Indiana Republicans needlessly raised taxes by $1 billion last April. Needless not just in the sense that their $44 billion biennial budget was too big and inefficient, but because the state could not even properly forecast its revenue, and we all paid for it.
State officials recently announced a budget surplus of close to $2 billion, and reserves at nearly $4 billion. Instead of acknowledging he confiscated more than they needed, and seeking to return that money to taxpayers, Gov. Mike Braun appears to prefer legal vote buying.
That means taking money from the masses, then spending it on specific programs that benefit a select group to earn their votes. In this case, Braun is doling out hundreds of millions of dollars from tax increases to subsidize daycare.
The state budget was rushed
When the budget was forecast, Braun and the General Assembly claimed they were deeply concerned about how much money the state would have due to tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump.
But to avoid a government shutdown, the state did not need to pass a budget until June 30. Legislators could have taken two months off and reconvened in a special session when the economic picture was clearer. State Sen. Ed Delaney, D-Indianapolis, argued federal cuts would require lawmakers to revisit the issue in a special session, anyway.
Instead, Republicans plowed ahead, passing the budget and using a massive tax increase to fill their perceived funding gap. They were wrong. The state’s reserves are now projected to grow to more than $5 billion next year.
“Surplus” and “reserves” are government speak for overtaxation, when elected officials take in more than they need to fund operations. The logical answer would be to immediately return the unneeded tax increases to the citizens, but giving money back is not the way for Indiana Republicans.
Hoosiers were overtaxed so Braun could buy votes
Back in April, Braun announced he was allocating $200 million to a program that expands access to Child Care and Development Fund vouchers. The state estimated it would take 14,000 kids off a waiting list. Recently, Braun said he is prepared to ask for more. All of that will pay only for low-income people to have their daycare costs reduced.
As someone who pays full price every week for childcare, I want to know why my family is treated as less-than. Why am I forced to pay in full while another family gets a subsidy? The answer is I live in a home with two incomes. I messed up by being a responsible adult and creating a stable financial environment.
Having a child is a choice. Yet some of us bear the full responsibilities of our obligations, while others continually wait with a hand extended. Our Republican government in Indiana is more than happy to put cash into it, if it thinks it will win votes.
My real issue, though, is not with the people getting the freebie. It is the government who gives it to them.
The announcements by Braun show just how horribly Republicans run our state. The Family and Social Services Administration announced it was cutting voucher reimbursement rates to plug a $225 million funding gap in September of 2025. Less than a year later, the governor not only replaced the reduction in funds his administration insisted on, but now wants more.
The way Braun has incorrectly budgeted for the state during his first two years in office, it’s hard to believe any company he ran stayed in business for more than six hours.
Taxpayers deserve their money back
Taxpayers had $1 billion needlessly taken. They should be first in line to get their money back. Instead, Braun’s knee-jerk reaction to potentially sitting on over $5 billion next year is figuring out how fast he can spend it.
Neither Braun nor other elected officials are talking about a refund. In fact, state legislators appear to have closed the door on a special session to continue the one thing they are doing to help the taxpayers: keeping the gas taxes suspended.
The Indiana Republican Party is the party of “shut up and pay.” It is also the party of handouts. Indiana Republicans do not care at all about competency. Under Braun, we are governed by quick responses based on information from people who keep getting it wrong.
The worst part about it is most of these people hang onto their jobs. There is rarely any punishment for being incorrect. The taxpayers are the ones who suffer.
Rob Kendall is the host of the Rob Kendall Show, which airs weekdays 9 a.m. to noon live on YouTube and is then available on-demand on most major podcast platforms.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Gov. Mike Braun buys votes with subsidized daycare | Opinion
Reporting by Rob Kendall, Opinion Contributor / Indianapolis Star
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By Rob Kendall, Opinion Contributor | USA TODAY Network
