Braun overhauls IEDC board, appoints well-known Democrat, over displeasure with state agency
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has completely overhauled the leadership of the state's economic development arm, the latest of several moves that signal Braun is departing from his predecessors in the operation of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
Braun announced June 23 that he appointed nine new members to the IEDC's board, including entrepreneurs, business owners, a union representative, and even a Democrat: former gubernatorial candidate John Gregg.
None of the prior members were retained.
'I spent my life building a business here in Indiana, and I know that having an entrepreneurial, high-energy team in your corner makes all the difference," Braun said in a statement.
Braun said "each of them knows the importance of growing wages and creating job opportunities for Hoosiers because they've done it in their own communities."
Braun told reporters to expect a full overhaul of the board, which oversees how millions of dollars worth of economic development incentives are doled out. The quasi-state agency has been criticized in the past by both Republicans and Democrats for not operating with enough transparency in its dealings.
"I think that board got to be maybe not as active as it should have been and I've got a lot of people interested in it," Braun said last week.
The former board members include Penske Entertainment Corp. president Mark D. Miles, executive chairman of Lake City Bank Michael Kubacki and Fair Oaks Farms cofounder Sue McCloskey, among others.
Braun thanked prior members for their service, which ended with the appointment of new members, in a statement sent June 23.
The new members to the IEDC board include: Gregg, who is also the former Indiana House Speaker; Family Express convenience stores owner Gus Olympidis of Valparaiso; George Thomas, a Granger entrepreneur of the companies Adorn, Duo-Form and more; RepuCare founder and CEO Billie Dragoo of Indianapolis; International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 member David Fagan; commercial real estate and waste industry entrepreneur Greg Gibson; Waterfield Enterprises and Asset Management chairman Richard Waterfield; Runnebohm Construction vice president Chris King of Shelbyville; and Indiana State Department of Agriculture leader Don Lamb.
This story will be updated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
12 minutes ago
New York governor seeks to build the state's first new nuclear power plant in decades
NEW YORK -- New York's governor on Monday proposed the construction of the state's first new nuclear power plant in decades. Gov. Kathy Hochul directed the state's power authority to develop an advanced, 'zero-emission' facility in upstate New York that she hopes will help create a clean, reliable and affordable electric grid for the state. She said the state power authority will seek to develop 'at least' one new nuclear energy facility with a combined capacity of no less than one gigawatt of electricity. That would increase the state's total nuclear capacity to about 4.3 gigawatts. The Democrat said the state needs to secure its 'energy independence' if it wants to continue to attract large manufacturers that create good-paying jobs as it deactivates aging fossil fuel power plants. 'We're going to get it done,' Hochul said, speaking at the Niagara County Power Project in Lewiston. 'This historic initiative will lay the foundation for the next generation of prosperity.' The governor said the state hasn't decided on a potential location, but that upstate communities appear receptive, given the potential for creating 1,600 construction jobs and 1,200 permanent jobs once the facility is operational. 'Everybody is raising their hand right now,' Hochul said. 'It's going to be hard to decide.' Among those likely in the running is the Nine Mile Point nuclear plant in Oswego. Hochul's administration has been supportive of Maryland power company Constellation's bid to build a new nuclear reactor at the two-reactor facility. American utilities have been broadly reluctant to launch new nuclear plants due to high cost overruns and delays on recent high-profile projects. Georgia Power Company completed the first two new nuclear reactors in the country in a generation last year. But Units 3 and 4 at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia, cost nearly $35 billion and were powered up some seven years later than initially hoped. Last month, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation's largest public power company, applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop what it bills as a next-generation nuclear power plant at its Clinch River site in Oak Ridge. The federally owned utility provides electricity to seven states and operates three traditional, large nuclear power plants, providing about 40% of the Tennessee Valley's power. New York currently has three active nuclear plants, all located upstate along Lake Ontario and owned by Constellation. The Nine Mile Point, Robert Emmett Ginna and James A. FitzPatrick plants provide about 3.3 gigawatts of power, or roughly 20% of the state's electricity, according to Hochul's office. The last nuclear power plant built in the state was Unit 2 at Nine Mile Point in 1989. At its peak, nuclear power provided about 5.4 gigawatts, or roughly one-third of the state's electrical supply, according to the advocacy group Nuclear New York. The New York Power Authority previously operated two nuclear plants, including the Indian Point Power Plant, which shut down in 2021. That facility was located along the Hudson River some 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York City in Buchanan. The other facility, once operated by the state, was the FitzPatrick plant, which the power authority sold in 2000 and is now run by Constellation.
