Indiana

Solar belongs on rooftops, not Indiana farmland | Opinion

Published

5 months ago

June 18, 2025

Press Room

Solar belongs on rooftops, not Indiana farmland | Opinion

Solar farms depend on subsidies. It is hard to justify this corporate welfare while the state and federal governments take away similar benefits from homeowners.

While solar farms might not cross your mind as an issue that can decide elections, their development fills town halls in rural Indiana with angry locals. Tippecanoe and Clark counties passed new restrictions on solar farms this month, while more than 70 other counties have temporary bans, for good reason.

“The locations that solar companies want are in the best agricultural grounds in my district,” state Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, told me over the phone. Leising is the chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture. “[Some people are] worried about the valuation of their property. Then you have people that are saying, plus, I just don’t want to look at it in my backyard.”

Leising successfully pushed the state to study the loss of prime farmland last year. Indiana has lost 345,000 acres of farmland and over 3,050 farms since 2010. However, the farmland still in use has become more efficient and the state is producing more crops than ever before.

A bigger concern is that commercial-scale solar farms depend on government subsidies and tax abatements. It is hard to justify this corporate welfare while the state and federal governments take away similar benefits from individuals looking to make their homes more self-sufficient. If the state and federal governments are going to invest in solar somewhere, it should be on rooftops, not on Indiana farmland.

The state recently created the ultimate tax abatement for solar farms. Businesses won’t pay any personal property taxes if they have less than $2 million worth of equipment in 2026, and the personal property taxes paid for new equipment can lower to zero as the equipment fully depreciates in value. Some estimates show Indiana solar farms averaged about $50,000 in personal property per acre, meaning they will likely save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In the same bill, Indiana eliminated a property tax deduction for homeowners whose home values increase after installing solar panels. A study from Zillow showed that homes that installed solar panels increased in value by 4.1%, and the deduction was originally put in place to make sure they weren’t unfairly punished for making their homes more energy efficient.

Not to mention, the state recently eliminated net metering on behalf of energy companies. Rather than receiving full retail rates for excess electricity sent back to the grid, homeowners are now paid at a much lower rate. Meanwhile, new limits on tax credits for solar energy in the federal budget reconciliation bill are predicted to favor large companies that can pass on development costs and make it much harder for homeowners to invest in solar.

Not only do large solar corporations receive unfair advantages at the expense of homeowners, but also they’re getting these benefits despite being less efficient at producing energy.

“Some people say sun is free and wind is free, but they’re not … because there’s a huge transmission cost,” Leising said. “When you site a solar field in the middle of nowhere … then how are you going to get that power to where it needs to go? Right now, we don’t have enough battery storage to store the energy produced when the sun is shining.”

Solar panels on homes, on the other hand, are right next to where most of the energy produced is used.

If there is any benefit to solar energy, it is the possibility of seeing more self-sufficient homes and a more decentralized energy grid, where people aren’t dependent on government-granted monopolies to live their daily lives.

The benefit is almost entirely lost when it becomes another tool in the belts of those monopolies, because there are more efficient, reliable and cleaner forms of energy out there.

Any issue that involves personal property rights is going to be complicated, but when a community’s tax dollars are being stewarded poorly, it should surprise no one to see them mobilize like they have in rural Indiana.

Contact Jacob Stewart at 317-444-4683 or jacob.stewart@indystar.com. Follow him on X and Instagram.

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Indiana

Indiana National Guard identifies soldier killed in I-65 crash

Published

17 hours ago

November 17, 2025

Press Room

Indiana National Guard identifies soldier killed in I-65 crash

LEBANON, Ind. (WISH) — The Indiana National Guard has identified the specialist who died in a crash on Interstate 65 near Lebanon that also left three other soldiers injured.

Specialist Terry Frye of Lafayette joined the Guard in March 2020 as an infantryman with Company D in Frankfort. The Guard says in Frye’s five years of service, he received the National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

He and three other soldiers who were members of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment were en route from Frankfort to Camp Atterbury for a drill weekend when they were in a crash on I-65 near I-865.

The Boone County Sheriff’s office reported after the accident that three vehicles were involved: A military Humvee, a white SUV, and semitruck hauling cars.

The Guard says the accident is still under investigation and has not detailed the cause of the crash. They also did not provide updates on the three injured soldiers, who were in serious condition as of Friday.

Sgt. Tyler Moriarty of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office told the media following the accident that accidents involving the military are rare and he urged drivers to drive carefully.

“Hug your loved ones,” Moriarty said. “We’ve seen a lot of bad stuff lately involving accidents and vehicles. It’s one of those things. Accidents are still accidents. They can happen to anyone, and it’s one of those things. Slow down and be cautious. And know your surroundings when you’re driving because it’s not just yourself when you’re driving, it’s other families, and potentially your family.”

