miami facility, Centurion did not hire adequate staff to handle the influx. Internal company emails obtained by IndyStar showed nursing staff reporting medical backlogs in the hundreds while Centurion reported far lower numbers to the state. Such a discrepancy could allow the company to avoid tens of thousands of dollars in contractual fines. 

Two detainees, Lorth Sim and Tuan Van Bui, died in the months following the facility's expansion. Nurses and fellow detainees say both deaths could have been prevented with adequate care.

Centurion has held Indiana's correctional health care contract since 2021, when it was awarded the deal despite submitting the most expensive vendor bid. That contract, extended annually and now worth more than $1 billion over five years, has continued even as the company has faced similar allegations of substandard care and falsified records in other states.

DeLaney released the following statement:

"IDOC's relationship with Centurion has been troubled for years. Instead of ending it, the state extended this company's contract while looking for a replacement. As long as IDOC keeps partnering with Centurion, problems will persist. Indiana has adequate funds to find a new provider for our correctional facilities. It won't be easy, but we need to get there as fast as possible to stop the unfair treatment of incarcerated Hoosiers and ICE detainees.

"I also want to know why the federal government is so slow to reimburse the state for this ICE detention program. We also need to know why IDOC hasn't been given the resources it needs to manage our usual prison population, plus the influx it agreed to take on. Hoosiers deserve an answer.

"The unexplained resignation of Warden Brian English only adds to my concern. I have met him several times and was favorably impressed. Neither he nor IDOC has said why he left. That kind of silence doesn't inspire confidence. 

"Until these issues are resolved, I don't see how we can expect meaningful improvement in correctional healthcare. It speaks volumes that this administration is prioritizing hot-button political issues like dismantling protections for minority- and women-owned businesses while a billion-dollar contractor tied to two deaths in state custody gets another year on the job."

Shackleford statement on end of M/WBE programs

Last week, Gov. Mike Braun announced that he will end the Minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) programs within Indiana's Diversity Business Enterprises (DBE) program. This followed Attorney General Todd Rokita releasing a formal advisory opinion that these contracting programs are unconstitutional.

State Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis), a former M/WBE subcontractor, released the following statement in response:

"For seven years, I worked for a certified M/WBE. Many times, the only reason we got a subcontract was because of the goals in this program. But those goals only got us in the room. We still had to earn every dollar on cost, quality and performance, just like any other business competing for the work.

"That's the distinction this decision ignores: This program was never about guaranteed results. It was about guaranteed opportunity. Calling it 'un-American,' as AG Rokita did, gets it backward. The un-American part is pretending a playing field is level when entire categories of qualified businesses have historically been shut out of the room before they ever got the chance to compete. Ending these goals doesn't erase that history, it just removes one of the few tools that addressed it. If Gov. Braun truly wants a merit-based system, he owes minority- and women-owned businesses something more than a slogan in return: a real, structured path to compete, not just a theoretical one."

Johnson announces winner of 2026 Mary Moriarty Adams Memorial Scholarship

Today, State Rep. Blake Johnson (D-Indianapolis) announced Cindy Caballero as the winner of the 2026 Mary Moriarty Adams Memorial Scholarship. Caballero, who recently graduated from Christel House Watanabe High School, will be a first-generation student at Indiana University Indianapolis to study diagnostic sonography.

 The Mary Moriarty Adams Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a high school student in Indiana House District 100 who demonstrates a commitment to community and public service. The one-time, $5,000 scholarship is awarded each year by Johnson and his wife, Natalie. It was created and named in honor of former Indianapolis City-County Councilor and dedicated public servant, Mary Moriarty Adams, who passed away in 2018.

 “Natalie and I are thrilled to award the 2026 Mary Moriarty Adams Memorial Scholarship to Cindy Caballero. She represents the best of Indianapolis with her heart for community service. Her passion for others shows in her decision to pursue diagnostic sonography, specifically to assist members of the Latino community who face language barriers in health care. We’re proud to support her as she pursues her dreams.

 “The selection committee was elated by the number of applicants this year. It’s an indication of the character of our city that we have so many young, impressive graduates involved in community service. This scholarship is a small way Nat and I can do the same.”

Pryor comments on energy affordability report

 Yesterday, July 15, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) released its 2026 Energy Affordability Report. The report included several action items that the IURC and Indiana General Assembly can take in the future to better address utility affordability. 

Among the action items were recommendations to consider removing the sales tax from utility bills, expand the Indiana Energy Saver Program and properly communicate ratepayer relief options. 

State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis), a member of the House Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications, released the following statement: 

“Several of the action items included in the IURC report have merit. I’m happy to see the Commission putting forward recommendations to bring down utility costs. However, I find it ironic that many of these same ideas were already on the table during the 2026 legislative session. 

