Pfaff reflects on universal private school vouchers in Indiana

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Today, Gov. Mike Braun celebrated the first year of universal private school vouchers in Indiana. The program allows any Indiana family, regardless of location or income, to qualify for state-sponsored vouchers to attend private school.

State Rep. Tonya Pfaff (D-Terre Haute), who taught in Vigo County public schools for thirty years, released the following statement:

"I spent thirty years in the classroom. I know what our public schools need to succeed, and it isn't less money. Universal vouchers take funding meant for the kids in our public schools and hand it to families who were already choosing private school, and already paying for it themselves. That's not choice. That's a handout.

"And let's be honest about what this program actually is. It's not school choice. It's private schools choosing their students, while public schools are left to take in every kid who shows up, no matter what they need, with less money to do it. Private schools get to say no. Public schools never do. If anyone in this debate should be defending the schools that can't turn kids away, it's the people we elect to run them.

"Since this voucher program expanded with no income cap and barely any oversight, the Vigo County School Corporation has lost more than $36 million in taxpayer funding. That's not an abstract number to me. I know what $36 million buys in a school district: smaller class sizes, more counselors, updated resources and reading specialists for kids who are behind. All public school boards should be sounding the alarm on this every chance they get.

"Hoosiers deserve leaders who will say plainly whether $36 million walking out of Vigo County schools is an acceptable price for this program, not leaders who dodge the question because the politics are inconvenient.

"I'm not against helping a family that wants another option for their kid. But this program stopped being about that a long time ago. Right now, it's a program that drains public schools to subsidize families who never needed the help."

Pryor comments on minority, women contracting program termination following IBLC press conference

Today, August 17, the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) held a press conference to discuss the potential economic impacts of Gov. Braun’s July executive order ending Indiana’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) program.

State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis), a member of the IBLC, issued the following statement:

“The M/WBE program wasn’t hurting anyone. Despite Attorney General Rokita and Gov. Braun’s claims of unfairness, not a single lawsuit was brought against the program in the 43 years since its establishment. But eliminating a statutory program is illegal, and I stand in solidarity with IBLC in challenging its termination.

“The businesses that benefited from the M/WBE program bring jobs and investment into their communities. The program helped ensure that minority- and women-owned businesses have an equal opportunity to participate and receive contracts from the state.

“Like everyone else, minorities and women pay taxes in Indiana. Therefore, we have every right to expect and demand that our businesses benefit from those contributions. Too often, women- and minority owned businesses, big or small, are denied and overlooked in state entities’ contracting decisions.

“I urge Gov. Braun to rescind his executive order ending the program and allow all Hoosier business owners a fair shot and a seat at the table.”

IBLC outlines next step in determining economic fallout from Braun’s ending of M/WBE program

During a press conference today, Aug. 17, members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) were joined by several business owners and community leaders to discuss the impact of Gov. Mike Braun's executive order last month ending the Minority and Women's Business Enterprise (M/WBE) program. Created by the legislature in the 1980's, the program worked to ensure state contracts were equitably distributed among women and minority-owned businesses. Braun's executive order followed Attorney General Todd Rokita's legal opinion that the program violated the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. This opinion was unprompted by any legal challenge to the M/WBE program.

State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), chair of the IBLC, issued the following statement:

"This executive order, which we believe to be overreach from the governor, has the potential to not just devastate minority and women-owned businesses, but Indiana's competitive economy as a whole. The more qualified businesses you have competing for the same contract tends to get better pricing for the state. When you take away the outreach and participation pieces that keep that pool diverse, that pool will inevitably shrink.

"Beyond the financial impact, there are possible legal ramifications for ending this program through an executive order."

Sen. Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis), shared his legal concerns about last month's executive order during the press conference:

"There are legal ramifications if someone who owns a small business wants to pursue this matter. We need someone and some businesses to come forward. Have no doubt that what has happened to small businesses needs to be addressed. We need people coming forward to talk to their legislators. If you were under contract with the state and that contract deleted its participation goal, please contact our office."

