Porter calls for details on MDwise split since state owes company $313 million

Last week, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) cut ties with MDwise, a managed care health plan for Medicaid’s Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) and Hoosier Healthwise programs. Around 300,000 Hoosiers will need to choose a new provider during open enrollment. 

State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) is calling for details on the split – especially since Indiana owes MDwise an estimated $313 million.

“Continuity of care is the most important thing,” said Porter. “Less than two months is a short transition. Our case managers are overloaded, and it's the holidays. We can’t let people fall through the cracks. 

“This is starting to look similar to the IBM debacle. Indiana still owes MDwise $313 million. Will this lead to a long lawsuit? Indiana and IBM went back and forth for a decade. MDwise is already seeking an injunction and investigation. Legislators deserve the details since the FSSA’s decision will lead to legal action.

“I expect answers at the next State Budget Committee meeting, and I’m preparing legislation to ensure that big changes like this are fully deliberated.”

Porter: ‘Don’t confuse frugality with morality’

Following two federal court orders, the federal government will release $4.65 billion to partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) announced that payments will be delayed by a week, and maximum benefits will be reduced by 50%. This reduction will be compounded by the benefits formula. 

SNAP benefits are calculated by subtracting 30 percent of a household’s monthly net income from the maximum benefit for their household size. A family of three making a net income of $900 per month typically receives $515. Under the current plan, they’ll only receive $122, a more-than-75% cut, from the reduced maximum and typical formula. 

State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) issued a letter to the Chairman of the State Budget Committee (SBC) requesting immediate, emergency action without waiting for the next regular meeting. 

“Partial funding doesn’t change that this is a crisis,” Porter said. “Our families will receive little to no benefits. These payments won’t even cover a single trip to the grocery store. Pointing fingers about the government shutdown doesn’t keep our families fed.

“I’ll repeat what I said last week: This is an emergency that requires immediate action. Other states, like Virginia, are finding ways to supplement SNAP with state dollars. We could send $10 million to food banks this week. This isn’t ‘too complicated’ to solve. 

“Don’t confuse frugality with morality. We can do the right thing through simple actions from the Governor and SBC.” 

House Democrats call on Gov. Braun to fund food pantries amid SNAP pause

Following Republican lawmakers’ refusal to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Indiana House Democratic Caucus is calling on Gov. Mike Braun to send state dollars to Indiana’s food banks. Indiana’s food banks and pantries are running out of food due to record demand. 

Roughly 571,594 Hoosiers received SNAP benefits last month. One in eight Indiana SNAP recipients are children. Due to the federal government shutdown, SNAP benefits will pause indefinitely starting tomorrow, Nov. 1. 

“We cannot sit by and watch our fellow Hoosiers go hungry,” House Democratic Leader Rep. Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) said. “If our Republican colleagues in the General Assembly won’t help our most vulnerable residents, we’re calling on Gov. Braun to do the right thing and make sure our food pantries throughout the state have support. Hunger isn’t a partisan issue. Hoosiers aren’t to blame for the government shutdown, and they shouldn’t suffer because of D.C.’s inability to compromise.” 

“Send money to the food banks to help our neighbors,” State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) said. “Food banks are a budget line item we can easily augment. We have the money. If nothing is done, thousands of children’s only meals will be free school lunch. This is a simple request to do the right thing and help the least of these.”  

Porter proposal to help Hoosiers at risk of losing vital services

Hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers are at risk of losing their Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) next month due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. 571,594 Hoosiers received SNAP benefits as of September 2025, and an average of 155,500 pregnant women and infants received WIC benefits as of May 2025.

State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis), ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee and a ranking member of the State Budget Committee (SBC) plans to make recommendations to the latter group during an upcoming SBC meeting to transfer funds to the Family and Social Services Administration and the Division of Family Resources to cover the deficiency for SNAP payments. HIs proposal would also add a supplemental payment to food banks in the state. 

The proposal would provide a tiered increase to Indiana’s supplemental payments for food banks from $2 million to $5 million, with an additional $2 million monthly as needed.

