Indiana Democratic Party

01/15/2026 | Press release | Archived content

“Anyone Else Would Be Fired” – INDems Response to State of State

"Anyone Else Would Be Fired" - INDems Response to State of State

January 15, 2026

INDIANAPOLIS - On Wednesday, Indiana Governor Mike Braun delivered his State of the State address before a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly.

Indiana Democratic Party Chair Karen Tallian released the following statement in response:

"Hoosiers are interested in workers, wages and wallets, but Governor Braun continues to pander to corporate interests and elites that put him in power. Hoosiers can see the truth: 20+ years of Republican rule have created this affordability crisis in Indiana.

"Due to the Republican Party's failing economic policies, wages are stagnant, costs are rising and small businesses are hurting. Even larger businesses are struggling, such as Dalton Corporation foundry in Warsaw, Ind. which recently announced it was closing its doors after 100 years in business. Braun failed to mention the tsunami of rural hospital closures, which has left some communities, such as Dearborn County, Ind., with no place for women to safely give birth.

"In his rosy assessment of the Indiana economy, Braun also fails to mention the crumbling roads and potholes across the state. He fails to mention the looming disasters for local government and impending cuts to local police and fire departments, all thanks to yet another GOP misguided property tax overhaul.

"Braun and the Republican legislature continue to drive our economy off the cliff. From my position in the Senate, I watched years of failed Republican policies on so many counts: road funding, worker rights, health care and more. Each "fix" required a subsequent "fix"; and they are responsible for every mistake.

"What started as bickering among the factions of the Republican party has now evolved into all out public warfare, resulting in what appears to be a legislative session where they will accomplish nothing except establish an official state sandwich.

"Anyone else who performed this poorly for this long would be fired on the spot."

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Indiana Democratic Party published this content on January 15, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 19, 2026 at 13:59 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]