During the press conference, the IBLC called on Gov. Braun to continue the state's disparity study, which has not yet been conducted under his administration.

"This tells us everything we need to know," Harris said. "This move wasn't about economic fairness, it was about appeasing the fringes of his party's base by stoking the flames of a culture war because [Braun] knows he's failing to deliver a stronger economy and improved quality of life for Hoosiers."

Errington calls for electric and hybrid vehicle owners to be reimbursed

On Aug. 5, Gov. Mike Braun announced that he would be extending Indiana's gas tax holiday, citing market pressures caused by the war in Ukraine and Canadian wildfires.

State Rep. Sue Errington (D-Muncie) released the following statement:

"The governor has extended Indiana's gas tax holiday in an attempt to give relief to Hoosiers who are feeling the costly effects of President Trump's botched war in Iran. While that is great for drivers of gas-powered cars, electric vehicle and hybrid drivers are getting left in the dust.

"Every year, EV and hybrid owners are required to pay an additional registration fee of $242 and $81 respectively. The rationale behind this added fee is that EV and hybrid drivers don't chip in for road funding by paying the traditional gas tax. With the gas tax holiday now extending to an unprecedented 150 days, hybrid and EV owners are some of the only people footing the bill for our road maintenance and improvements.

"If the purpose of the additional registration fee is to offset the lost revenue from not paying the gas tax, EV and hybrid drivers deserve a break, as well. Gov. Braun said that suspending the gas tax was a great way to provide the average Hoosier with much needed assistance in the wake of skyrocketing prices. If that’s the case, we should extend that assistance to the owners of the 277,000 EVs and hybrids on Indiana's roads. I hope that the governor and the General Assembly will consider issuing a tax credit or refund for drivers that paid the additional EV and hybrid registration fees in 2026."

Novak issues statement concerning recent NIPSCO rate hike requests

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.

On Tuesday, Aug. 4, the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) filed a request with regulators to collect $38 million dollars from ratepayers in return for complying with federal executive orders that forced two coal plants in Northwest Indiana to stay operational. This request comes on the heels of Wednesday's ruling by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) that denied NIPSCO's request to bill ratepayers $741 million for natural gas infrastructure improvements.  

State Rep. Randy Novak (D-Michigan City) released the following statement:

"Our federal and state governments need to be doing more to protect energy consumers. By requiring utility companies to keep old, unreliable and costly coal plants operational, they are stifling energy innovation and raising rates on customers. I get that coal has become something of a culture war issue. But the White House should put our wallets before making a point for the sake of making a point.

"If the government is going to force coal-burning power plants to stay open for the development of privately owned AI technology, the corporations profiting off that technology should be footing the bill, not consumers. I am supportive of Indiana's 'all-of-the-above' energy approach, but propping up an outdated energy source without any benefit to Indiana residents is not a sound strategy. The $38 million NIPSCO is requesting is just for one quarter. As long as these plants are forced to stay open, that number will continue to rise.

"I do want to applaud the IURC for rightfully denying NIPSCO's request to pass of $741 million in development costs to consumers. Utility providers need to bring sufficient evidence that consumers will benefit from projects like this before they can raise prices on their customers. I am hopeful that in the future our regulators will protect Hoosier families from unnecessary costs like they did in this case."

Garcia Wilburn responds to Medicaid disenrollment investigation

State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) released the following statement in response to WRTV's investigation into children with disabilities kicked off their Medicaid program:

"As a healthcare provider, I know what these therapies mean for a child's development, and what it costs a family when they disappear without warning. The children in this story did not become ineligible overnight. Their paperwork sat unprocessed on a state task list until the system shut their coverage off automatically. There is nothing more accurate about a process that lets a child's speech, occupational and behavioral therapies lapse over the state's own backlog. It simply punishes families for mistakes they did not make.

