Indiana
Indiana politicos, delegates react to the Biden withdrawal • Indiana Capital Chronicle
Indiana politicians from both sides of the aisle were quick to weigh in on the seismic shift in the presidential race following President Joe Biden’s decision on Sunday to end his reelection campaign and endorse vice president Kamala Harris for the role.
Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race comes weeks after his debate against former President Donald Trump, where his performance sparked criticism and pressure from other Democratic leaders.
Indiana is sending 88 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August, and some of them also reacted to the stunning news. Many declined to comment, however.
“I’m absolutely going to support the Democrat ticket, and it’ll be fun to find out who’s running for vice president,” said former state senator Karen Tallian of Porter County. She also said she is supporting Harris for president.
Derek Camp, a delegate who serves as the Allen County Democratic Party, emphasized that delegates “still have a few weeks” to decide on their nominees. Camp said support for Harris seems more decided, but he plans to “let the process play out over the next few days and weeks” before casting his vote.
“I think what we’ll see is probably a party that’s nationally unified behind Vice President Harris, moving forward,” Camp said. “She’s been there with (Biden) the last three-plus years doing that work with him, so she’s certainly more than capable of stepping into that role.”
He said the president’s announcement “goes to show who Joe Biden is as a person.”
“He’s dedicated his lifetime to serving this country — in the senate, as vice president, and then president — and he’s done a lot to move this country forward, including the all the stuff that he passed the last three years … the rescue plan, the infrastructure plan, the CHIPS Act,” Camp continued. “All of that goes towards his legacy as someone who will go down in history as one of the most consequential presidents, I think, in our modern times.”
Party apparatus speaks
Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl thanked the President for leading the country and his work in office and endorsed Harris as Biden’s successor. He highlighted Biden’s efforts to pass several key pieces of legislation, including the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the American Rescue Plan, Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act.
“More than anyone, President Biden understands the importance of this election and this moment,” he said. “That’s why after deliberation and thought, he has decided to leave the presidential race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump and stop Project 2025.”
“Americans are hungry for a new generation of leadership from the White House to local offices to move America forward with liberty and justice for all,” Schmuhl continued. “Now is the time to unite behind Vice President Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump and continue the progress of the last three-plus years.”
Several other Indiana Democrats — including U.S. 7th District Congressman André Carson and Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend and current U.S. Transportation Secretary — also thanked Biden for his leadership on X.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished under President Biden, like setting our economy on the right path after COVID-19,” Carson said in a post on X. “Democrats stand for reason and justice, and we stand on the right side of history. Onward.”
“Joe Biden has earned his place among the best and most consequential presidents in American History,” Buttigieg said in his own X post. “I am so proud to serve under his leadership, and thankful for his unwavering focus on what is best for our country.”
Former U.S. Ambassador and Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly said in another X post he worked with Biden to pass the Affordable Care Act and support Chrysler workers’ jobs in Indiana.
“President Biden devoted his whole life to our country. I am so grateful for his service and friendship. God bless you, Joe Biden. We owe you a big thank you and debt of gratitude,” Donnelly said.
GOP reaction
Indiana Republican politicians have also shared their thoughts on Biden’s decision to drop out of the race.
“If Biden ending his campaign is in the best interest of his political ‘party and the country,’ it raises legit questions about his ability to continue to serve as president,” Ethan Lawson, a Republican candidate for the Indiana House, said in an X post.
U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-District 3, also weighed in on X.
“Every Democrat knew Joe Biden couldn’t run for office,” Banks wrote in the post. “They set him up to embarrass himself at the debate with Trump. Now they’re robbing their voters of a choice in the nominee so their party elites can choose! Hijacking democracy!”
He added in another post that “If Joe Biden if is unfit for campaigning, he’s unfit for office. If Joe doesn’t resign, the 25th amendment must be invoked!”
Other Democratic reaction includes from Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick and Attorney General candidate Destiny Wells.
“Respecting and appreciating the legacy of President Biden’s service, I support his decision to not seek re-election to another term,” McCormick said. “President Biden has been a steadfast patriot and leader for our country. His decision to withdraw from the presidential race is yet another act of service in a long and distinguished career dedicated to the betterment of the United States. President Biden’s tenure in public service has been marked by kindness. We should honor President Biden’s legacy, patriotic devotion, and service to our country as we move forward. It is time for the Democratic Party to build on the myriad accomplishments of the Biden administration and strive to uphold the values of integrity, justice, and unity that he has exemplified.”