I proposed Amendment 8 to House Bill 1002, which would have prohibited private equity firms from acquiring utility companies without IURC approval. House Democrats also offered an amendment to eliminate the 7% sales tax on utility bills. Both amendments were rejected by the Republican supermajority. 

“If the IURC is serious about bringing more affordable utilities to Hoosiers, then they need to start by reversing their recent decision to allow AES to raise its rates. The time for action items has passed. These action items only matter if they are implemented and Hoosiers’ bills keep coming to their mailboxes. Hoosiers want solutions, and I’m committed to delivering them.”

Garcia Wilburn selected as one of the nation’s rising leaders

Today, Indiana Representative Victoria Garcia Wilburn (Fishers) was one of 22 leaders to join NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders), a selective national network of Democratic state and local elected officials with more than 240 members across the country.

Members of the center-left network have been chosen from more than 2,200 nominations over NewDEAL’s 15 years, and are united by their work to enact pro-growth and pragmatic solutions across their diverse array of communities. As part of NewDEAL, they receive support in developing smart policy, governing effectively, and advancing in their public service careers, while being recognized for their forward-thinking approach and commitment to making government work better. Alumni include U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who joined as a mayor; Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who joined as a County Commissioner; and Congresswoman Sarah McBride, who joined as a state senator. Current members include fellow Indiana leaders, such as Gary Mayor Eddie Melton and Representative Blake Johnson.

Garcia Wilburn, an associate professor of occupational therapy at Indiana University-Indianapolis, joins the group at a critical moment in our nation’s history as hardworking Americans face rising costs for everything from housing to childcare to energy and when innovative policy solutions are more important than ever to bring real relief to families and small businesses. Leaders like Garcia Wilburn are focused on addressing kitchen table issues like making their communities safer, bringing down the cost of living, and investing in small businesses. They join other NewDEALers who are focused on keeping America true to the ideals of freedom, liberty, and opportunity.

Through in-person and virtual convenings, Garcia Wilburn will work with colleagues across the country to bring forth a better, more prosperous future for all Americans. To accomplish these goals, NewDEAL Leaders aid in the implementation of recommendations made by its sister organization, the NewDEAL Forum, through the Caring For Families Task Force, Housing Task Force, Democracy Working Group, AI Task Force, Education Policy Group, and Climate Solutions Working Group.

Dozens of NewDEAL Leaders will gather at the NewDEAL Annual Conference, taking place Nov. 18-20 in Washington, D.C. The event will provide a forum to reflect on lessons from the election as well as to share policy ideas on: addressing the cost of living crisis; expanding economic opportunity and making government work better; and implementing leadership strategies for governing successfully in challenging political environments.

Dr. Garcia Wilburn was selected to join NewDEAL in part because of her dedication to advancing public safety and healthcare. One of Wilburn’s key initiatives is legislation giving Hoosiers greater flexibility with primary care provider selections and requiring the state Insurance Commissioner to consider affordability prior to adjusting insurance premiums. Wilburn also serves as a Ranking Minority Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and has received multiple nationally recognized awards for mental health and disability policy.

NewDEAL Leaders have found broad support for their work across red, blue, and purple states and cities, with 56 NewDEALers having risen to higher office in the past six years. Throughout the organization’s history, more than one in four NewDEAL Leaders has moved to higher office. NewDEAL is proud to have the support of Honorary Co-Chairs U.S. Senator Chris Coons and Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland.

“Hardworking families need leaders who are committed to tackling the cost of living crisis,” said Dr. Garcia Wilburn. “I look forward to learning from other leaders on how they are addressing the issues facing their communities, and sharing my own experiences and lessons for more effective governance. I’m eager for the opportunity to engage on topics like healthcare and affordability, and the ability to be a part of NewDEAL’s efforts toward bringing effective governance to cities and states across the country.”

Bartlett releases statement on Gov. Braun ending minority- and women-owned business contracting

Today, Gov. Mike Braun announced that he will be ending the minority- and women-owned business contracting programs within Indiana's Diversity Business Enterprises (DBE) program.

State Rep. John L. Bartlett (D-Indianapolis), an appointee to the Governor's Commission on Supplier Diversity, released the following statement in response to this move backward:

"Governor,

"The direction of recent developments across our country and here in Indiana has left many Hoosiers deeply unsettled, fearing a regression toward injustices our nation vowed never to repeat.

"In moments like this, leadership requires transparency. Maya Angelou’s wisdom, 'When someone shows you who they are, believe them,' reminds us that actions reveal character, and your constituents are looking to yours.

"They need you to articulate clearly what you are doing. In my opinion, you are not safeguarding their liberties nor their future. As I look at your actions, it seems to me that you are putting Indiana on the road back to slavery.

"You were elected to govern all Hoosiers. Let’s be fair in your judgment."

