Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis councilor Jesse Brown ousted from Democratic caucus
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis City-County Councilor Jesse Brown was kicked out of the Democratic Caucus on Monday.
Brown shared the news to his X account saying, “Just got expelled from the Democratic caucus, lmao.”
In response to a post asking for the caucus’s reasoning, he said, “They didn’t offer any. I maintain it’s because I favor transparency and many of my peers do not.”
The Indianapolis City-County Council Democratic Caucus responded with a statement.
“The Democratic Caucus of the Indianapolis City-County Council is committed to working together as a team and serving the people of our city with integrity, collaboration, and a shared vision for progress. For a caucus to be successful, it must rely on trust, factual discourse, and a commitment to constructive teamwork.
“When any member focuses on falsehoods, makes inappropriate accusations, and undermines the collective benefit of our shared work, their approach does not align with the principles of the caucus. After careful consideration, we have determined that it is in the best interest of the caucus—and the constituents we serve—for this individual to continue acting as an independent council member rather than part of our caucus.
“We will remain focused on delivering results for Indianapolis and uphold the values of transparency, accountability, and collaboration in our leadership.”
Brown shared a more in-depth explanation in a newsletter.
“Friends and constituents,
“Tonight, thirteen of my Democratic colleagues voted to expel me from the Democratic Caucus of the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council. Public business should be conducted in public, rather than behind closed doors. My commitment to this principle has often put me at odds with my colleagues, including this last week, when I called for fully-funded, fully-public education, against the wishes of my Council colleagues and their Republican conspirators. My call-out of so-called Democrats Maggie Lewis, Carlos Perkins, and Leroy Robinson’s subterfuge was the straw that finally broke the camel’s back. Unlike some of my colleagues, I don’t hide my politics—not because of who I am, but because of who you are. Politics behind closed doors only works for those who can afford entry. My constituents deserve a city that works for them, not just the capitalists and developers. My constituents deserve fully funded, fully public education, not a scammy grab bag of charter school ‘choices.’ My constituents deserve an elected official who will fight for their interests—not someone who serves big-money donors and washed-up party bosses. I will be fighting this decision, as it disenfranchises the voters of District 13, who saw fit to elect me, and I would welcome any and all support in that fight.
“In love and solidarity,
“Jesse”
IndyGo serves 22,000 riders daily who rely on it for jobs and healthcare. The funding is voter-approved and separate from road budgets.
IndyGo paratransit services have possible 57% rate hike
Ryan Malone appreciates IndyGo paratransit rides. He has vision impairments and MS. He talks about the rides and the proposed 57% fare increase.
The April 14 letter titled, “Indianapolis doesn’t prioritize pothole repairs” raises a fair frustration shared by many drivers, but it misrepresents priorities, ignores dedicated funding streams, cherry-picks numbers and overlooks how IndyGo delivers broad, measurable value that helps roads and the city overall.
The 2026 Indianapolis city budget directs unprecedented funding to roads. The Department of Public Works’ most recent capital plan included $218 million for transportation infrastructure in 2026, in addition to key investments in additional snow removal and road maintenance equipment. DPW’s transportation capital funding has nearly tripled since 2016. Since that time, the city has resurfaced 1,279 lane miles and strip-patched 1,169 more.
The city is prioritizing basics; roads got a massive boost even with tighter revenues.
The state funding formula has disadvantaged Indianapolis by using two-lane road mileage and ignoring urban complexity. But House Enrolled Act 1461 shifts to a lane-mile formula and provides $50 million extra annually to Marion County — and state law restricts those funds to construction and reconstruction of local streets.
There are several points aimed at IndyGo that are worth correcting and adding important context the public should understand about this critical city service.
The claim that IndyGo’s $432 million budget “could go a long way toward streets” is the most misleading. The 0.25% income tax was voter-approved in 2016 — with nearly 60% voting yes — specifically and exclusively for public transit. These locally raised dollars leverage up to a 400% federal match, multiplying their impact several times over and ensuring Indianapolis captures funding that would otherwise go elsewhere. Diverting them would break a voter promise.
The “less than 2% uses the bus” stat is a classic distortion. IndyGo’s 2025 ridership included 6.7 million trips, or nearly 22,000 riders Monday through Friday. Transit serves disproportionately low-income, senior, disabled and car-free residents who rely on it for jobs, healthcare and school. It isn’t a luxury — it’s mobility infrastructure.
Public transit isn’t in competition with roads; it complements them. Every $1 invested in public transit generates $5 in broader economic activity. The Red Line alone delivered more than $7 per $1 invested, and IndyGo’s BRT network has already attracted more than $1.2 billion in corridor development.
By completion of the Blue Line, IndyGo will have paved more than 90 miles of Indy streets and built or repaired more than 1,300 ADA ramps. Nearly 7 million riders take cars off the road — fewer vehicles mean less congestion and less wear-and-tear on pavement, directly reducing potholes.
Potholes are real, but scapegoating IndyGo distracts from the actual balanced progress underway. Indianapolis is a world-class city with a great future, and the best is yet to come.
Richard Wilson is treasurer of the IndyGo Board of Directors.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — Purdue University has received a $20 million commitment from the Ricks Family Foundation to establish the Purdue Institute for Healthcare Systems Innovation at the Indianapolis campus.
The institute in the Mitch Daniels School of Business aims to improve health care efficiency and effectiveness, the university said in a news release issued Wednesday afternoon.
Dr. Christina Ricks and her husband, David A. Ricks, the chair and CEO of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co., are the primary leaders of the foundation.
James “Jim” Bullard, a dean for the Daniels School of Business, said in the release, “Considering the health care situation in the U.S. today, there is a clear need for rigorous, market-informed research that challenges conventional thinking and drives new solutions. This institute will allow Purdue to lead that work and make a lasting difference.”
As Purdue works to develop its relatively new Indianapolis campus, the university recently announced that plans for a 12-story apartment building on recently acquired canal property in Indianapolis are now on hold as the university develops its campus, Mirror Indy reported.
This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
INDIANAPOLIS — A woman was critically injured in a shooting on the northeast side of Indianapolis Tuesday night.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the 5500 block of East 41st Street around 8:45 p.m. to investigate a shooting. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult female with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
Per IMPD, the victim was transported from the the scene to a local hospital in critical condition. Police reported that hospital staff later provided them with an update that indicated the victim remains in critical condition.
Investigators believe the shooting occurred inside a residence on 41st Street. One shell casing was found in the front yard of that residence near its driveway. Police do not believe that stray shell casing is related to the shooting in any way.
Law enforcement detained a person of interest during its investigation of the shooting. IMPD has not yet provided any of the detainee’s identifying information like sex, age or name.
Police do not believe the shooting poses any ongoing threat to the public. Investigators are, however, still encouraging area residents to call IMPD at (317) 327-3475 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477 to pass along any information they may have on the shooting.
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