Politico
16 minutes ago
- Politico
RonJohn to White House
House Republicans are aiming to slash funding for the nonpartisan watchdog for waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government by nearly half in the next fiscal year, according to spending bill text released Sunday night. The House Appropriations subcommittee funding Congress and its support agencies, led by chairman David Valadao (R-Calif.), is set to mark up their fiscal 2026 measure Monday evening, with the full committee set to act Thursday. The Legislative Branch bill would provide $6.7 billion — $51 million below the current funding level, which was set in fiscal 2024. Per tradition, the House bill does not touch any Senate funding. 'Chairman Valadao's bill puts the American people first — in strengthening the institutions that represent them, protecting effective governance, and safeguarding taxpayer dollars,' said House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) in a statement. The deepest cuts in the bill are to the Government Accountability Office, an arm of Congress that would see a $396.5 million reduction from current levels to $415.4 million. GAO has served as the nation's chief investigator of wrongdoing at federal agencies for more than a century, but has been fighting for months as Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration have attempted to undercut its legal conclusions and independence. Now, they are attempting to shrink the agency into submission as it pursues nearly 40 investigations into whether the White House is illegally withholding, or 'impounding,' money Congress had previously approved. Also tucked into the bill is a major policy change that would eliminate the GAO's ability to bring civil action against the executive branch over impoundments of funds. 'GAO's work makes it possible for the legislative branch to hold government accountable,' said Daniel Schuman, executive director of the American Governance Institute. 'Congress needs independent expert advice, which is exactly what GAO provides.' Also on the chopping block is the Library of Congress, which is another legislative branch agency also engaged in a power struggle against intrusion by the Trump administration. The bill allocates $767.6 million for the Library of Congress, which is $84.5 million below the current funding level and $133.7 million below the FY26 request. 'This bill does nothing to safeguard against the growing levels of executive overreach into legislative branch agencies,' said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the legislative branch subcommittee. Some other key provisions in the GOP-written bill include: Capitol Security: U.S. Capitol Police would see a $84.4 million boost to their funding under the bill, bringing the total to $891 million. Some lawmakers had asked for an increase in office funding for use for security, but the bill flat-funds the Members Representational Allowance, which can be used for some member security purposes. USCP Oversight: The measure specifies that the Capitol Police chief may not designate anyone as a deputy chief or assistant chief without the approval of the Capitol Police Board, and that those serving in those positions serve at the pleasure of both the chief and the board. It also includes language asserting that the department's chief administrative officer reports to the chief and can be terminated by the chief and the board. Member Pay: The bill would continue the member pay freeze that has been in effect since 2013, halting automatic cost of living increases that members of Congress are supposed to get under law. Gay marriage: The bill includes language that prohibits discrimination against any person who 'speaks, or acts' in accordance with a 'sincerely held religious belief, or moral conviction, that marriage is, or should be recognized as, a union of one man and one woman.'
New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
Ford Will Keep Battery Factory Even if Republicans Axe Tax Break
Ford Motor said on Monday that it was committed to completing and opening a battery plant in Michigan, even if Congress and President Trump make the project ineligible for tax incentives. The $3 billion plant, in Marshall, Mich., 100 miles west of Detroit, uses battery and manufacturing technology that Ford licensed from a Chinese company, Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., known as CATL. Ford decided to build the factory two years ago under the expectation that a portion of the cost would be offset by federal tax credits provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s signature energy and climate change legislation. But Republicans in Congress are working on a policy bill that could bar federal support for battery plants that use Chinese technology or materials. Mr. Trump has supported that effort and sharply criticized Democratic efforts to encourage the use and production of electric vehicles. At a tour of the factory on Monday, Lisa Drake, Ford's vice president for technology platform programs and E.V. systems, said the company would move ahead even if such restrictions were signed into law. 'We don't want to back off on this facility,' Ms. Drake told reporters. 'When we invest, we stick behind our investments. Ford is a company that will weather the storm until we get there.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