Burton reacts to IURC Energy Affordability Report release

State Rep. Alex Burton (D-Evansville), a member of the House Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications, released the following statement in response to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission publishing its IURC Energy Affordability Report this morning:

"Hoosier households cannot wait for another legislative session holding our breath and keep our fingers crossed for potential actions. There needs to be swift, yet responsible actions that directly relieve wallets and pocketbooks now. The Braun administration says that it wants to lower utility costs. It’s time for the rubber to meet the road.

"We’re in a moment that must be met with more than words, plans or promises. For nearly a year, Hoosiers have been consistently vocal in advocating for energy relief, but very little has been done to put ratepayers first. This time around, Hoosiers are refusing to be lullabied and distracted away from addressing our energy cost burden. This inequity has festered long enough. 

"My aim and focus are on delivering responsible policies for Hoosiers that directly lead to more money in wallets and pocketbooks. I was encouraged to see some of my proposals and suggestions included on the list of action items. We must get there and I will continue to do all I can to improve outcomes for households. Specifically, Southwest Indiana has been overburdened for more than a decade. This remains an urgent matter. Hoosiers are ready for the state to deliver affordable energy to Hoosier households, maintain a strong (and reliable) grid and responsibly bring all forms of energy online."

Gore condemns Braun's decision to end minority and women’s business enterprise programs

Today, July 15, Gov. Mike Braun announced Indiana will end race- and-sex-based contracting preferences.

The announcement follows a legal opinion from Attorney General Todd Rokita, which found race-and-sex-based contracting preferences within the Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises to be unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

State Rep. Mitch Gore (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement: 

“Governor Braun’s decision to dismantle Indiana’s Minority Business Enterprise and Women’s Business Enterprise programs is both bad public policy and, in my view, a failure to faithfully execute the laws enacted by the Indiana General Assembly.

“For more than forty years, Indiana has recognized that expanding opportunities for qualified minority- and women-owned businesses strengthens our economy, increases competition, and delivers better value for taxpayers. That policy is not merely an executive initiative—it is the law.

“The General Assembly established the Governor’s Commission on Supplier Diversity in Indiana Code Chapter 4-13-16.5 and charged it with identifying barriers to participation in state contracting, certifying eligible businesses, promoting participation by qualified minority- and women-owned businesses, establishing participation goals informed by disparity studies, and reporting on the program’s effectiveness. Those statutory duties remain on the books today.

“The Governor has now chosen to dismantle that statutory framework based upon an advisory opinion from the Attorney General. That is not how our constitutional system works. The Attorney General does not invalidate statutes. Governors do not repeal laws.

“If Governor Braun believes portions of Indiana law should be changed to better reflect evolving constitutional precedent, he should come to the General Assembly and ask us to amend the statute. If he believes the law is unconstitutional, he is free to present that argument in court. What he cannot do is unilaterally stop carrying out duties the legislature has imposed simply because his administration disagrees with the policy. 

“The United States Supreme Court has never held that every supplier diversity program is unconstitutional. Instead, it has held that race-conscious contracting programs must be supported by evidence and narrowly tailored to satisfy constitutional requirements. Indiana designed its program around those principles through disparity studies, individualized certification, and participation goals—not rigid quotas.

“Ironically, the Attorney General’s own opinion reportedly concludes that Indiana may continue encouraging participation by veteran-owned businesses. In other words, this administration does not object to supplier diversity as a concept—it has simply chosen to eliminate opportunities for women- and minority-owned businesses while preserving them for another group. Apparently, government picking winners and losers is fine as long as they’re the governor’s preferred losers.

“Beyond the constitutional issues, this decision is simply bad economics.

“Real conservatives have long argued that government should promote free enterprise, maximize competition, and eliminate barriers to entrepreneurship. Those principles apply just as much to state contracting as they do anywhere else. The goal of Indiana’s supplier diversity program was never to guarantee contracts or lower standards. It was to ensure that every qualified Hoosier business had a meaningful opportunity to compete for taxpayer-funded work.

“More competition produces better pricing, greater innovation, and better value for taxpayers. It reduces dependence on a handful of entrenched contractors and opens the marketplace to new businesses that create jobs, invest in their communities, and strengthen Indiana’s economy.

“When a woman builds a successful engineering firm or a minority-owned manufacturer grows into a state contractor, that is not government dependency. That is entrepreneurship. That is capitalism. That is exactly the kind of economic success government should encourage.

“Indiana should be committed to expanding opportunity, not shrinking it. We should be strengthening competition, not reducing it. And above all, we should respect the constitutional roles of each branch of government. Until the General Assembly changes the law or a court declares it unconstitutional, the executive branch has a duty to faithfully execute the statutes enacted by the people’s elected representatives.”