Porter issued the following statement regarding his planned proposal: 

“Regardless of their political affiliation, every Hoosier should be horrified by the notion of a child going hungry. If SNAP and WIC benefits are cut, that’s exactly what will happen. We have an opportunity to ensure that Hoosiers continue to receive these vital services, regardless of whether the federal government reopens in the near future. 

“It can’t be overstated that the state of Indiana has the ability to prevent this – this is simply about whether we have the political will to keep children, pregnant women and the elderly from going hungry.

"Just last month, the State Budget Committee approved a decision to reallocate funds from the Indiana Department of Correction toward the ‘Speedway Slammer,’ which houses detainees suspected of being in the country without documentation. SBC did this without any certain guarantee that the federal government will reimburse them for these services.

"If we can make a $16 million bet on prisons, we can surely bet on keeping Hoosiers from hunger. As a lawmaker, my priority is making sure Hoosiers have the resources they need to thrive, and this proposal would do just that. Hoosiers should not suffer because the folks in Washington, D.C. can’t get their act together. I’m calling on my colleagues in the State Budget Committee to find the political will to put the health and well-being of Hoosiers over any political games.”

Porter opposes BlackRock’s potential acquisition of AES Indiana

According to several reports, BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners is nearing a deal for the acquisition of AES Corporation for $38 billion. 

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

“AES customers have had enough. They’re already paying high monthly bills that are constantly increasing. Indy residents have no other choice but AES for electricity. They’re stuck with whatever people in power give them. 

“Private equity firms should have no stake in utilities that are needs, not wants. If AES is sold to BlackRock, residents' bills will rise even more. Indy residents will continue to be priced out of the utilities they need to survive. 

“BlackRock is clearly cornering the utilities market to get rich off the rise of AI. They’re heavily invested in coal-fired power plants, and just yesterday, they purchased Aligned Data Centers—the writing is on the wall. Companies like BlackRock are building up their shares in every facet of this data center push, and they’re ready to suck our working families dry. 

“I strongly advocate that the City of Indianapolis purchase AES Indiana and make it a public charitable trust, like Citizens Energy Group. We have to start seeing the people, not the profit they offer.”

Porter comments on Trump admin cancelling grant for low-income students due to DEI

Last week, the Trump Administration cancelled a $34.9 million grant to Purdue University for the Indiana GEAR UP program. According to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), the grant was cancelled to prioritize “excellence, fairness and merit in education.” Indiana Gear Up partners with nine school corporations, including Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), to prepare low-income students for college. 

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

“Indiana Republicans attacked DEI, refusing to acknowledge that these programs serve more than just racial minorities. The loss of Indiana GEAR UP is a direct result of the narrative they pushed. Anything deemed unfair, regardless of who it helps, is cut.

“Low-income students lost critical access to tutors, mentors and STEM coaching. It’s not unfair to provide these students with the same resources that wealthy families can afford to hire. Statehouse Republicans constantly attack inner-city public schools for their performance. Then they turn around and cut programs that benefit their students. 

“Gov. Braun and Purdue University have both been mum on this topic. Purdue didn’t appeal the grant termination, and the governor hasn’t asked the DOE to reverse its decision. To keep this program alive, I suggest using some of the funds put away for InvestEd. There’s a little over $100 million sitting unclaimed and unused, which could cover this program. 

‘If the federal government abandons our low-income students, the state can easily choose to support them.” 

Porter comments on IEDC audit

State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement regarding FTI Consulting’s independent audit of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC):   

“I’m absolutely unsurprised by the information in the IEDC audit. The audit revealed what Democrats have stressed for almost three years. Secrecy and a blank check resulted in the exact outcome we expected, and we warned the majority over and over again. The IEDC is essentially an insider investment scheme that executives used to line their pockets and their buddies' pockets. 

“Multiple times I tried to remove IEDC requests from the State budget Committee (SBC) agendas, and each time it was voted down. We pushed for a decrease in IEDC funding in the state budget, and we proposed multiple pieces of legislation. 

“Republicans cannot claim to be the party of fiscal responsibility. They turned a blind eye to the IEDC, and the recent travel report shows they’ll use taxpayers' money for anything. Hoosiers paid $4,200 for a single helicopter trip and paid $56 for the governor’s two ice cream trips. 