Wells said she is “forever grateful for the direction President Biden has led our country—let’s continue due north and get to work. Anything is possible and I am anxious to seize the opportunities ahead,” stated Destiny Wells. “I join all Americans in rallying to continue President Biden’s work by supporting Vice-President Kamala Harris.”
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Gov. Mike Braun asked state regulators to reconsider their decision to greenlight a $71 million rate increase for AES Indiana, doubling down on his condemnation of a move that could leave Indianapolis residents with higher electrical bills for years.
Braun wrote in a June 18 news release that he had asked Indiana Utility Counselor Abby Gray, who heads the office representing ratepayers in proceedings before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, to petition for a rehearing of the AES rate case.
Gray indicated in the release that her office would submit the petition shortly. No petition had been posted on the IURC’s online docket as of this story’s publication.
The rate increase, which was approved by the IURC on June 17, was substantially less than the $192 million increase that AES initially requested. It was also less than the amount proposed in a settlement last October between AES and major electricity consumers.
But the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, which Gray leads, came out strongly against any increase to AES’s base rates. In September, the OUCC called for a $21 million reduction instead.
As the Republican Party grapples with rising discontent over affordability, Braun has used opposition to rising utility rates to telegraph that he’s committed to keeping costs down for Indiana residents. He signed a law in February that allows the state to make rate-setting decisions that reward or penalize utilities based on metrics including affordability.
In March, he told reporters that he would take on Indiana’s five investor-owned utilities, describing himself as the “new sheriff in town.”
And after the IURC voted 3-1 to approve the AES rate increase, he wrote in a post to X that he was “deeply disappointed.”
Braun wrote in the June 18 news release that he had appointed Gray, a longtime OUCC lawyer and judge, to her current post because he knew she “would help me fight for Hoosiers.”
According to AES’s estimates, the rate increase will cost households an additional $5 per month for every 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity they use, beginning in July. A second hike will take effect in January.
Tilly Robinson is a Pulliam fellow for the Indianapolis Star. She can be reached at tilly.robinson@indystar.com.
The Protect College Sports Act, legislation meant to introduce and codify sweeping reforms related to college athletics, passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday morning.
It now heads to the Senate floor.
The bill passed out of committee by a 19-9 vote. Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young voted no, his decision reflecting Big Ten concerns over the bill.
A spokesman for Sen. Young told IndyStar, “Senator Young hopes that additional changes can be made to the bill to address concerns raised by the Big Ten.”
Co-sponsored by Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), the Protect College Sports Act represents Congress’ most substantial success so far in a yearslong effort to bring legislative reform to college athletics. Since before the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders in college sports — including the NCAA, member conferences and schools, and other major players — have lobbied for national solutions to what have become state and regional problems.
Several pieces of legislation have been introduced across the last several years, only to fizzle long before reaching the floor of either chamber. The SCORE Act, introduced last year in the House of Representatives, gained some traction and passed out of committee, but was never brought to the floor.
Which makes Thursday’s news meaningful. Moving the Protect College Sports Act to the Senate floor, while not a guarantee of any outcome, potentially takes the bill past a threshold no other such piece of reformative legislation has yet been able to cross.
Cruz told Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger on Thursday that Cruz believes Sen. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is committed to introducing the bill to the Senate floor soon.
The bill provides a legal framework for a host of potential reforms and protections for college sports. It grants limited antitrust protection to the NCAA, places limits on certain things including potential conference realignment, builds safeguards meant to protect non-revenue and Olympic sports, addresses potential broadcast rights reforms, and more.
It enjoys significant backing, and not just among leaders in college sports. This week, the NFL, its players’ association, the National Basketball Players Association and Major League Baseball all voiced their support for the bill.
Two key constituencies not in lockstep on the bill voiced their own concerns Thursday.
In a joint statement issued just after 10 a.m. Thursday, the Big Ten and SEC — far and away the two most powerful conferences and arguably two greatest power centers, full stop, in college athletics — suggested they still hold significant reservations over the bill.
