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X-WR-CALNAME:Gov. Mike Braun's 2025 State of the State Address
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Indiana (East)
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250129
DESCRIPTION:FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nWednesday\, January 29\, 2025\n\nGov. Mi
 ke Braun's 2025 State of the State Address\n\nBelow are remarks as prepare
 d by Governor Mike Braun in his 2025 State of the State Address.\n\n \n\nP
 resident Pro Tem Bray\, Speaker Huston\, Lt. Governor Beckwith\, Chief Jud
 ge Altice\, Chief Justice Rush\, members of the General Assembly\, honored
  guests\, Maureen and family\, fellow Hoosiers: it’s my honor to address
  you tonight.\n\nEvery year for the last six years\, I’ve had the privil
 ege of visiting each of Indiana’s 92 counties.\n\nI’ve met thousands o
 f Hoosiers on their farms\, in their small businesses\, in their schools\,
  their churches\, and their homes.\n\nNot everyone I met has had an easy t
 ime these last few years. Many families were barely holding their heads ab
 ove water as prices just kept rising.\n\nBut despite all of that\, what co
 mes through most clearly when listening to Hoosiers is our resilience\, ou
 r optimism\, and a shared desire to make our state truly great.\n\nThe sta
 te of the state is strong because Hoosiers are strong.\n\nIn my inaugural 
 address\, my message was that our state is at a crossroads.\n\nIndiana doe
 s many things well\, but the question we face is simple: Will that be a pl
 ateau\, or a foundation to build something truly exceptional?\n\nI put out
  my Freedom & Opportunity Agenda because I believe Indiana should be a nat
 ional model for bold\, innovative leadership.\n\nThe positive reception to
  that plan has been overwhelming\, and in November Hoosiers sent a resound
 ing message that freedom and opportunity is what they want.\n\nI believe t
 he work of this legislature has put us in position to achieve great things
 \, if we seize this opportunity and act decisively.\n\nTonight I’m going
  to outline the wins my administration has already secured for Hoosiers\, 
 and legislation we can pass now to make life better for the people we have
  the honor to serve.\n\nHoosiers have been hurting from high prices. I’m
  proud that my budget continues the historic efforts of past Governors and
  this General Assembly to keep reducing the income tax burden on Hoosiers.
  Indiana has led the way\, and I want to find new ways to continue deliver
 ing historic tax relief.\n\nToo many seniors and young families are gettin
 g priced out of their homes due to runaway property taxes.\n\nThere are st
 ories all over the state of Hoosiers struggling with huge hikes in their p
 roperty tax bills. Janice’s bill in Mooresville went up 44% since 2021. 
 Grant in Plainfield saw his bill go up 32% in that same time. Shawn and Ki
 mberly’s bill in Martinsville increased nearly 50%. And here with us ton
 ight are Rob and Stephanie from Greenwood. They’ve lived in the same hou
 se for 27 years\, and since 2021 their property tax bill has more than dou
 bled. “Skyrocketed” in Rob’s words\, from $715 a year to over $1\,50
 0. Hoosiers from all over the state told me these tax bills keep rising\, 
 but wages aren’t keeping pace. This is not sustainable. Hoosiers like Ro
 b and Stephanie need immediate relief. Thank you for being here tonight to
  share your story.\n\nMy property tax plan is built on three priorities: c
 ut property taxes for Hoosier families - especially new homeowners and sen
 iors\, cap the annual increase to protect homeowners\, farmers\, and busin
 esses\, and reform the system through transparency.\n\nI understand this t
 ax relief will have an impact on local governments\, but taxpayers are str
 uggling\, and we have to put their needs first. Just like the example I se
 t with my budget proposal\, all governments need to do more with less. We 
 will continue to have important discussions with local governments about h
 ow to protect vital services like police\, fire\, and schools.\n\nSenator 
 Travis Holdman introduced our Freedom & Opportunity Property Tax Relief bi
 ll. I look forward to working with all of you to get this bill across the 
 finish line.    Hoosiers sent me here with a clear directive that this can
 not be ignored.\n\nAnd while we’re at it\, let’s give seniors on a fix
 ed income some more breathing room with tax relief on their retirement inc
 ome.\n\nFor farmers\, let’s create tax-advantaged Farm Savings Accounts 
 to help stabilize their income during bad crop years. And let’s address 
 our aging Ag workforce with a tax credit for retiring farmers passing thei
 r farms onto the next generation.\n\nRaising kids is expensive\, and all a
 cross the state parents are making tough choices at the kitchen table to m
 ake ends meet.\n\nEvery Hoosier family and business had to tighten their b
 elts over the last four years. It’s time the government does the same.\n
 \n \n\nOne thing I learned building a business for 37 years — you can al