"These stories were a long time coming, and the crisis is a manufactured one. In April, I warned that the state was more focused on cutting Medicaid spending than on delivering the care it promised eligible Hoosiers. This investigation, and others in recent weeks, show that playing out. FSSA is doing too much too fast, and vulnerable Hoosiers are paying for the chaos it has created inside the agency.

"What happened in Kokomo is not isolated. Over the past year, 343,000 Hoosiers lost Medicaid coverage, among the highest rates in the country, and up to 40 percent of the cases up for renewal late last year were terminated for procedural reasons rather than any question of eligibility. FSSA can call its new waiver assessment more accurate, but a denial rate that jumped from .02 %to 6% says otherwise, and so does a family in this reporting whose son was restored to coverage within hours of a single email. A cut that can be reversed that fast should never have happened.

"I have heard from constituents living nearly every version of this: the new disability assessment that finds people doing better than they are, waitlists that never end, and paperwork the state never processed. These are families doing everything right and losing coverage because of state errors. They deserve honest answers about who is making these determinations and how, and a system that does not force them to fight for care their children are plainly owed.

"If you are a Hoosier in my district of Carmel, Fishers, Nora and Noblesville who has lost coverage or can't get a straight answer from FSSA about your case, please contact my office. I am here to help."

Constituents may reach out to Garcia Wilburn's office via email at h32@iga.in.gov and via phone at 317-232-9750.

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Pryor applauds gas tax holiday extension, calls for permanent solution

‍Yesterday, Gov. Mike Braun announced an energy emergency, allowing Indiana’s gas tax suspension to continue. Originally, the suspension was set to expire at midnight Friday morning, causing gas prices in the state to rise nearly 60 cents overnight. 

State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement: 

“I support the extension of the gas tax holiday, and I’m glad that Gov. Braun took action to ensure Hoosiers don’t have to see a drastic increase in their prices at the pump this weekend. 

“Unfortunately, the gas tax suspension is a temporary solution to a problem that plagues the entire nation. As my colleague, House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, said this morning, the most concrete solution to the problem at hand is for Gov. Braun and Indiana’s congressional delegation to put partisan loyalty aside and demand that President Trump end his war with Iran as soon as possible. 

“We are in week 22 of the war that Trump said would last four weeks at most. Every day that fighting continues is another day that prices at the pump, the register and everywhere else will continue to rise.” 

Porter comments on continued gas tax suspension

Today, Gov. Mike Braun extended the suspension of the 7% sales tax and the excise tax on gasoline via a new energy emergency.

House Ways and Means Ranking Democrat State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement:

“Undoubtedly, Hoosiers need these savings. The need supersedes the process. It’s better to be proactive instead of wringing our hands. I respect that aspect of Gov. Braun's decision.

“But the governor seems to forget that Indiana is a part of the United States. As long as President Trump’s quagmire in Iran continues, taxpayers will be footing the bill directly and indirectly through higher costs like gas prices. The war has already cost taxpayers $37.5 billion.

“The governor dismissed House Democrats' call for him to work with the president to end the Iran war, which would have been a true ‘affordability announcement.’ Every day this war continues and we keep our gas tax suspended to protect Hoosiers, that's money we are losing for our roads, our schools, our healthcare and more. Indiana can't be on the hook for Washington, D.C.'s reckless actions forever."

GiaQuinta statement on state gas taxes

 On Friday, Aug. 7 at 12:00 a.m., Indiana's state gas taxes will go back into effect, adding a combined 59 cents per gallon. This is because Gov. Mike Braun will hit the energy emergency order limit of 120 days on Thursday, Aug. 6. 

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement:

"Friday morning, Hoosiers will feel it right away. Prices will jump by almost 60 cents a gallon. In many places, gas will cost more than $4 a gallon. Fill up a minivan, and you'll pay about $9 more than the day before. That's $9 that used to go toward groceries, school supplies or just getting by.

