Braun’s State of the State Puts Affordability First, Targets Utility Rates

Overview

• Braun named Abby Gray as Indiana’s consumer advocate, noting her first response in a rate case was a recommendation for a decrease.
• The governor said utility rates are too high and called for modernized rate-setting while insisting large data centers cover new power needs, citing Amazon’s planned $15 billion project in northwest Indiana.
• His administration reported $465 million in savings this year and endorsed Senate Bill 1 to cement Medicaid work requirements and related reforms.
• Braun touted economic metrics that he said show the average incentive cost per new job dropped from $46,000 to about $15,000, with average wages for those jobs up 10%.
• The agenda outlines deregulation to speed housing construction, proposals to reduce classroom cellphone use and expand school choice, and a push to lower childcare costs with employer participation.