8/26 Torchbearer Weekly Policy Update
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- Indiana Education Secretary Katie Jenner Unanimously Confirmed as New Higher Ed Commissioner
- Indiana's Tax Savings From the "Big, Beautiful Bill"
- Google Data Center Gets Another Approval Over Objection of Southsiders
- Survey Identifies Employer Roadblocks for Work-Based Learning for Students, Adults
- America’s Hottest— and Coolest — Job Markets
- Rural Communities Awarded $11M in Federal Improvement Grants
- How Many Boards and Commissions is Too Many? Task Force Seeks Answer
- Share the Torchbearer Newsletter with Your Network!
- Important Dates
Indiana Education Secretary Katie Jenner Unanimously Confirmed as New Higher Ed Commissioner
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has unanimously appointed Katie Jenner as the next commissioner, reinforcing Gov. Mike Braun’s strategy to unify education oversight from K-12 through college.
Why it matters: This move aims to streamline educational governance, potentially boosting alignment across K-12 and higher education sectors.
- Jenner will maintain her role as Secretary of Education while leading the higher education commission.
Leadership transition: Jenner will succeed Chris Lowery on Oct. 11, ensuring continuity in education leadership.
- Board member Dan Peterson emphasized the need for consistency and clarity across educational programs.
Challenges ahead: Jenner's focus will be on increasing college-going rates, particularly for low-income and minority students.
- She highlighted the state's high school redesign as a key initiative to provide students with early college credit opportunities.
Looking forward: Jenner aims to enhance partnerships between high schools, colleges, and employers to drive higher education enrollment.
- She acknowledges the need to demonstrate higher education's value amid declining college-going rates. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Indiana's Tax Savings From the "Big, Beautiful Bill"
Data: Tax Foundation; Map: Axios Visuals
President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" is expected to save Hoosiers an average of $3,047 on their federal taxes next year, according to an analysis released last week by the Tax Foundation.
Why it matters: The savings could free up money for people to spend on other things, which may be dearly needed as wages still haven't caught up with inflation and tariffs threaten to push costs further.
Catch up fast: The bill also includes new tax breaks for tips and overtime income, a cut for seniors, and an expanded child care tax cut, all of which expire in 2028.
Friction point: The bill also made steep cuts to social spending on food assistance and Medicaid, outweighing the benefits for many lower-income Americans. Those mostly don't kick in until 2027 and 2028.
By the numbers: Hoosiers will save a little less than the national average of $3,752 in 2026.
- Wyoming ($5,375) and Washington ($5,372) will experience the biggest breaks.
The fine print: Those figures are a comparison between the tax rate in 2026 and what it would've been had the big bill not passed and the 2017 tax cuts expired, Axios' Emily Peck and Jason Lalljee report.
Zoom in: Indiana's average cuts in 2026 range from $2,055 in rural Crawford County to $6,125 in affluent and suburban Hamilton County. (Axios)
Google Data Center Gets Another Approval Over Objection of Southsiders
The Metropolitan Development Commission voted 8-1 to advance a proposal to rezone 468 acres in Franklin Township for a Google-backed data center.
Why it matters: The rezoning decision has sparked concerns among local residents over potential environmental impacts and higher utility rates.
- Residents like Julie Goldsberry emphasize the importance of considering the impact on nearby homeowners.
Driving the news: Deep Meadow Ventures, created by Google, seeks to establish the data center, which would bring about 50 jobs to the area.
- Joseph D. Calderon, representing Deep Meadow Ventures, announced the plans during a recent meeting.
What's next: The proposal will move to the City-County Council for a vote, with a decision expected in late September.
- A public hearing on proposed tax incentives will be held on Oct. 1 at the City-County Building. (MirrorIndy)
Survey Identifies Employer Roadblocks for Work-Based Learning for Students, Adults
The recent survey highlights a gap between Indiana employers' interest in work-based learning and their capacity to implement it.
Why it matters: Addressing this gap is crucial for aligning workforce development with educational opportunities, ensuring that both students and adult learners can gain valuable on-the-job experience.
- Employers, especially smaller ones, face barriers like staff capacity, impacting their ability to offer training.
Survey insights: Conducted by Chamberlin/Dunn, LLC for the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute, the survey included 348 employers from diverse sectors.