“The audit is a good start, but it raises more questions. We need more details, and we need to know who was involved. Hoosiers had millions of their hard-earned dollars misappropriated when many families are taking on debt to stay afloat. This audit proves a disservice to the people of Indiana that deserves a deeper investigation.” 

Porter comments on 2% growth cap on Indiana’s Medicaid appropriation

Last week, the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) announced its intention to place a 2% growth cap on the state general fund appropriation for Medicaid in 2028. The appropriation for Indiana’s Medicaid program would only grow by around $100 million each year, far below the program's $2.1 billion increase in the 2023 biennium. 

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

“No other state has a growth cap on its Medicaid appropriation. That’s because they’re not a viable solution. Uniform growth caps don't differentiate between necessary expansions and trimming the fat. 

“A cap on the growth of traditional Medicaid, not just the HIP expansion, goes back on Republicans' promises. They vowed to leave regular Medicaid alone when the One Big Ugly Bill reduced federal funding for HIP, which we leverage with hospital assessment fees and a portion of the cigarette tax.

“Limiting growth will directly reduce or outright eliminate services for those who need them the most: children, pregnant women, seniors and the disabled. We will have zero flexibility for additional enrollees, new services, to cover certain prescriptions or to match certain federal funds. Medical inflation is 3.3%, so we won’t even have the ability to cover the increased cost of our current program. 

“Cost-saving solutions should be discussed. But a growth cap can’t fix the real factors behind Medicaid’s expansion. There’s a greater need for affordable health care since our aging population is swelling, the number of households in poverty is growing and Hoosiers' overall health is poor.  

“Investments in public health would truly lower our Medicaid appropriation, but we slashed funding for that by $145 million. A growth cap on traditional Medicaid will have serious consequences for our families, especially when combined with the One Big Ugly Bill.”

Porter criticizes use of state funds for the “Speedwy Slammer”

Today, Sept. 17, the State Budget Committee (SBC) allocated close to $15.8 million for the preparation of the so-called “Speedway Slammer.” The state will cover the cost with the expectation of reimbursement, but reimbursement is contingent on the availability of federal funds. Indiana will receive a per diem rate of $291 per person for 60 days from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) expects will cover its entire request. It’s currently unclear if the state will profit from the detention center or fall short of its expenditure. 

Last month, State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) sent a letter to the IDOC questioning the cost of this partnership to Hoosier taxpayers. Porter made a motion to remove the appropriation from the agenda, but the motion failed.

“I feel like I’m stuck in the Twilight Zone,” Porter said. “Republicans continue to make baffling decisions that contradict reality. Indiana doesn't have money for this right now, and rebounding revenues and reimbursement don’t change that fact. We’re living in hard times, but you wouldn’t know it from the actions of the majority. 

“Our farmers face plummeting soybean sales from tariffs this harvest. Parents can’t afford pre-K and child care, and our state’s most vulnerable still sit on waitlists for health care services. But Indiana is going to cover the cost of a detention center. 

“That’s Republicans' financial priority. They couldn’t find the money to avoid cuts to social services, but they found the funds for this. Let’s not forget that DHS’s other facility, ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ has been accused of inhumane conditions and the mistreatment of detainees. 

“None of this matters to them since Trump will continue to get whatever he wants from the Braun administration.” 

Porter: ‘Share for the good of the people’

On Tuesday, Aug. 26, around 50 Republican members of the Indiana General Assembly visited the White House. Legislators discussed a wide range of policy topics, including Medicaid and Medicare, education, immigration and redistricting. Republican leadership attended a private meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office. 

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

“Welcome back to Indiana. Several of you publicly mentioned that the purpose of your trip was to discuss policy, not redistricting. If so, share the information with your colleagues. Knowing the plans of the president will help us make the informed decisions that Hoosiers deserve.

“Maybe you can answer the questions I have with your insider knowledge. Any details on the fiscal plan for the so-called 'Speedway Slammer'? Are we opening a facility even though ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ has been under fire for its harsh conditions? 

“Did the administration promise not to play with funding for K-12 education? Will there be federal cuts to special education and disadvantaged student funding? Should Hoosiers expect to see the National Guard deployed in their cities? What should people do when their monthly payments skyrocket from the expiration of credits on the ACA exchange? 

