Democrats say Braun ‘catching up’ on affordability, argue GOP supermajority created crisis

Written from press releases

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — January 15, 2026

Indiana Democrats offered a sharply critical response to Gov. Mike Braun’s 2026 State of the State address, saying the governor’s new emphasis on “affordability” mirrors long-standing Democratic priorities but comes after years of Republican control at the Statehouse that they argue helped fuel rising costs for families.

YouTube link to Braun’s speech

In a formal rebuttal issued by Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, Democrats welcomed Braun’s rhetoric around household costs — including health care, housing, child care and utilities — while arguing the administration has not matched that language with actions that deliver immediate relief.

“Affordability is not a slogan. It is a test of how leadership serves the people,” Yoder said in a statement from Senate Democrats, adding that “agreement without urgency is just a press release.”

Braun’s State of the State address, delivered Wednesday, Jan. 14, highlighted job growth and what he described as efforts to make Indiana more affordable, while also signaling that major child care action would likely wait for the next budget session. Democrats, however, pointed to recent policy decisions they say have worsened cost pressures. Yoder cited child care closures and “child care deserts,” linking them to cuts affecting the state’s child care support system — an issue that has drawn attention in recent months after the state moved to reduce reimbursement rates for some voucher-supported care. Yoder also criticized Senate Enrolled Act 1 — a sweeping tax and local revenue law advanced as Braun’s top priority last year — arguing it reduced resources available to local governments for public safety services such as police, fire and emergency medical response.

House Democrats echoed the same theme: that Braun is now emphasizing affordability after what they describe as a year of decisions that cut programs and shifted costs onto families.

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said House Democrats agree with Braun that “Hoosiers are no better off than they were a year ago,” but blamed the governor and the Republican supermajority, arguing that if leaders wanted to lower costs, “they would have already done that.”

GiaQuinta’s statement pointed to multiple cost drivers, including rising utility bills and child care center closures tied to voucher-related changes, and warned that families need “real relief, not lip service without action.” Recent reporting has documented significant child care disruptions following state reimbursement cuts, and rising utility bills have been a growing concern across Indiana.

State Rep. Alex Burton, D-Evansville, offered a more measured response, saying he appreciated Braun’s “directness” in addressing housing, child care and energy costs and said he would continue working during the legislative session on policies aimed at affordability and opportunity.

Braun’s speech placed affordability and job growth at the center of his second-year agenda, though major fiscal moves are constrained during the short, non-budget session.

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