3/31/2026 Torchbearer Weekly Policy Update
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- ‘Big Five’ Indiana Utilities Defend Rates in Regulator Questioning
- Ascend Indiana Launches Work-Based Learning Initiative
- New Estimates Show Indianapolis Area Continues as Key for State’s Population Growth
- It’s a Woman’s Economy Now
- Sen. Todd Young Leading Latest Effort to Address National Debt
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- Important Dates
‘Big Five’ Indiana Utilities Defend Rates in Regulator Questioning
Indiana regulators questioned major energy providers on their rates, customer service, and more amid rising frustration from ratepayers.
Why it matters: Hoosiers are concerned about high energy bills, and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) is committed to addressing this issue.
- The IURC oversees utilities to ensure fair rates and reliable service, crucial for Indiana’s families and businesses.
What’s new: IURC Chair Andy Zay announced forthcoming actions to address these concerns, with expectations for changes within the next 60 days.
- “We’ve got to consolidate our efforts and determine where we want to go,” said Zay.
Details: Utility representatives highlighted several factors contributing to high bills, such as extreme temperatures and appliance efficiency.
- AES Indiana President Brandi Davis-Handy noted that residential bills have largely tracked inflation over time.
- CenterPoint’s Indiana President, Michael Roeder, touted a commitment to stable rates through 2027.
- I&M’s Steve Baker plans to seek a rate decrease in the first year of a new rate structure.
The big picture: Federal orders to keep coal plants open could complicate affordability efforts for two utilities, potentially costing NIPSCO $100 million and CenterPoint $1.2 million daily.
- Bipartisan concern over AES Indiana’s parent company acquisition by out-of-state investors was also discussed.
What they’re saying: Zay acknowledged the IURC’s role in approving contested rates and promised a culture change.
- “We have a role to play in this, absolutely,” he said, highlighting the need for improved collaboration.
What’s next: The IURC plans a listening tour across the state to hear directly from utility customers.
- Public feedback will guide future regulatory actions, with the potential for formal actions at upcoming public meetings.
- Governor Mike Braun supports efforts to protect ratepayers and reduce energy costs for Hoosier families. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Ascend Indiana Launches Work-Based Learning Initiative
Ascend Indiana has launched a statewide initiative to help schools and employers develop work-based learning opportunities for high school students.
Why it matters: This initiative addresses Indiana’s new high school diploma requirements, which mandate that students complete work-based learning experiences aligned to career pathways.
- Starting with the Class of 2029, these experiences will be essential for graduation, enhancing students‘ readiness for future careers.
Details: In partnership with the Indiana Department of Education, Ascend has compiled resources and established a network of partners to support these programs.
- A webpage offers practical tools for educators, employers, and community organizations to implement these experiences.
What’s next: The initiative empowers regional intermediaries to coordinate partnerships and build local infrastructure.
- Ascend’s network includes 20 intermediaries, like the Center of Workforce Innovations, EmployIndy, and Regional Opportunity Initiatives.
What they’re saying: “Work-based learning is essential for preparing Hoosier students with the skills, experience, and confidence they need,” said Jacqueline Kronk, chief strategy officer for the Office of the Indiana Secretary of Education. (Inside Indiana Business)
New Estimates Show Indianapolis Area Continues as Key for State’s Population Growth
Indianapolis and its suburbs fueled Indiana’s growth, adding 38,579 residents to reach 6.97 million.
Why it matters: Indiana’s growth surpasses neighboring states, showing a strong economic pull.
- Boone and Hancock counties were the fastest-growing.
- 26 rural counties faced population declines, highlighting regional disparities.
By the numbers: Indiana’s 0.56% growth rate ranks 22nd nationally and exceeds the 0.52% national rate.
- 57% of the state’s growth came from Indianapolis and surrounding counties.
- Hamilton and Hendricks counties saw over 10% growth since 2020.
The stakes: Rural counties struggle with population loss, impacting local economies.
- Efforts to retain and attract residents are crucial for these areas.
- Natural population decline is becoming a norm in many communities. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
It’s a Woman’s Economy Now
For only the third time ever, there are more women employed in the U.S. than men, according to federal data highlighted in a report from Indeed, the jobs site.
Why it matters: This isn't quite a women's empowerment story — what's happening in part is that traditional male-dominated occupations are shrinking, while female-led jobs are growing.
Between the lines: Overall, those jobs pay less than ones held by men.