“From the outset, we identified a set of essential revisions to the PCSA necessary for the long-term sustainability of college athletics,” the statement read. “We have worked with both majority and minority staff to advance those revisions, which focus on better supporting student-athletes and stabilizing the college sports environment. We continue to believe revisions are needed to secure our support for the bill.
“Despite our sustained engagement and good faith efforts, these critical revisions have not been accepted.”
The statement went on to note the “several Commerce Committee members that share our concerns and support these recommendations.”
Young is one of several members of the committee representing a Big Ten state, including one of three Republicans. He is the only Republican member of the committee whose state contains multiple schools in the conference.
Allowing for those reservations, Thursday’s news is still significant. It marks the first time a bipartisan bill on the subject has reached this point in the Senate and, should it be brought to the floor, it would be the first such legislation to reach that stage, in either chamber.
The bill could be brought to the Senate floor as early as July, though that timeline remains fluid.
(INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE) – The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission voted 3-1 Wednesday to approve a $71 million electricity rate increase for AES Indiana customers.
That is about 37% of what the utility initially requested and lower than a settlement agreement proposed in October.
Neither Gov. Mike Braun nor consumer advocates are happy with the outcome.
“My top priority is affordability, which is why I am deeply disappointed by the IURC’s approval of another AES rate increase,” he said. “Hoosiers have spent years tightening their belts and making tough financial decisions. It’s time for utility companies to do the same.”
Members of the commission didn’t explain their votes Wednesday. IURC Chair Andy Zay focused his remarks on the process.
“There’s a lot of eyes on this order and what we’re doing today,” he said. “What is before you on the floor is a nearly a year’s worth of work, evidence, deliberations, and considerations that bring us to this moment in this decision. None of this was taken lightly. I want to thank my colleagues for the patience and working through this amongst the auspice of affordability, which is certainly a hot topic now, as well as the resiliency, reliability that we see in this increased demand in electricity.”
The Office of Utility Consumer Counselor last year recommended that state regulators deny AES Indiana’s request for a $193 million base rate increase — instead proposing a $21 million reduction in current rates.
“The AES rate order issued today is an outrage and Hoosiers deserve better!” Counselor Abby Gray said in a statement Wednesday. “Governor Braun has made it clear that ratepayer affordability is a priority, far more than just a ‘hot topic’ as described by the chairman of the IURC today. This order fails the governor’s call to overhaul how utilities are regulated in order to lower bills for ratepayers.”
Gray’s office represents Hoosier ratepayers in regulatory cases.
“The order approves a substantial profit margin for shareholders in addition to a rate increase for customers,” she continued. “It even requires ratepayers to pay approximately $3 million to AES lawyers and experts.”
AES Indiana provides electricity service to about 490,000 homes and businesses in Indianapolis and some nearby areas.
The utility originally sought $193 million in rate increases. The previously proposed settlement agreement dropped that to $91 million, while the final, approved settlement agreement lands at $71 million.
Three IURC members supported the increase: Zay, David Veleta and David Ziegner.
Commissioner Bob Deig voted no. A fifth member, Anthony Swinger, recused himself because he worked on the case previously when he was on the consumer counselor’s office staff.
Ben Inskeep, program director for ratepayer advocacy group Citizens Action Coalition, said utilities across the country often ask for a larger increase than they need, knowing that regulators will disallow “roughly half” of it.
“The latest AES Indiana fuel adjustment clause proceeding shows AES Indiana is actually not only earning all of their allowed profit but over-earning by $19 million their return amount,” he said. “They’re already extremely financially successful at this moment in time, so it’s rather bizarre to even get an extra $71 million dollars approved here.”
Inskeep also noted that the increases will fall disproportionately on residential customers over commercial and industrial users.
Brandi Davis-Handy, president of AES Indiana, said the company has maintained some of the lowest rates in the state for more than a decade “through disciplined planning and a focus on efficiency. We applied the same approach here by working closely with stakeholders to make balanced decisions that keep the system reliable, limit customer impact, and align with the state’s energy pillars.”
AES said for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month, the increase will be less than $5 per month per phase. Phase one rates will be implemented in July 2026 and phase two rates will be implemented in January 2027.
The final order says the utility “will not seek to implement a change in basic rates and charges as a result of its next base rate case before January 1, 2030.”
A new law, however, requires all utilities to file a multi-year rate case in 2029, though implementation wouldn’t happen until 2030.
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