Indiana Gov. Mike Braun addressed the Chicago Bears potentially moving to Northwest Indiana during his 2026 State of the State address, but kept any specifics close to the vest.<\/p>\n
While touting businesses coming to Northwest Indiana and the state\u2019s \u201cstrong business environment,\u201d Braun said \u201cit\u2019s not surprising that another organization has noticed that Indiana is open for business, the Chicago Bears.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working hard to bring the Chicago Bears to the Hoosier state so they can really see what a great place is to have a business. We\u2019ll work hard to do it. Let\u2019s get it across the finish line,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren and Chairman George McCaskey took NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on a tour of the Arlington Heights site the team owns, and two sites in northwest Indiana, including one near Wolf Lake in Hammond, the Chicago Tribune reported.<\/p>\n
The tour took place Saturday before the Bears\u2019 epic come-from-behind victory over the archrival Packers. The visit is significant because the National Football League may loan $200 million or more for the stadium project, if it is approved by league owners, the Chicago Tribune reported.<\/p>\n
Northwest Indiana received a few more shout outs in the state of the state address, like the growth of U.S. Steel and the expansion of the Whiting Refinery, Braun said.<\/p>\n
While discussing data centers, Braun highlighted Amazon building a $15 billion data center in northwest Indiana. Amazon will \u201cpay for every cent for their new power needs, and then some.,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Braun said AI will be a part of the future of the workforce, but that data centers \u201ccan\u2019t stick Hoosiers with the power bill.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCompanies that want big power in Indiana should pay their own way,\u201d Braun said, highlighting Amazon in northwest Indiana. \u201cIf other companies will follow this model, we\u2019ll lead the country in the AI race and Hoosiers\u2019 electric rates won\u2019t go up \u2013 they\u2019ll go down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Braun claimed that Indiana\u2019s Gross Domestic Product is growing faster than the national rate, double the rates of Illinois and Ohio, triple the rate of Kentucky and six times the rate of Michigan, but recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis doesn\u2019t bear out those numbers. In the first half of 2025, U.S. GDP grew 3.8%, while Indiana\u2019s was 3.1%, Illinois\u2019 was 4.9%, Ohio\u2019s 3.9%, Kentucky\u2019s 4.6% and Michigan\u2019s 3.6%.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe time is now, and the place is Indiana and the state of our state is strong,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Braun said affordability is his priority after former President Joe Biden\u2019s administration \u201cunleashed inflation that\u2019s still making it hard for families to get by.\u201d<\/p>\n
To address affordability, Braun said the key is to create new jobs and higher wages. Average hourly earnings for Hoosiers rose more than 4% last year, and wages have grown faster than the national average, he said.<\/p>\n
In 2024, Indiana spent about $46,000 to bring a job to the state, but now the state spends $15,000 per job, Braun said. The average wage for those jobs has increased 10%, or an increase of $7,500 a year, he said.<\/p>\n
To address utility rates, Braun said he appointed Abby Gray to be the state\u2019s official consumer advocate to fight for Hoosiers \u201cto hold the line on utility price hikes.\u201d When she received a request for a rate increase, Gray responded with a request for a rate decrease, he said.<\/p>\n
Braun said he supports House Bill 1002, electric utility affordability, authored by State Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, R-Noblesville, because it will \u201chold investor-owned utility companies accountable to provide affordable energy before they can increase their profit margin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Further, Braun said he appointed three \u201crate-payer conscious\u201d members to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.<\/p>\n
Braun touted Senate Enrolled Act 1, which he signed into law last year, that he said will save taxpayers $1.5 billion over the next 3 years.<\/p>\n
Senate Enrolled Act 1 established a new property tax system by saving two-thirds of taxpayers up to $300 on their 2025 property tax bill while local governments will lose $1.4 billion through 2028.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt ensures local governments have resources for essential services, and Hoosier homeowners can keep more of their money in their pocket,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
But, many Hoosiers can\u2019t afford to own a home \u201cbecause we aren\u2019t building enough and unnecessary regulations are driving up costs,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Braun said he supports House Bill 1001, authored by State Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, because it would \u201cget government out of the way\u201d and make it easier to buy a home in Indiana.<\/p>\n
Health care is \u201ctoo darn expensive,\u201d Braun said, and he\u2019d like to see the state address the costs through wellness and prevention not expensive remediation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the biggest part of our economy. It shouldn\u2019t cost us that much. We need to do something about it,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Braun highlighted State Senator Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne, and State Reps. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne, and Julie McGuire, R-Indianapolis, for proposing bills that would keep Hoosiers \u201cout of crushing medical debt.\u201d<\/p>\n
To further address affordability, Braun said the state decreased its budget with most agencies operating with 10% cuts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe projected budget shortfall last year has been neutralized, and next year\u2019s revenue forecast shows strong growth across the board,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Jabbing at Minnesota, Braun said while \u201csome states are in the news for billions in Medicare and Medicaid fraud,\u201d Indiana saved $465 million this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndiana is making Medicaid responsible and sustainable for those who need it most,\u201d Braun said. \u201cFor Medicaid recipients who can work, work requirements foster self-sufficiency and build a foundation for a better life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last session, the legislature passed a bill that established work requirements for Medicaid. This session, State Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, filed Senate Bill 1 \u201cwhich codifies several of the actions we\u2019ve taken already and positions us to lead the nation,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
