New Gov. Braun outlines his agenda and his vision for Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s a new era for Indiana as the state’s 52nd governor, Mike Braun, was sworn into office. Surrounded by his family, supporters and other leaders in state government, Braun took the oath of office Monday morning downtown at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.

In his inauguration speech, Braun called on Hoosiers to use an entrepreneurial drive within themselves to face the challenges of today.

“I am committed to be a governor of not just words, but action as we create a prosperous future for all Hoosiers,” Braun told those gathered, saying part of that action will be addressing the cost of property taxes, an issue already at the top of the new governor’s agenda this legislative session.

“We can accept rising property taxes as an unfortunate fact of life, or explore every avenue to reduce the burden on hard-working Hoosier families and businesses,” Braun said in his speech.

Republican lawmakers have already said a complete overhaul of the state’s property tax system could take several sessions beyond the current one. 

But Senate Republicans say they’ll treat property tax reform this session like they will the budget, making it a priority, using Braun’s ideas for reform in the first version of their main property tax bill.

“I guarantee you that we’re going to give it one good shot at getting that back in place where it needs to be,” Braun said. He also spoke about tackling the cost of healthcare.

“We can accept high healthcare costs as inevitable or take on the opaque system to lower costs and increase transparency for all Hoosier families, like I did in my own business 16 years ago,” Braun said.

In his recently released agenda, Indiana’s new governor said he wants to reform the prior authorization process patients need from their insurance companies before they can get care. 

The governor also wants to regulate pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen who negotiate drug prices and prescription coverage. Braun said Indiana is at a crossroads and the leaders of the state can be risk takers and trailblazers or maintain the status quo.

“We can let government inefficiencies impede our success or reshape government to sincerely serve the people. How about that?” Braun asked.

Building on an oft-referenced theme of an entrepreneurial drive, Braun also said he intends to make Indiana the standard bearer for small business growth, something he knows about personally through his own business. 

Braun also told those gathered he was committed to being a governor of not just words, but action and that it was time to get to work.

Braun also addressed education. In his recently released agenda, Indiana’s new governor said he wants to implement universal school choice for all Indiana families regardless of their income. He’s also called for a new Office of School Safety as part of his cabinet structure and increasing the starting pay for teachers, along with performance-based compensation.

“We can settle for complacency in our education system or empower parents and prepare our students for the jobs that will power the future,” Braun said.

Republican lawmakers have also voiced support for universal school choice. Democrats have said state money should be used to expand pre-K and help families who need help with childcare, not give more state money to vouchers. As he settles into his new job and office, Braun will be returning to a place he’s certainly knows well.

A decade ago, he served as a state representative before becoming a U.S. senator. Now he returns to a different office, a much bigger one, as Indiana’s 52nd governor.