 ways run more efficiently.\n\nMy vision is a streamlined\, accountable\, r
 esponsible government that keeps more money in your pocket and empowers th
 e private sector to innovate and grow.\n\nI’ve already taken action to m
 ake our government more efficient and accountable to the people.\n\nI dire
 cted my agency leaders to find big cuts in their departments\, and signed 
 a directive to cut at least a quarter of government regulations.\n\nWe rep
 laced the political DEI ideology with a level playing field of MEI - Merit
 \, Excellence\, and Innovation. Diversity and equality are hallmarks of wh
 at we believe as a country\, but these top-down DEI mandates led to divisi
 on and inefficiency. MEI puts merit and results at the forefront\, and eve
 ryone has the chance to get ahead with hard work. My agenda is about deliv
 ering Freedom and Opportunity for all Hoosiers.\n\nI directed state employ
 ees to come back to the office to improve productivity and collaboration.\
 n\nI created a new Cabinet structure that’s designed to run like a busin
 ess\, and adds a new level of accountability. My new Cabinet organizes the
  executive branch under 8 offices each led by a Secretary that reports dir
 ectly to me. This improvement aligns agencies for more accountability\, pr
 omotes more collaboration between agencies\, and creates a clear chain of 
 command so great ideas can get to me - no matter where they start.\n\nToni
 ght I’m inviting legislators to work with me to identify opportunities f
 or efficiency\, and many of you have already done that. Thank you.\n\nToge
 ther\, we’ll create a more accountable and responsive state government.\
 n\nWe’re also taking action to protect Hoosiers with the Freedom and Opp
 ortunity Public Safety agenda.\n\nWe need to improve police recruitment an
 d retention for Indiana State Police with competitive salaries\, cost of l
 iving adjustments\, and more comprehensive benefits.\n\nA major Freedom an
 d Opportunity public safety bill written by Senator Aaron Freeman passed o
 ut of committee yesterday 8 to 1 on a bipartisan vote. This bill increases
  penalties on fentanyl and meth dealers\, raises the price for targeting p
 olice\, and adds mandatory minimum bail for repeat violent offenders.\n\nA
 mericans sent a clear message in November they do not want open borders. I
 ndiana will do whatever we can to help secure our southern border and end 
 this crisis that has brought deadly fentanyl and crime to our streets.\n\n
 Unchecked illegal immigration brings serious risks to our communities. In 
 September\, an illegal alien stabbed a 14 year old girl with a butcher kni
 fe in a random attack in Lowell.\n\nLet me be clear\, Indiana will not be 
 a safe haven for illegal immigration. As the Trump administration begins t
 o return illegal aliens with criminal records to their home countries\, we
  will assist.\n\nA state should always put the safety of its own citizens 
 first.\n\nOn economic development we’re taking a new approach\, focused 
 on building skills for Hoosiers currently in the workforce to match high v
 alue\, high wage jobs that employers need to fill.\n\nOne way we’ll achi
 eve that is our Hoosier Workforce Investment Tax Credit. Employers will ha
 ve a strong tax incentive to invest in employee skills training and develo
 pment.\n\nWe’re restructuring the Indiana Economic Development Corporati
 on to spread the benefits of economic development programs across the stat
 e\, and expanding their mission to focus on existing employers and buildin
 g on what other agencies are doing.\n\nAnd we’re creating an Office of E
 ntrepreneurship and Innovation focused on Main Street entrepreneurs backed
  by their family\, friends\, and communities — not just businesses backe
 d by venture capital.\n\nMaureen and I lived the American dream of startin
 g homegrown businesses in our hometown of Jasper\, and I want every Hoosie
 r to have the opportunity to live that dream as well.\n\nHealth care premi
 ums and drug prices keep going up\, and many Hoosiers watching tonight are
  wondering how they’re going to pay for the care they need.\n\nFor too l
 ong this issue has been seen as too tough to tackle because of entrenched 
 special interests.\n\nHoosiers pay some of the highest health care costs i
 n the country\, but we don’t get the best health care results.\n\nBased 
 on experience taking on this issue in my own business\, I developed my Fre
 edom and Opportunity Health Care plan to lower prices\, improve access\, a
 nd promote innovation in the industry.\n\nI signed several executive order
 s to pull back the curtain on health care prices and bring down costs.\n\n
 I directed our state agencies to bring full price transparency to health c
 are services\, so Hoosiers are empowered to shop around with clear\, upfro
 nt prices. When providers compete\, prices drop.\n\nI directed our agencie
 s to address the misaligned incentives causing high drug prices like pharm
 acy benefit managers\, or PBMs.\n\nWe’re also leading comprehensive audi
 ts to find waste and abuse in our own state health care spending.\n\nBut w