- 85% are familiar with training opportunities, yet only 67% have trained youth and 73% adults.
Barriers to participation: The primary barrier cited by 56% of employers was staff availability to manage trainees.
- Financial burden and legal concerns were less significant.
What’s next: Indiana's new high school diploma redesign aims to increase apprenticeships, but success hinges on addressing these barriers.
- Employers seek wage subsidies and direct grants to facilitate participation, emphasizing a need for targeted support.
- The full report can be found here (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
America’s Hottest— and Coolest — Job Markets
The job market is hotter than average in some states but cooler in others, new data shows.
The big picture: Americans are feeling almost as gloomy about the job market as they did during the Great Recession — and entry-level workers are having an especially hard time getting their foot in the door.
By the numbers: South Dakota (1.9% unemployment); North Dakota (2.5%) and Vermont (2.6%) had July's lowest unemployment rates, based on preliminary and seasonally-adjusted Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Tuesday.
- Washington, D.C. (6%); California (5.5%) and Nevada (5.4%) had the highest.
- Compare those figures to the national unemployment rate of 4.2%.
Zoom in: California also had the only statistically significant month-to-month jump in unemployment among states, BLS says, rising 0.1 percentage points from June.
- The San Francisco Chronicle points to a faltering tech industry as part of the Golden State's problem, especially for younger workers.
- "It's brutal out there," Michael Bernick, former head of the state's Employment Development Department, told the paper.
- In D.C., meanwhile, the Trump administration's purge of federal workers triggered predictions of skyrocketing unemployment — though some agencies, like NOAA, are trying to staff back up following Elon Musk-driven DOGE cuts. (Axios)
Rural Communities Awarded $11M in Federal Improvement Grants
The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs is awarding nearly $11 million in federal grant funding to 15 rural communities throughout the state.
Why it matters: This funding supports essential infrastructure improvements and community development, enhancing the quality of life in rural Indiana.
- The grants will be used for expanding community facilities, improving water infrastructure, and eliminating blighted properties.
Driving the news: The City of Auburn, the Town of Silver Lake, and the City of Logansport are among the recipients focusing on public facility enhancements.
- Auburn is receiving $750,000 for the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum's facade preservation.
- Silver Lake will construct a new community center, and Logansport will renovate a historic memorial center.
What's next: Communities are set to begin projects that will address critical infrastructure needs, with a focus on sustainability and resilience.
- Vermillion County will demolish unsafe structures to eliminate blight.
- Water system improvements are planned for towns like Elwood, Montpelier, and Thorntown, enhancing public safety and system reliability. (Inside Indiana Business)
How Many Boards and Commissions is Too Many? Task Force Seeks Answer
An interim legislative task force in Indiana is confronting the challenges posed by the state's extensive network of boards and commissions, which have doubled in number over the past 25 years.
Why it matters: These bodies, which total at least 224 with gubernatorial appointments, play crucial roles in granting licenses, reviewing parole applications, and approving utility rate hikes. However, their proliferation has raised concerns about oversight and financial transparency.
- Tracking the finances and activities of these groups has proven difficult, with some lacking online information.
The big picture: The growth of these boards, across both Republican and Democrat administrations, reflects good intentions but also highlights the need for more efficient government operations.
- A recent report indicated that some boards meet frequently, while others do not, adding complexity to the oversight process.
What’s next: Lawmakers are considering measures to streamline these bodies, aiming to improve transparency and accountability.
- An updated financial assessment is anticipated to provide clearer insights into the costs associated with these boards. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
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Important Dates:
Artificial Intelligence Task Force: Thursday, August 28th at 2:00 pm
Artificial Intelligence Task Force: Monday, September 8th at 1:00 pm
Interim Study Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources: Thursday, September 11th at 1:00 pm
Interim Study Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications: Wednesday, September 24th at 1:30 pm
Interim Study Committee on Pension Management Oversight: Wednesday, September 24 at 1:30 pm
Interim Study Committee on Public Health, Behavioral Health, & Human Services: Thursday, September 25 at 1:00 pm
Interim Study Committee on Public Health, Behavioral Health, & Human Services: Wednesday, October 15 at 1:00 pm
Organization Day: Tuesday, November 18th