Indiana
Lieutenant governor candidates debate water policy, property tax • Indiana Capital Chronicle
A trio of Indiana lieutenant governor nominees promised to champion farmers and rural residents — albeit through different means — during a Tuesday agriculture-themed debate.
Republican pastor Micah Beckwith, Democrat and former rural development officer Terry Goodin and Libertarian real estate broker Tonya Hudson took on water policy, property tax relief and more before a crowded room of Hoosiers.
Danville-based agricultural advocacy group Agriinstitute hosted the debate, which took place at the Indiana State Fair. Inside INdiana Business host Gerry Dick moderated.
Water policy took center stage.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s (IEDC) plan to pump 100 million gallons of water daily from Tippecanoe County to a massive planned industrial park in Boone County has sparked sustained backlash.
Asked how they’d balance agricultural water needs with economic development, the candidates took different tacks.
Beckwith called the turmoil a “transparency issue” stemming from the IEDC, which he dubbed a “shadow government.”
He said the Republican ticket would involve locals in the water debate, but indicated an interest in the project.
“But I think we’ve got the resources,” Beckwith said. “It’s more just: how are we going to get those resources into the right place?”
Goodin said that although oil has motivated many past wars, he believes the next wars will be fought over water.
He called for development of a detailed water policy.
“Indiana needs to get together. We need to put together a policy of all those folks who are impacted by the use of water, and make sure that we put the right process together moving forward,” Goodin said.
Indiana has few restrictions on large water withdrawals. Several water policy proposals motivated by the IEDC’s plan died in the most recent legislative session, even those with GOP authors.
Hudson, meanwhile, emphasized “balance” but said she’d “work with” lawmakers on clean water and air.
“Water shouldn’t have to be a commodity, because it’s a necessary thing we all (need) in our lives,” she said.
Easing the property tax burden
Candidates also fielded questions on property taxes, with a journalist on the panel asking questions noting that farming simply require more land than others professions.
Indiana uses recent sales to assess most property types, but farmland is different.
The Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) instead determines a “base rate,” a rolling average with six years of capitalized net cash rent and net operating income. DLGF drops the highest value of the six and averages the remaining five years.
“Farmers have seen an increase from last year to this year: (a) 26.2% increase in property taxes. That’s insane,” Beckwith said. “That’s absolutely out of control. And farmers need the relief.”
He and running mate Mike Braun, he said, would deliver.
The duo released a proposal last month that would increase the state’s homeowner deduction and cap property tax bill increases to just 3%.
“Ultimately, though, it’s the Legislature’s job to fix it,” Beckwith added. “What Mike Braun has done with casting vision — he’s given the legislature cover, finally, to fix this issue.”
Hudson went further.
Her ticket’s plan would abolish the property tax altogether.
“You should not be paying property taxes on a home that you already own,” Hudson said.
Farmers ask for property tax ‘intervention’ as communities, schools talk challenges
“We have this mafia-style tactic where, through a Sheriff’s sale or whatever, if you can’t pay your property taxes, you get kicked out of the home that you own. We should not be doing that.”
Running mate Donald Rainwater’s plan would replace the property tax with a 7% sales tax on home purchases. Hoosiers could pay it upfront or over seven years.
Goodin, however, accused his opponents of cutting funding for police and other emergency services.
“It’s very simple. If you want to have good quality services you have to pay for them,” he said.
He and running mate Jennifer McCormick have yet to release a property tax plan. But he asserted that his party’s approach would push the state to “grow” rather than “cut” its way out of the “property tax crisis.” And he said state government should replace lost property tax revenue if needed.
“We’ve got to repair the property tax system,” Goodin said. “We’ve got to put … all those taxes together, we come out (and) we figure out what is the most important priorities that we have in the state of Indiana.”
The role sought
Indiana’s lieutenant governor is first in line to lead the state if a sitting governor can’t fulfill the top spot’s duties. The lieutenant governor also presides over the Senate, and casts tie-breaking votes.
Indiana Code also gives the officeholder 26 additional roles, according to the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association. That includes overseeing the State Department of Agriculture, the Office of Community & Rural Affairs and more.
The lieutenant governor separately chairs the Indiana Mental Health Roundtable, the Intellectual and Development Disabilities Task Force, and the Civics Education Commission.
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MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — June 19 is a celebration of the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free.
As communities across Indiana mark the holiday, the Juneteenth event in Martinsville drew a lot of attention on Friday evening.
Event organizer Jeannine Lee Ferrer said, “This is American history. It’s all of our history, and I think we should all celebrate it, because I think most of the people are happy that it finally ended.”