 e need legislative action\, and the General Assembly has shown a strong de
 sire to get results.\n\nState Rep Brad Barrett introduced House Bill 1003\
 , a bill that will require historic price transparency\, stop anti-competi
 tive practices driving up prices\, and put an end to surprise billing.\n\n
 With us tonight is Melissa from Ossian up near Fort Wayne. After Melissa g
 ot a yearly physical and routine blood work\, she was shocked to get a bil
 l for $1\,348. Anybody would be.\n\nShe had good insurance\, and always pa
 id a $35 copay for testing or yearly checkups.\n\nShe spent hours on the p
 hone with the insurance company who assured her it was covered\, and a pro
 vider who told her to work with her insurance company. Sound familiar?\n\n
 She eventually settled the bill for $305\, but it didn’t feel right. Mel
 issa\, it shouldn’t feel right.\n\nHoosiers should be able to see what t
 hey’re going to have to pay before they receive care\, and a medical bil
 l like that should never come as a surprise.\n\nLet’s pass House Bill 10
 03 and reveal prices\, fight health care fraud\, and finally end surprise 
 billing once and for all.\n\nAnd thank you Melissa for speaking out and ad
 vocating for lower health care prices for all Hoosiers.\n\nAnother bill th
 at will protect Hoosiers is Senate Bill 3\, authored by Senator Justin Bus
 ch\, which mandates that third party administrators for health insurance p
 lans have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the plan sponso
 r.\n\nState Rep Martin Carbaugh’s House Bill 1004 will make sure non-pro
 fit hospitals actually act like non-profits.\n\nSenator Ed Charbonneau and
  State Rep Julie McGuire are leading the charge on PBM reform.\n\nThank yo
 u all for your leadership. Bringing down health care costs\, improving out
 comes for Hoosiers\, and reforming this industry shouldn’t be a partisan
  issue\, and it won’t be with me.\n\nOn education\, Indiana got some goo
 d news this morning in the Nation’s Report Card. We were in the middle o
 f the pack\, but now Indiana is ranked 6th in the nation in reading. That
 ’s excellent progress\, and a strong foundation to build on.\n\nI was a 
 school board member for 10 years. I know firsthand the challenges our scho
 ols face.\n\nEverything I do on this issue will always be based on one sim
 ple idea: Parents are in charge of their own kids’ education. Let’s pu
 t parents in the driver’s seat and kids first with universal school choi
 ce.    My budget proposal has the plan to get it done. And with your help\
 , we’ll win this historic victory for Hoosier parents and kids.\n\nLet
 ’s increase teacher base pay to attract and keep great teachers. Senate 
 Bill 146 authored by Senator Linda Rogers will raise the minimum salary fo
 r public school teachers by $5\,000\, and make sure that 65% of tuition su
 pport is going to pay teachers.\n\nAnd let’s pass House Bill 1637\, auth
 ored by State Rep Steve Bartels\, which establishes the Office of School S
 afety called for in my Freedom and Opportunity Agenda to protect our kids.
 \n\nAnd we can’t forget that education is also workforce development.\n\
 nThere are programs around the state where students can get hands-on train
 ing in manufacturing skills\, get engaged with Indiana companies that are 
 hiring now\, and even earn some money. Tonight in the audience we have two
  instructors from the 4T Academy program in southern Indiana\, Rick Gilmor
 e from Princeton Community High School and Gabe Golba from Bosse High Scho
 ol in Evansville. This program is a partnership between high schools and T
 oyota\, and students have launched good-paying careers directly from the c
 lass. Thirty-eight 4T Academy students have been hired by Toyota in produc
 tion roles and fifteen students have started careers as advanced manufactu
 ring technicians. This is a model we should replicate across the state. Ri
 ck\, Gabe\, thank you for your work to teach real world skills and jump-st
 art these students’ careers.\n\nIndiana’s future depends on how we edu
 cate the next generation. Let’s have a round of applause for our teacher
 s and all the Hoosiers who have dedicated their careers to our students.\n
 \nAs I conclude tonight\, my message to my partners in the General Assembl
 y on both sides of the aisle and my fellow statewide office holders is one
  of unity.\n\nWe were all elected by Hoosiers to get results.\n\nThe quest
 ion we face is simple: Will we treat this moment as a plateau\, or as a fo
 undation to build something truly exceptional?\n\nNow is the time to be bo
 ld and think out of the box.\n\nWe can do it through big ideas\, collabora
 tion\, and above all: action.\n\nThank you\, and God Bless the Great State
  of Indiana.\n\n\n###
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SUMMARY:Gov. Mike Braun's 2025 State of the State Address
URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.in.gov/event/gov-mike-brauns-2025-state-of-the
 -state-address
CATEGORIES:Press Releases
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