“What about the impacts of the One Big Ugly Bill? What should Hoosiers do when Indiana loses revenue from Trump’s policies? Will they mess with funding for Medicare and will our seniors be affected? What are we going to do for our families who can’t afford child care? 

“As you can see, Hoosiers and I have a lot of questions that remain unanswered. Please share what you learned at the White House for the benefit of the people.” 

Porter stands with students in the fight against gun violence

Today, Sept. 5, State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) joined hundreds of high school students as they gathered at the Statehouse to demand gun reform legislation. This rally was part of a national walkout organized by Students Demand Action after a school shooting in Minnesota last week resulted in the tragic death of two children and injured 18 others. Firearms are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 17. 

“Today, I had the honor of participating in a rally against gun violence with students from across Indianapolis, including Shortridge, Brebeuf and North Central High Schools,” Porter said. “I am proud of this generation for their spirit and tenacity. They continue to show up and fight for a better world. Even though they’re sick and tired of deadbeat policy makers who fail them, every single time.

“When Columbine happened, they said, ‘never again.’ When Sandy Hook happened, they said, ‘never again.’ When Parkland, Virginia Tech and Uvalde happened, they said, ‘never again.’ But this has continued to happen again and again and again. 

“Our children fear for their lives while they sit in our schools. Young parents are sending their children to school with clear backpacks, and in some cases, even bulletproof vests. They have more active shooter drills than tornado drills. I cannot fathom what it’s like to grow up and see that someone your age was shot and killed in school on social media. 

“It’s past time for common-sense gun laws that protect our communities, to protect our kids. We are called not to love with our words, but through action and truth. Follow your promises with tangible actions.” 

Porter: We can disagree on policy while showing respect to Medicaid enrollees

Republicans have enacted Medicaid changes with quarterly eligibility checks, work requirements, new waivers and long waitlists. That’s a lot of uncertainty for our 2 million Hoosiers enrollees, half of whom are children. And I want to remind us all of that fact. 

We’re talking about children. We’re talking about our seniors. We’re talking about our medically complex. We’re talking about half of the births in Indiana. We can disagree on the logistics while still talking about enrollees with kindness and respect. Medicaid was never “boring” for the Hoosiers who rely on it. 

Medicaid rhetoric has always been somewhat nasty. Phrases like “welfare queen” have been thrown around for decades. But now it’s bleeding from social media into official meetings. The recent quarterly financial report from the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) is excellent evidence. 

One slide featured a massive steamship, called the "S.S. FSSA," with Secretary Mitch Roob portrayed as its admiral. Another slide characterized one-time federal funding for Medicaid as “the last buffalo hunt.” A third slide shows a photo of conservative economist Milton Friedman with the phrase “very few of our programs have any quality.”  

The final slide pitted K-12 education funding against Medicaid. A dejected child appeared with the caption: Why? Every dollar we send to a hospital is a dollar we don’t send to a school. Every dollar we give to a doctor is a dollar we don’t give to a teacher. This misguided cliché isn’t just harmful, it's inaccurate. Medicaid spending isn't a direct loss of funding for K-12 education. Upcoming property tax changes will be far more financially devastating to our schools than state-funded health care. 

Yes, Medicaid is costing the state more each year. Yes, it’s something the state should discuss. Yes, we can improve the quality of services. But we should have these discussions with dignity. The use of demoralizing rhetoric isn’t just insulting; it buries the facts. 

The S.S. FSSA navigates “the journey ahead,” but the slide leaves out critical facts. Indiana spends $8,813 per enrollee, close to the national average and far below other states. North Dakota spends close to $13,001 per enrollee. Milton Friedman attacks the quality of services but doesn't provide solutions. There are no action items included, like the Accountable Care Organizations model. We’re going on a buffalo hunt and letting other predators join. Middlemen insurance companies will have a hand in pricing, delays and denials. 

Medicaid is not a perfect program. It has its problems that need to be solved. We can have the discussion with respect, without slides that attempt to joke but fall flat. We shouldn’t vilify enrolled or use false constructs. This is a life-saving program for Hoosiers of all ages. These aren’t just numbers on a page; these are Hoosiers we took an oath to serve.