Harris: Dismantling the DBE program slams the door on minority- and women-owned businesses

State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC), issued the following statement in response to Gov. Mike Braun's move to eliminate race- and gender-conscious goals from the Diversity Business Enterprises (DBE) program:

"Gov. Braun's decision erases opportunities for Black Hoosiers, women and other minority business owners who have historically been shut out of contracting — not because they lack merit or talent, but because the system was built to exclude them.

"The DBE program is not discriminatory. It exists because 'race-neutral' policies failed for decades to ensure marginalized communities were given equal opportunities. Minority- and women-owned businesses still face very real barriers: limited access to capital, exclusion from professional networks and a small fraction of government contracting dollars. Removing these protections does not eliminate those barriers. It simply relieves the state of our obligation to acknowledge them.

"Let's be clear about what this program actually does. It has never guaranteed anyone a contract based on race or sex. Its purpose is to broaden access to public contracting so that qualified businesses from every background have a meaningful opportunity to compete. When more firms can bid, competition goes up, costs come down and innovation follows. And when small, minority-owned and women-owned businesses win contracts, those dollars create jobs and investment in communities that have historically seen the least economic development.

"Gov. Braun claims to be a pro-business governor, but you cannot claim to support fair competition while dismantling the tools that make the competition fair in the first place. Shrinking the pool of qualified bidders will cost the state more on contracts, weaken competition and make Indiana's economy less inclusive.

"The governor says he is replacing DEI with 'MEI' — merit, excellence and innovation. My question is simple: Who decides what counts as merit, and how? For generations, 'merit' was defined in ways that kept Black Hoosiers, women and other minority owners out of the room entirely. This latest move, like so many of the governor's actions on diversity, equity and inclusion, will only drag Indiana backward."

DeLaney calls on Republicans to use growing surplus to benefit Hoosiers

Today, the Braun administration released its fiscal year-end report. The report revealed that Indiana is closing out the 2026 fiscal year $586.5 million above forecast, bringing the two-year revenue total to $1.14 billion above forecast. 

In addition to the increased revenue, the Braun administration reported savings resulting from not spending $187 million of what the legislature had budgeted, which feeds back into the surplus. 

Those unspent funds included over $60 million from Indiana’s public universities and almost $100 million from the K-12 education budget. The legislature and its research arm returned $3.5 million. Separately, Gov. Braun’s Medicaid office decided to “save” $300 million by declining $1 billion in federal funds (Indiana receives a very high return on investment for its state Medicaid spending from the federal government).

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement: 

“Hoosiers don’t pay the state their hard-earned money to watch politicians sit atop a pile of cash and brag about how high it goes. They contribute their tax dollars with the expectation that the state will use it to invest in making their lives better.

“Instead, we over-budget, just to announce we’re refunding money to the budget so that the governor can do a yearly victory lap about his ability to run the government like a business.

‍"I’m not opposed to a healthy surplus, but we’ve had surpluses in the billions for years, and we still fail to invest in people. 

‍“We rank 45th in public school support. The public is not proud of that, but the governor won’t redirect unspent education funds to our schools. The public doesn’t feel the benefits of an extra $1.1 billion in our coffers when over 18,000 Hoosiers sit on Medicaid waitlists, or see their Affordable Care Act premiums rise, or learn hundreds of childcare centers have closed because of cuts. The Braun administration is determined to weaken state institutions at every turn. He simply will not invest in our people. 

‍“We should be using our surplus to address the problems that Hoosiers elected us to solve. Why not fully fund preschool, shore up health insurance, or return to our previous robust support of public education?  Washington is cutting support for healthcare and education. Are we going to fill those voids? I urge Gov. Braun and my Republican colleagues to use uncommitted funds to help Indiana reach its full potential. Hoosiers earned the cash that funds our state budget. It’s time to start spending it on them, especially at a time when they’re already hurting.

‍“With Gov. Braun, budgeting is a game. He uses it to brag about refunding our own money that he doesn’t know how to spend.” ‍

Porter comments on Indiana’s fiscal-year 2026 report

Today, Indiana released its fiscal year-end report. The state ends the 2026 fiscal year $586.5 million above forecast, bringing the state to $1.14 billion above the biennial budget plan. Approximately $187 million was reverted to the General Fund, with $98 million reverted from tuition support for K-12 education. 

State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement:

“It’s not right when the government is rich, but its citizens are poor. Indiana has strong reserves. But you cannot say Indiana is doing well economically when its people are not. Wages aren’t keeping up with inflation. Rising medical debt is crushing families. Underfunded public schools are losing millions as they try to invest in the next generation. 

“This positive fiscal-year end gives the Indiana General Assembly an opportunity. Moving forward, we have the financial resources to address past budget cuts and properly invest in our people. Our job is to use this financial momentum to lower costs for Hoosiers.”