7/2/26 - Braun's creative office funding, Blythe backs Bayh, Indy approves data center rules

7/2/26 - Braun's creative office funding, Blythe backs Bayh, Indy approves data center rules

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob breaking down a Capital Chronicle report on how Governor Mike Braun funds much of his office staff through other state agencies. Rob says the practice may be legal and has been used by past governors, but argues Braun is using it to make his office look lean while shifting costs elsewhere. He points to the report showing that more than half of payroll for identified governor’s office employees is funded by other agencies. Rob highlights examples including Braun’s spokesman being paid through the Family and Social Services Administration, staff tied to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles making more than actual BMV communications staff, and an INDOT-funded senior policy adviser earning more than the INDOT commissioner. He says the most troubling example is the Public Access Counselor’s budget being used to pay a deputy general counsel for the governor while that office has only a few employees and limited ability to issue transparency opinions. The discussion frames the issue as a broader example of how difficult it is for regular people to understand where taxpayer money is really going. Rob says Indiana is more transparent than many states, but argues the system is still too complicated for normal citizens to track without investigative reporting. He says it is especially revealing that agencies constantly claiming they need more money or tax increases still have money flowing out to support the governor’s office. Another segment focuses on Abdul Hakim-Shabazz’s reporting that the Mid-States Corridor may be coming back through a workaround. Rob explains the proposed road would connect I-64 and I-69 in southern Indiana, despite major opposition from residents and concerns about billions in taxpayer costs. He says lawmakers previously placed guardrails around the project, but Abdul is now reporting that private backers may try to raise enough money to avoid triggering Budget Committee review. Rob says if private money is routed through INDOT to condemn Hoosier farmland, the project could potentially move forward without the General Assembly taking a direct vote. He argues that would be an extraordinary way to revive a road many locals do not want, especially when the governor and his family have been publicly tied to potential business benefits from the corridor. Rob says the reporting is not confirmed, but based on how the state has handled the project so far, the possibility does not surprise him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

7/2/26 - Statehouse Happenings: More IURC Drama as Commissioner Calls it Quits

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission is headed for more drama as Commissioner David Veleta has announced his upcoming resignation. Veleta is calling it quits on the heels of a controversial decision by Veleta and Braun appointed Commissioner Andy Zay to approve a massive rate increase for AES. The vote sparked a massive rebuke from the governor and resulted in him removing Zay as Chairman. On this week's Statehouse Happenings, Jim Merritt, who is a part of a nominating committee which will present Governor Braun with options to replace Veleta, joins Rob Kendall to discuss the process, and the latest IURC controversy. You can find more information at RobKendallShow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

7/1/26 - Supremes side with illegals, Braun gets another IURC appointment, Rebels take over House

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob focusing on another upcoming vacancy at the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission after David Valetta announced he is stepping down. Rob says Governor Mike Braun will get another chance to remake the board after his previous appointees helped approve a $70-million-plus AES rate increase. Rob argues utility rate increases are effectively tax increases because customers have no real ability to shop around or choose another provider. Rob says Hoosiers are increasingly angry because utility bills keep rising while data centers and major corporations appear to be driving more demand for electricity. He argues regular people are being forced to subsidize huge companies through higher rates while the utilities still benefit from government-protected monopolies. Rob also points to rising profits among Indiana’s major for-profit utilities as evidence that the system is not truly serving ratepayers. The discussion also turns to Braun’s claim that affordability is his top priority as he looks for a new IURC commissioner. Rob says that message is disingenuous unless Braun demands appointees publicly pledge not to approve rate hikes. He argues the real fix would require the General Assembly to change the laws that guide the IURC, because current statutes give utilities legal avenues to challenge the commission if rate requests are rejected. Another segment focuses on NPR briefly publishing and then retracting a report that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was retiring. Rob says the mistake shows how media outlets operate behind the scenes, with major stories written, queued, and ready to publish before they are confirmed. He argues the incident reinforces why taxpayers should not be forced to fund public broadcasting, especially when NPR had to retract a major Supreme Court story after the Court said it was inaccurate. Rob also comments on pressure from some Republicans for Alito and Clarence Thomas to retire while Donald Trump is in position to replace them. He says that would be foolish because Alito and Thomas remain among the strongest conservative justices on the Court, and there is no guarantee Trump’s replacements would be better. Rob points to mixed results from Trump’s previous Supreme Court nominees and argues conservatives should not rush out their best justices just because they are older. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