Original statement from Indiana National Guard, Gov. Mike Braun

Four Indiana National Guard soldiers from Company D, 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment were involved in a multivehicle collision on I-65 in Boone County, Friday, Nov.14. The collision resulted in the death of one soldier.
The loss of any of our Guardsmen is tragic, and we offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the soldier’s family, loved ones and friends.
“We take our responsibility to soldiers and their families seriously. As an organization, we become a family to each other, and the death of a fellow service member resonates throughout the force. We offer our sincerest condolences to the soldier’s family, friends and fellow soldiers. The loss is felt deeply, and we will continue to provide support to his family,” said Maj. Gen. Larry Muennich, Indiana National Guard adjutant general.
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Indiana Gov. Mike Braun also expressed his sympathies.
“The Indiana National Guard is always there for Hoosiers and our communities, and we must always be there for them in their time of need and tragedy. I extend my deepest condolences to the soldier’s family and friends,” said Braun.
The soldiers were traveling in a convoy from the Frankfort Armory to Camp Atterbury for training on a drill weekend when the accident occurred. Support for our service members and their families can be found through Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647 and the Indiana National Guard chaplain corps at 1-317-508-2573.

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Indiana

President Trump ‘very disappointed’ in Indiana Senate Republicans

Published

1 day ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

President Trump ‘very disappointed’ in Indiana Senate Republicans

INDIANAPOLIS — President Donald Trump is criticizing Indiana State Senate Republicans in a Truth Social post, saying he is “very disappointed” that lawmakers do not want to move forward with redistricting. He also said that Governor Mike Braun “wouldn’t be governor without him.”

This comes after Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, a Republican, announced Friday that the Indiana Senate will not return in December to vote on redistricting, due to a lack of votes.

The Trump Administration has been adamantly pushing mid-decade redistricting in Indiana in an attempt to gain more Republican seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Redistricting is traditionally tied to the census, with new maps drawn every 10 years. Vice President J.D. Vance even flew to Indiana to try and convince state Republicans to comply with the president’s unprecedented demand for mid-decade redistricting.

In his Truth Social post, Trump refers to Braun as “a friend of mine,” but then says that Braun “perhaps, is not working the way he should to get the necessary votes.” Trump continues by saying, “Mike wouldn’t be Governor without me (Not even close!).”

The president goes even further, implying Republicans who don’t agree with his desires to be “weak” while also calling for “any republican that votes against this important redistricting” to be primaried.

In the final line of the post, he says senators should “do their job,” adding, “if not, let’s get them out of office ASAP.”

Learn more about the redistricting decision here. Find The Truth Social post here.

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Indiana

Wisconsin football insider: Underdog Badgers land a few shots on No. 2 Indiana

Published

2 days ago

November 15, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin football insider: Underdog Badgers land a few shots on No. 2 Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, IND. – A look back at Wisconsin’s 31-7 loss to No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Memorial Stadium.

Big picture

The loss assures the Badgers (3-7, 1-6 Big Ten) a second straight losing season, but most understood this was a game where they faced long odds to win. Wisconsin is like most struggling teams. It gives you glimpses of good play but sometimes can’t sustain it enough to win. They were able to sustain it last week against Washington, but Indiana is a much better team with a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback (Fernando Mendoza).

The big takeaway is that Wisconsin, with a freshman quarterback and another injury (Gideon Ituka) managed to land a few punches against a team headed for a high seed in the College Football Playoff.

Box score | Standings | UW schedule

Turning point: Opportunity missed late in the first half

Wisconsin was set to head into the half on a high after Carter Smith connected with tight end Lance Mason for a 45-yard touchdown with 3 minutes 42 seconds to go in the second quarter. The extra point tied the game, 7-7.

The Badgers, who were 29½-point underdogs, needed one final stop to go into halftime. They couldn’t get it. Boosted by a 37-yard pass play from Mendoza to former Badgers tight end Riley Nowaowski, Indiana scored a field goal with 55 seconds to play.

And when Indiana added a touchdown on its first possession of the second half, you knew the Badgers would face an uphill battle getting back into the game.

Thumbs up: Peterson and Perkins have solid performances, Posa delivers again

Darryl Peterson finished with six tackles and a career-high 2 ½ sacks. The sacks led to two punts and a stalled Hoosiers drive that forced a field goal.
Defensive tackle Charles Perkins, who has missed time due to injury, finished with four tackles and two tackles for a loss, both season highs.
The Badgers remained aggressive in short-yardage situations, going for it twice on fourth down and converting each time.
Linebacker Mason Posa led the Badgers with 12 tackles and one sack. It was his third straight game of double-digit tackles.
D’Yoni Hill admitted to getting beat on a deep ball early in the third quarter that led to Indiana’s second touchdown, but he is an aggressive and sure tackler. He finished with nine tackles, one shy of his career high.

Thumbs down: Missed FG, turnovers hamper Badgers

Freshman QB Carter Smith lost a fumble and had a pass intercepted in the second half. Both turnovers led to IU touchdowns.
Nathanial Vakos missed a field goal for the second straight week. His 42-yard attempt would have given UW a lead after the first possession.
UW held the ball 17 minutes 12 seconds in the first half but less than 9 minutes in the second half.

Wisconsin football schedule: Badgers host Illinois in final home game of the season

The Illini (7-3, 4-3) bounced back from back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Washington last month with wins over Rutgers on Nov. 1 and Maryland on Nov. 15. The Badgers are 2-1 against Illinois since Bret Bielema took over in 2021, but that loss was at home in 2022 in what turned out to be Paul Chryst’s final game as head coach.

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