"High gas prices hit more than your tank. Trucks burn the same fuel to bring food to stores. When gas goes up, groceries go up too.

"There is one real fix for high gas prices. Indiana Republicans have not tried it.

"Gov. Braun, Sen. Banks, Sen. Young, and the rest of our Republican members of Congress are all close to President Trump. They should use that. They should demand that he end the war with Iran now. Wars push oil prices up, and that's the main reason gas costs so much right now. The Iran war is costly to Hoosier wallets, and it has no clear goal.

"Join me in asking Indiana Republicans to get this done. Let's bring the cost of living back down."

DeLaney slams Braun’s latest utility commission shuffle

Yesterday, Gov. Mike Braun had Andy Zay fired. Zay was initially appointed chairman of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) in January after resigning from his seat in the Indiana State Senate. The governor demoted Zay to commissioner in June after he presided over the Commission’s decision to approve a rate increase sought by AES Indiana.

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

“Gov. Braun wanted a reason to appear tough on utility rate increases, and Andy Zay was available to carry out this strategy.

“Braun took a page out of Washington’s playbook for executive overreach. He didn’t even do it in the open. Instead, the announcement initially came from a state personnel department bureaucrat, followed by hours of radio silence from the Governor’s office.

“This was Gov. Braun's own appointee, named to a term of office and thrown out the minute he cast a vote that could make the governor nervous. That is the type of behavior found in a banana republic. Hoosiers want stability and faith in their government, but the governor just told them that he will change Indiana’s rules and traditions on a whim.

"Imagine the outrage if a Democrat governor were behaving this way. Apparently, free markets and limited government only matter to this crowd when Democrats are in office.”

Pryor comments on Zay’s dismissal from IURC

Yesterday, August 3, Gov. Mike Braun confirmed that Andy Zay, a member of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), was dismissed from his post. An IURC spokesperson said he was dismissed for noncompliance with state policies related to his previous role as the commission's chair. 

Braun appointed Zay to the IURC as its chairman in January and demoted him to commissioner in June after he presided over the Commission’s decision to allow AES Indiana to raise rates on its residential customers.

State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement in response: 

“This is another case of too little, too late from Gov. Braun. Firing Commissioner Zay, who Braun appointed in January, doesn’t change the fact that he gave AES Indiana the green light to increase rates on struggling Hoosiers and pocket bigger profits. Hoosiers needed a regulator willing to tell utilities no; what they got was a politician still voting in the interests of his old caucus. 

“At the end of the day, the IURC can only do so much to protect consumers when the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly constantly chooses to prioritize corporate interests over working Hoosiers in our utility laws. What Hoosiers want are vigorous solutions to the utility affordability crisis that allow the IURC to act in ratepayers' best interest. It falls on the General Assembly to deliver those solutions, and I plan to continue advocating for them in the Statehouse and beyond.”

Burton statement on Zay dismissal

Yesterday, Gov. Mike Braun fired Indiana Utility Regulatory Commissioner Andy Zay. This came after Braun demoted Zay from IURC chair in June.

State Rep. Alex Burton (D-Evansville) released the following statement in response:

"Hoosiers deserve affordability and stability—not knee-jerk decisions that create more uncertainty without delivering meaningful relief on their utility bills. The constant reversals, churn, and shifting direction from the IURC have undermined confidence in the process and raised serious concerns.

"Indiana needs a clear, disciplined path forward on energy policy—one built on the IURC's expertise, guided by the legislature's framework, grounded in practical solutions, stability in the energy sector, and relentlessly focused on affordability. An independent, quasi-judicial commission cannot effectively serve the public when it becomes politicized. Hoosiers expect decisions driven by facts, sound policy, and the public interest—not emotional reactions.

"The time for distractions has passed. Hoosiers have waited long enough for affordable, reliable energy. It's time to restore stability, refocus on the IURC's mission and long-term strategy, and deliver the results Indiana families and businesses deserve without further delays."