6/30/26 - Ballard's signature total, Supremes rule on election integrity, Rokita's threats

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob reacting to Governor Mike Braun’s latest comments on whether he will extend Indiana’s gas tax suspension. Rob argues the entire debate proves his long-running point that Indiana is overtaxing people, because if the state can suspend the gas tax while still funding road projects through surplus money, then the tax was not truly necessary in the first place. He says “surplus” is just another word for overtaxation when government collects more than it needs to operate. Rob says Braun should not base the gas tax decision on the current price of fuel, the Middle East, or political concerns about Trump and Republicans. His argument is simpler: either the tax is needed or it is not. Rob says the state has spent years warning that roads would suffer without automatic gas tax increases, but Braun’s suspension has shown projects can continue without that money because the state already has too much taxpayer cash. The discussion also ties gas prices to the conflict with Iran and instability around the Strait of Hormuz. Rob says the tax suspension is masking the effect of higher fuel prices rather than giving Hoosiers the real benefit they should be seeing. He argues that if Indiana permanently eliminated unnecessary gas taxes during a normal price environment, drivers could see meaningful savings instead of merely being shielded from the cost of bad foreign policy decisions. Another segment focuses on Attorney General Todd Rokita threatening to sue Merrillville over its opposition to a potential ICE detention facility in local warehouses. Rob says he strongly supports immigration enforcement and deportation efforts, but believes local officials still have a legitimate duty to ask how a major detention operation would affect water, sewer, police, fire, emergency services, roads, land use, and taxpayers. He argues that raising those questions is not automatically the same thing as obstructing ICE. Rob says Rokita may have a case if Merrillville officials are actually blocking federal enforcement or retaliating against property owners, but based on what has been presented, the town appears to be expressing opposition and asking for protections before any facility moves forward. He compares it to other major land-use fights, arguing that local officials should not simply roll over for the federal government when their community may bear the costs. Rob says the key question is whether Merrillville has truly violated the law or whether Rokita is grabbing a headline before anything concrete has happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

6/29/26 - Jesse Brown rejects Bayh, Noblesville business blasts Mayor, Socialist takeover for Democrats?

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob previewing Greg Ballard’s next step in the Secretary of State race, as Ballard’s campaign prepares to turn in signatures for independent ballot access. Rob says Nathan Gotch, the campaign’s leader, will reveal the final number and explain how the campaign pulled it off without a party machine. Rob argues every Hoosier should want more people to have access to the ballot, whether they ultimately vote for Ballard or not. Rob says the Secretary of State race will test whether frustrated Republicans are actually willing to leave the party when viable alternatives exist. He argues voters will have Beau Bayh as a mainstream Democrat, Greg Ballard as a serious independent with name ID and infrastructure, and a Libertarian option, meaning Republican voters can no longer claim they had no other choice. Rob says anyone who votes Republican this fall is effectively accepting the party’s record and should stop complaining about how Republicans treat taxpayers. The show also reflects on Rob’s interview with Indianapolis City-County Councilor Jesse Brown. Rob says Brown is one of the few Democrats willing to challenge corruption, oppose data centers, and criticize the system that produced Indianapolis’ fiscal problems. At the same time, Rob questions whether people like Brown can separate legitimate criticism of crony capitalism from democratic socialism, which Rob argues ultimately leads to absolutism and less free thought. Another major topic is Michael Hicks’ column on data centers and Indiana’s tax system. Rob says data centers consume major amounts of power, water, and land while receiving large tax advantages, including abatements, sales tax exemptions, and favorable treatment on business personal property. He argues the state keeps giving away the farm to companies that create few long-term jobs and do not clearly produce enough value for the communities they enter. The discussion also turns to a Capital Chronicle analysis of property taxes and the growing burden on homeowners. Rob says residential property now makes up more than three quarters of Indiana’s assessed value, while businesses continue receiving deductions, depreciation benefits, abatements, and incentives. He argues the system is rigged toward large corporations and against homeowners, and says local governments should have to explain where all the money went after years of rising assessments and pandemic-era revenue growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]