Sampson Levingston, a local tour guide and Indiana history buff, says Martinsville is historically known as a sundown town, a place where Black people were warned not to remain after dark for fear of their safety. In 1968, a Black woman named Carol Jenkins was killed by two men while selling encyclopedias door to door. One of her killers was never found.
Levingston said, “She got murdered with a hate crime by a white guy and so there are some things that sting. I’ve seen with my own eyes: KKK signs in Martinsville, Indiana.”
Ku Klux Klan, or KKK, is a white supremacist and right-wing extremist hate group in the United States.
Martinsville’s history was one of the reasons why the event generated a lot of conversation within the community. As Levingston sees it, the event was a positive move. “Why not? Wherever you live, wherever you are, figure out how you can get involved with Juneteenth. We’ve got beautiful cities with beautiful history, and I think it’s time we all lean into that and acknowledge that so we can learn and grow with it,” he said.
In a statement, Republican Martinsville Mayor Kenny Costin says the city has undergone a positive transformation.
“The progress is real, and it is ongoing. We remain committed to this work, so Martinsville becomes not only a place where people are proud to live, but a place where they are proud to belong.”
Ferrer said she’s lived in Martinsville since 2021 and has not experienced anything racist in the city. However, she said she was upset when the event was first announced, and people made racist comments to her online. “I’m not being naive to what has gone on in the past, but I think Martinsville has moved to a different chapter, and we’re ready as citizens of Morgan County and Martinsville, Indiana, to turn a page, and I look forward to today being a part of that.”
Ferrer said dozens of people have reached out to her, offering their support and wanting to learn more about the holiday. “Those really are truly the people that are touching my heart and are making me think that this was a good thing to do, and to reach out and let people know that we are more alike than we are different.”
She hopes to host another Juneteenth event in Martinsville in 2026.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Hamilton County teen on Friday said he’s excited for his first convention as a voting delegate.
Jackson Massillamany, who just turned 18 and graduated from high school in May, is no stranger to politics. His father, Mario, is the chair of the Hamilton County Republican Party and his mother, Amy, serves on the Hamilton County Council.
Jackson said he signed up to be a delegate at this weekend’s Indiana Republican Party convention in Fort Wayne after Mario asked if he was interested.
“It’s kinda cool to see how this is done and what my dad actually does,” he said. “At first, I wasn’t really excited for it, but I’m here now and I’m having a blast.”
Mario Massillamany, who is a contributor to “All INdiana Politics,” said Jackson is the youngest delegate at the convention. He said he has been taking Jackson along to party functions ever since he was an infant.
“It’s a great opportunity for him to get more active and involved in politics, and I think we need to try and get the younger generations involved in our political process,” he said. “I think this is a great opportunity for him to come here, have a good experience and then go back and talk to his friends about why it’s important to get involved.”
Jackson will be one of 1,800 delegates tasked with picking a nominee for secretary of state. It’s a closely watched race. Current Secretary of State Diego Morales, who is seeking a second term, has faced numerous controversies since he took office. Knox County Clerk David Shelton and conservative activist and 2024 gubernatorial candidate Jamie Reitenour have been running against Morales for months. Last month, Max Engling, a staffer for Sen. Jim Banks and a 2024 congressional candidate, joined the race at the last minute with Banks’ backing.
The Republican winner in November will have to face Bayh family scion Beau Bayh, a Democrat, along with Libertarian Lauri Shillings and, potentially, former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, who is running as an independent under the Lincoln Party label.
Mario said he’s telling Jackson to keep his eyes and ears open and to meet with all of the weekend’s candidates.
Both Massillamanys said the key to getting young people to vote and to get politically involved is to, first, encourage them to register to vote and, second, to elevate more young people who are in politics.
“I feel like many people are scared to be involved in politics because nobody else younger does it,” Jackson said. “So, like, me and other people my age, being able to reach out to others to try and get involved, I feel like, is the best way for people my age to get involved.”
Delegates to the 2026 Indiana Republican Party convention will make their selections on Saturday. Besides secretary of state candidates, they will choose nominees for state treasurer and state comptroller. The current occupants of those offices, Daniel Elliott and Elise Nieshalla, respectively, are running for second terms and are unopposed.
Government reporter Garrett Bergquist will be in Fort Wayne on Saturday and will have a full report on the results of the convention at 6, 10 and 11 p.m. on WISH-TV.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man is dead after a shooting Thursday night on Indy’s near east side, police say.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, just after 8 p.m., officers were called to the 2000 block of East Washington Street on a report of a person shot.
When officers arrived, they found an adult male inside an apartment with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services transported the man to a hospital in critical condition, where died shortly after arriving.
Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin the investigation.
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