On Sept. 11, a ruling was handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that effectively allows for the closure of a coal plant in Michigan that had previously been forced to stay open by a federal order.

Today, Aug. 26, Northwest Indiana's Democratic House delegation, joined by the ranking minority member of the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee, called on Speaker Todd Huston to direct the General Assembly to investigate NIPSCO's response to the Aug. 11 derecho that left hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers without electricity — thousands for more than two weeks.

On Friday, July 24, Gov. Mike Braun issued an executive order to keep operating coal-burning power plants which were set to be retired. Braun cited increased energy demands from AI data centers as his reasoning for keeping them open.

Today, July 10, an Indiana State Police trooper was shot near the Speedway gas station along U.S. 421 south of I-94. This marks the second time in two months that a law enforcement officer has been shot and injured in LaPorte County. In May, LaPorte County Sheriff's Deputy Jon Samuelson was critically injured after he assisted a stranded motorist by taking him to the hospital and later realized the individual was a suspect from an incident in Illinois.

The state trooper injured in today's shooting is in "stable" condition. The suspect allegedly drove a stolen pickup truck into the trooper's vehicle and then proceeded to shoot at the trooper. The suspect was later found deceased.

State Rep. Randy Novak (D-Michigan City), whose district both shootings occurred in, released the following statement in response to today's shooting.

Today, State Rep. Randy Novak (D-Michigan City), a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement on the recent announcement that two members of the Indiana Natural Resources Commission, including its 20-year chair, resigned, citing the Braun administration's blocking of citizen input and lack of transparency at the Department of Natural Resources.

Yesterday, April 29, State Rep. Randy Novak (D-Michigan City) joined Gov. Mike Braun, firefighters and key stakeholders for the ceremonial signing of House Enrolled Act 1048 — legislation long overdue in recognizing the dedicated men and women who volunteer each day to protect Indiana communities.

Today, March 24, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) held an investigative inquiry into Indiana's investor-owned utilities: AES Indiana, CenterPoint Energy Indiana, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, Indiana Michigan Power Company, and Northern Indiana Public Service Company, LLC (NIPSCO). The IURC also recently announced a statewide listening session tour to hear directly from consumers about costs, with the first listening session taking place in La Porte on Thursday, March 26.

Today, Feb. 24, State Rep. Randy Novak (D-Michigan City) released the following statement regarding the request for an Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) review of Northern Indiana Public Service Company’s (NIPSCO) residential utility rates:

“Families across our communities have been sounding the alarm on their utility bills for some time. When monthly costs spike like this, it demands a serious, independent review.

“House Democrats raised these concerns months ago and sent a letter to the IURC in September 2025 calling for action. I am glad to now see House Republicans join in requesting a review. This is something we have been pushing for, and it is the right step forward.

Today, Feb. 18, State Rep. Randy Novak (D-Michigan City) filed for a motion to concur on the amendments added in the Senate to his House Bill 1048. HB 1048, which increases the yearly minimum allowance for volunteer fire department members from $100 to $250, helping offset the cost of essential clothing and vehicle-related expenses, now moves to the Governor’s desk for final approval.