Governor Mike Braw frames 2026 State of the State around jobs, affordability and public safety

INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Mike Braw opened the 2026 State of the State address by declaring “Indiana is open for business,” and used the speech to press for policies he said will keep living costs down while expanding high-wage jobs.

Braw framed affordability as the administration's top priority and cited state economic indicators and job-attraction figures. He said Indiana's per-job incentive costs have fallen from about $46,000 to roughly $15,000 and that the average wage for those new jobs has risen about 10%, "meaning another $7,500 a year." He argued those results show the state is winning private investment and higher pay.

On utilities, Braw introduced Abby Gray as the state's consumer advocate and said she pushed back on a requested utility rate increase, recommending a decrease. "Companies that want big power in Indiana should pay their own way," he said, urging lawmakers to hold investor-owned utilities accountable before allowing rate increases that could pass costs to residents. He said he appointed members to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to prioritize decisions "in the public interest."

The governor urged continued property tax relief, describing a "historic" property tax cut of $1.5 billion over three years intended to leave homeowners with more disposable income while maintaining resources for essential services. He said high home prices reflect a supply shortfall and regulatory barriers and voiced support for legislation by Representative Doug Miller that he said would reduce government obstacles to homebuilding.

Health care and education also featured prominently. Braw called health care "too darn expensive," and asked the legislature to advance measures for price transparency, prevention and protections against crushing medical debt; he cited bills being carried by several lawmakers. On education, he said public universities will keep tuition and mandatory fees frozen for two years, noted gains in literacy and graduation rates, and said starting teacher pay was raised by $5,000 to help recruit educators. He also endorsed a proposal by Jeff Ross to limit certain cellphone uses in schools and give parents veto power over social media access for students.

Braw listed recent private-sector investments and job announcements across the state — including projects he said would add hundreds of positions — as evidence of Indiana's growth momentum. He framed these economic wins as tied to the state's business climate and workforce efforts.

Public safety was a second major theme. Braw praised Indiana State Police drug interdiction work and cited large seizures, saying the actions contributed to a notable drop in overdose deaths. He backed bills by Senator Eric Cook and Senator Aaron Freeman to amend the state constitution to permit preventive detention for certain repeat violent criminals, and he supported tougher penalties for repeat offenders and drug dealers.

The address did not include formal votes or legislative enactments; the governor concluded by calling on the General Assembly to consider the measures he outlined. Indiana Public Broadcasting then closed its coverage of the address.

Sources and attributions: statements and direct quotes in this account come from Governor Mike Braw's 2026 State of the State address as delivered at the Statehouse and recorded in the public transcript.