- "If you're seeing a shift toward more female employment, all else equal, you would see a shift toward lower wages," Laura Ullrich, economic research director at Indeed, tells Axios.
Two dynamics are driving the shift:
1. The fastest-growing sector of the job market, particularly over the past year, is health care, where women dominate. Job growth in construction and manufacturing has been relatively flat or negative.
2. Men's participation in the job market has been declining. Male employment fell overall by 142,000 jobs from February 2025 to February 2026, Ullrich notes.
- That's also partly because the immigration crackdown pushed a lot more men out of the workforce and restricted their entry into it.
Friction point: It would seem like a no-brainer for more men to move into health care, but they so far have been reluctant to take jobs that can be perceived as "women's work."
- "There's no inherent reason that 95% of speech language pathologists are women," Ullrich says. "That's a good job. It pays six figures."
- "Men are missing out in the labor market because there are too many 'no-go' zones for male workers," economist Richard Reeves, founder of the advocacy group American Institute for Boys and Men, tells Axios.
Zoom out: For a long time, there was a big push to get more women into STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
- But there's been less of an effort to push more men into health care, or what Reeves calls HEAL professions: jobs in health and education that require literacy.
- Getting more men into jobs in health, social care and education matters for gender representation in those vital fields and would address labor shortages, he says.
- "It is also essential for improving job prospects for men themselves."
Flashback: The first time women outnumbered men in the job market was in the wake of the recession after the financial crisis. Male-dominated positions in construction and manufacturing were hard hit.
- The second time, the economy was booming just before the pandemic. Women who had made gains in education — with a growing share of college degrees — seemed better positioned to take advantage of the changing economy, as the New York Times noted then.
- What's happening now is basically a return to that trend line. (Axios)
Sen. Todd Young Leading Latest Effort to Address National Debt
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) is leading an effort to address America's fiscal imbalance and sounding the alarm about the danger of the ballooning national debt.
The big picture: The national debt is nearly $40 trillion, more than $113,000 for every person in the country.
- The federal government is expected to spend more than $1 trillion on interest this year, Young told Axios.
Between the lines: That's more than we spend on Medicare, the nation's largest health care program, and on national defense.
- "Obviously, this is unsustainable," Young said.
Driving the news: The Fiscal Commission Act introduced this month by Sens. Young, John Curtis (R-Utah) and Angus King (I-Maine) would create a bipartisan fiscal commission to find ways to stabilize spending and decrease the national debt.
- The 16-member commission would consist of 12 elected officials and four outside experts, appointed by the majority and minority leaders of the U.S. House and Senate.
- It would produce a report and propose legislation by May 2027.
Zoom in: The debt's impact on the national economy is hurting Hoosiers' ability to buy homes and grow their businesses and will, eventually, cause an economic crisis, says Carolyn Bourdeaux, executive director of the Concord Coalition, which advocates for fiscal responsibility.
- The solution, she says, is to put the budget on a path to balance over time. Too quickly, she said, would cause a different set of problems.
State of play: That's the goal of the Fiscal Commission Act.
- It calls for recommendations that stabilize the ratio of public debt to GDP within 15 years and improve the solvency of federal trust funds over 75 years.
- "We have an opportunity to avoid most of the pain," Young said. "I sense that this window … is closing very quickly."
- The act would allow any legislative proposals from the commission to get expedited consideration in both chambers.
Reality check: The idea of a fiscal commission to address the nation's ballooning debt isn't new.
The other side: In 2024, a group of 100 Democrats sent a letter to House leadership warning that such a commission could lead to cuts to Medicare and Social Security benefits.
- They pointed to past commissions that have historically recommended steps like cutting or privatizing Social Security, and argued that decisions on that scale shouldn't be left to "a small group of individuals behind closed doors."
The latest: Young told Axios he thinks the act has a "great chance" of getting passed this year.
What's next: Getting the Fiscal Commission Act created is just the first, and possibly easiest, step.
- Adopting solutions to tighten the national budget will likely require sacrifice — whether that's raising the retirement age or making cuts to entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.
- Public education is key, says Doug Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum and a distinguished fellow at Purdue's Daniels School of Business.
- "It requires some sacrifice," he said. "But that's an American tradition to sacrifice on behalf of the future, and this is a chance to do that." (Axios)
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Important Dates:
Important Dates:
May 5, 2026: Primary Election Day
May 12, 2026: Anticipated Technical Corrections Day