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Howey Daily Wire May 5, 2025

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State Affairs was the first to report that Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, filed a grievance after Attorney General Todd Rokita claimed she blocked a bill aimed at toughening immigration law enforcement because she has an “illegal alien” in her family. More news below. — Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs

Rokita responds to senator denouncing him for ‘illegal alien’ comment: Rokita stood by his remarks and called her misconduct complaint against him a “weaponization of the Indiana court system.” (Davies, State Affairs)

STATE

Braun responds to budget cuts to ISDA, property tax cuts for farmland owners: “[We] can’t fix everything in one year, but we do need to make sure that property taxes don’t overwhelm a family homestead or a family farm,” Gov. Mike Braun said. “That’s where we have to ask our local governments and our public school systems, that everybody wants to be good, to make sure they respect their own taxpayer.” (Miller, Hoosier Ag Today)

Today: Parole board to hold clemency hearing for man facing death penalty —  The Indiana State Parole Board will hold a clemency hearing for Benjamin Ritchie, who was convicted of killing a Beech Grove police officer in 2000. (Hanson, WTTV)

Today: West Lafayette city council votes on SK hynix’s proposed plant — SK hynix’s effort to change the location of a proposed $3.87 billion microchip manufacturing plant rests in the hands of the West Lafayette city council which meets at 6:30 p.m. at the council’s chambers inside city hall, 222 N. Chauncey Ave. (Journal & Courier)

PreservINg Main Street program open for applications: The Office of Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced the PreservINg Main Street program is open for applications. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

State disaster relief funds applications open: The Indiana Department of Homeland Security announced it opened applications to the State Disaster Relief Fund for residents who incurred damage to homes or property located in qualifying jurisdictions from specified disaster events, including the mine collapse on March 1, severe storms on March 15 and 19 and severe storms and flooding on March 30 through April 2. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

Indiana, Kentucky to make another push for federal support of Ohio River Crossing: “A handful of us plan to meet with Transportation Secretary [Sean] Duffy in mid-May to ask the federal government to consider putting some skin in the game to hopefully accelerate it even more,” Evansville Regional Economic Partnership CEO Lloyd Winnecke said regarding the $1.4 billion project to construct a four-lane bridge over the Ohio River. (Brown, Inside Indiana Business)

Data center boom could be disastrous for health and environment, advocates say: A growing cohort of Hoosiers are raising their voices against the state’s rush to embrace energy-hungry data centers meant to fuel artificial intelligence and the environmental impacts that come with them. (Schneider, IndyStar)

Mitch Daniels shares concerns over tariffs during Columbus appearance: “The question is, is it tactical or strategic? If that’s the game — then it better work fast because it’s already having a very deleterious effect on businesses. Especially smaller businesses,” Former Gov. Mitch Daniels said during a fireside chat in Columbus. (Davis, The Republic)

LOCAL

Gary mayor announces $60 million FedEx facility: Gary Mayor Eddie Melton announced the project this week in his State of the City address, saying FedEx will lease the site and bring in about 600 new jobs, with 20% to go to Gary residents. (Mazurek, Inside Indiana Business)

Hoosier steelworkers among 300 laid off by Illinois steel mill: United Steelworkers Local 1010 President James Thomas said Cleveland Cliffs intends to layoff about 300 workers from the Riverdale steel mill. Most of the steelworkers at the mill hail from Northwest Indiana, Thomas said. (Pete, NWI Times)

Trucking slowdown raises economic concerns in Bartholomew County: Experts say economic conditions may be “tough for a while” in Bartholomew County as warning signs emerge that the North American trucking industry is hitting the brakes amid heightened economic uncertainty due to President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff war. (East, The Republic)

CONGRESS

Young supports including the REINS Act in megabill: “I don’t know if it would survive Byrd, but I support the effort,” said Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., who first introduced the legislation calling for a rollback of federal regulations over a decade ago. He was referring to reconciliation rules developed by the late Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd. (Politico)

Banks says president’s rescissions package targets ‘wasteful spending and the American people know it’: “Every day that we waste, and we don’t pass a rescissions package to make this stuff permanent and save these tax dollars, to put that money back into pockets of hardworking Americans is a day that we’re missing the boat,” Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said on Fox News, according to a news release. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

Banks lays out vision for GOP foreign policy: Sen. Banks argued that the U.S. has critical interests in the Middle East, in countering the threat from Iran and supporting Israel, even as he leaned into elements of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy that are controversial among Republican traditionalists. (Jewish Insider)

Carson changes town hall format after death threats: “We’ve gotten three or four death threats in the past few weeks because of the phrase town hall. Whatever it is about that term, it sparks a lot of people that want to target us,” Rep. André Carson, D-Ind., said when explaining why he decided to change the town hall format and instead answer questions submitted in advance. (Hackler, WRTV)

Yakym accompanies Meals on Wheels deliveries in South Bend: “He was very positive about our organization,” Karla Mapes, president and CEO of REAL Services, said after Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-Ind., accepted an invitation to ride along on deliveries to three seniors. “He didn’t give anything of a yes I’m voting for this or that, but at least he was able to see it and understand the impact of those programs.” (Parrott, WVPE-FM)

House unanimously passes Houchin’s Rural Broadband Protection Act: A news release said “the legislation directs the Federal Communications Commission to establish a formal vetting process for applicants seeking broadband funding through the Universal Service Fund’s high-cost programs.” (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

Congressional schedule: The Senate will convene at 3 p.m. The House will meet at noon with legislative business beginning at 2 p.m. and votes at 6:30 p.m.

CAMPAIGNS

Indiana Democrats Hoosier Hospitality Dinner set for June 13: An email announced the Indiana Democratic Party will host the annual Hoosier Hospitality Dinner at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, 140 W. Washington St, Indianapolis. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

Eric Trump to keynote St. Joseph County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner: Eric Trump will be the keynote speaker at the St. Joseph County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner on June 20 at Four Winds Hotel & Casino in South Bend. (Semmier, South Bend Tribune)

PRESIDENTIAL 2025

Bessent: Trump’s three steps to economic growth — “The administration has charted a new course for the economy — one that strengthens both the shop floor and the trading floor. We are doing so in three steps,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in an op-ed that listed the steps as renegotiating global trade, adopting new tax priorities and deregulating the economy. (The Wall Street Journal)

NATION

Pence defends Constitution after getting Profile in Courage Award: Former Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly invoked the Constitution and said it is what “binds us all together” after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. (AP)

White House schedule: President Donald Trump is expected to announce that Washington, D.C., will host the 2027 draft at 1 p.m. He will sign executive orders at 3 p.m. and welcome home a returned citizen afterward. In the evening he will attend a MAGA Inc. dinner at the Trump National Golf Club.

SUNDAY TALK

Trump still would like to add Canada and Greenland: President Donald Trump isn’t closing the door on using force to attempt to annex Greenland and Canada, but said the prospect of attacking Ottawa appears “highly unlikely.” (Politico)

Warner warns of negative consequences to slashing intel workforce: Senate Intelligence ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va., warned of long-term fallout for the Trump administration’s looming mass layoffs to the federal intelligence workforce. (Politico)

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