The 24-page bill will end the state\u2019s participation in the use of expanded categorical eligibility within the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, set gross income standards and countable resources for SNAP eligibility, and establish immigration eligibility requirements for SNAP.<\/p>\n
If a SNAP applicant\u2019s immigration status can\u2019t be verified, the applicant\u2019s information will be \u201cimmediately referred to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for investigation and potential deportation proceedings,\u201d Garten said in a release.<\/p>\n
This year, SNAP recipients won\u2019t be able to use the benefit for sugary drinks and candy but rather \u201creal food\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re continuing to deliver high-quality essential services that Hoosiers rely on, while you keep more of your money \u2014 because it\u2019s not ours, it\u2019s yours,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Addressing education, Braun said every public state university has frozen tuition and mandatory fees for the next two years. Braun also said his administration took action ban transgender athletes from collegiate sports.<\/p>\n
Braun touted that after \u201cdecades of trying\u201d Indiana has Universal School Choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cCompetition and choice are good things. We\u2019ve always funded public education to the best amount as well, and we\u2019ll continue to do so,\u201d Braun said. \u201cThis fall, every Hoosier parent will have the opportunity to choose the school that best fits their child\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
During last year\u2019s budget cycle, Braun said the state fully funded K through 12 education and increased teacher salaries by $5,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything we did was based around one simple principle: Parents are in charge of their own kids\u2019 education,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Braun said he supports Senate Bill 78, authored by State Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond, that would prohibit students from using a cell phone during the school day and \u201cgives parents veto power over their kids and social media.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a decision for you to make as parents, not Big Tech,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
In the next budget session, Braun said he\u2019d like to focus on making child care \u201cmore affordable and available.\u201d<\/p>\n
Braun thanked Indiana\u2019s Secretary of Education Katie Jenner for her leadership in improving education for students.<\/p>\n
Braun also thanked a 9-year-old boy from Shoals, Indiana, who asked Braun if school could be delayed on Tuesday morning so he could stay up late and watch Indiana University play in the national championship game on Monday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll leave it up to each school district to decide, but I think that sounds like a hell of a good idea,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Braun also highlighted the work of the Indiana State Police, which has worked to \u201cCrack down on drug trafficking\u201d on Indiana highways. In 2025, ISP seized over 1,300 pounds of cocaine from bulk shipments and 84 pounds of heroin and fentanyl.<\/p>\n
In a single traffic stop last week, the Indiana State Police seized over 300 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $7 million, Braun said.<\/p>\n
In the last year, overdose deaths dropped more than 60% from 1,610 in 2024 to 562 in 2025, Braun said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s hundreds of Hoosier lives saved,\u201d Braun said.<\/p>\n
Braun said he supports Senate Bill 3, authored by State Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, which would allow for ballot language for a constitutional amendment concerning bail, and Senate Bill 2, authored by State Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, which would make offenses other than murder not bailable under certain conditions.<\/p>\n
Last year, the State Police launched Operation Guardian Angel, with the mission of saving children from abuse, which has resulted in 48 arrests.<\/p>\n
Braun said he supports House Bill 1303, authored by State Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, which would help police arrest child predators.<\/p>\n
Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, said Braun\u2019s agenda mirrors long-standing Democratic priorities from addressing medical debt, housing costs and utility bills.<\/p>\n
\u201cAffordability is not a slogan. It is a test of how leadership serves the people,\u201d Yoder said. \u201cIf policies were working, Hoosiers would feel it. Right now, they don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yoder said Senate Enrolled Act 1 has reduced revenues for local governments.<\/p>\n
\u201cSEA 1 cut funding that cities and towns rely on for police, firefighters and emergency medical response. No matter how it\u2019s framed, that undermined public safety,\u2019 Yoder said. \u201cAfter 22 years of Republican control, Indiana is in an affordability crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indiana Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Tallian, a former state senator, said while Braun made a \u201crosy assessment of the state\u2019s economy, Braun didn\u2019t mention hurting small businesses and failing road infrastructure. Braun didn\u2019t acknowledge that Senate Enrolled Act 1 will cut funds for local governments, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBraun and the Republican legislature continue to drive our economy off the cliff,\u201d Tallian said. From my position in the Senate, I watched years of failed Republican policies on so many counts: road funding, worker rights, health care and more.\u201d Each \u2018fix\u2019 required a subsequent \u2018fix.\u2019 They are responsible for every mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, said he was pleased to hear Braun highlight Indiana\u2019s economic growth, educational freedom and responsible government.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy caucus is proud to be collaborating with the governor and House Representatives on these and other issues that matter to Hoosiers, and we look forward to another strong year for Indiana in 2026,\u201d Bray said.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said he was pleased to hear Braun talk about the state\u2019s \u201cstrong progress and positive momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHouse Republicans are laser focused on continuing this momentum while addressing affordability. We look forward to continuing to work together on legislation this year to make it more affordable to own a home, reduce energy costs and get government out of the way to unleash opportunities for Hoosiers,\u201d Huston said.<\/p>\n