EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – Indiana Governor Mike Braun made a visit to Evansville Tuesday to discuss the priorities of his administration and the state of the state.
Applause greeted the governor as he took the stage at a gathering of Evansville business leaders hosted by the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership.
“It’s been an honor to serve in the Senate, and I think I’ll get a lot more done coming back here,” Braun said.
Nearing the close of his first year at the helm of the highest office of the state, Braun says as governor he wants to work with property owners on taxes.
“All of your homes will be 2/3 exempted from property taxes going from about 30% to 35 currently up to 2/3 and 31,” he said. “We’re making that a transparent process.”
And ensure several other areas get the support they need to flourish.
“We all want our local governments and school districts to be the healthiest of any public entities,” Braun added.
The governor says he’s taken a key step to make it all happen, which is the same model President Donald Trump touts for the federal government.
“I think the easiest part was starting to take our own state government and run it like a business,” Braun said.
He says that includes running a lean government, with staffing and the budget.
“I reorganized it on the executive side to have eight entrepreneurs on the main policy areas that have government experience, so we’re really fixing the way government’s working and leaning it up,” the governor said.
Braun spoke with the media about SNAP benefits. He says the state will not reconsider its decision to supplement the federal program.
“We’re going to try to encourage to do it through other ways. Most other states are doing the same thing,” Braun said. “I was glad to see at least they came up with something that is going to do it at half the rate.”
He also addressed utility rates.
“We want healthy utilities. We want to make sure we have enough electricity. We want it to be reliable, but it’s just like anything else, it can’t break the bank of the people that pay for it,” Braun said.
The governor also addressed the redistricting efforts happening in Indiana and across the nation.
“We’ve been at an inherent disadvantage because we’ve never done it. Democrats are the ones, 100% gerrymandered. And even California has got such an imbalance there,” Braun said. “There are a lot of other inconsistencies like the six bluest states in the Northeast, three times the electoral votes have been gerrymandered for a long, long time. Six reddest in the West. Maybe we have one congressional district or two. So, it’s a big imbalance there. This is evening the playing field.”
Before Tuesday’s lunch, the governor visited Richland, Indiana. He says a local entrepreneur has a READI grant and is building homes there for a growing population.
Braun says his administration is going to pay attention to all four corners of the state, and everyone in the middle, too.
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