6/26/26 - Statehouse Happenings: Republicans Dump Diego, Ballard Produces Huge Signature Number

6/26/26 - Supreme Court give Trump wins, Holcomb promotes AI economy, Indy Dems want ethics changes

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob returning to the Chicago Bears stadium drama and saying Governor Mike Braun has finally admitted there is no signed deal bringing the team to Hammond. Rob argues Indiana officials have spent weeks misleading the public by acting like the move was inevitable, even though the Bears have only said they are advancing their pursuit of the Wolf Lake site. He says there is still no agreement, no commitment, and no proof the Bears are actually leaving Illinois. Rob says Indiana is being used as leverage while the Bears try to get a better stadium deal from Illinois. He points to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker telling the Bears to combine pieces of competing stadium bills and bring lawmakers a deal they can pass. Rob argues that if the Bears truly wanted the Indiana offer, they could have taken it months ago, but instead they keep giving Illinois more time. The discussion also focuses on the tax increases tied to the proposed Bears deal. Rob says Braun’s comments about Hoosiers accepting new taxes for “the greater good” should alarm anyone who thought Indiana Republicans were opposed to tax hikes. He argues both Republicans and Democrats have shown they are willing to move quickly for a billionaire sports franchise while asking taxpayers to carry the financial risk. The show also turns to two Supreme Court immigration rulings that sided with the Trump administration. Rob explains that one ruling allows the administration to end Temporary Protected Status protections for certain groups, including Haitians and Syrians, while the other allows border officials to stop migrants before they cross into the country and make asylum claims. Rob says both rulings are common sense and will matter in Indiana because immigration issues are affecting communities here as well. Rob also criticizes the Democratic-appointed justices for their dissents, especially Justice Sonia Sotomayor reading from the bench. He argues the rulings show why many voters still hesitate to support Democrats, even when they are frustrated with Republicans, because Democrats continue taking positions on immigration that seem disconnected from common sense border enforcement. Rob says Trump deserves credit on immigration, especially for prioritizing both deportations and preventing questionable asylum claims before they enter the legal system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

6/26/26 - Statehouse Happenings: Republicans Dump Diego, Ballard Produces Huge Signature Number

The Republican power structure completed its quest to rid themselves of Diego Morales. The incumbent Secretary of State was easily dispatched at the convention in Fort Wayne. Now the GOP turns to unvetted Max Engling to hold the office. A task that could get more difficult as Greg Ballard has eclipsed 64,000 signatures. On Statehouse Happenings, Rob Kendall, Jim Merritt, and Abdul-Hakim Shabazz discuss a wild week in the Secretary of State's race. You can find more information at RobKendallShow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

6/25/26 - Greenwood residents fight Buc-ee's, Moreau recalls Bayh Admin, Hogsett denies wish list

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob examining the fight in Greenwood over a proposed Buc-ee’s travel center. Rob says the opposition is more thoughtful than a simple “not in my backyard” reaction, because residents acknowledge growth is coming but question whether a 74,000-square-foot travel center, hundreds of fuel and charging stations, and the extra development it could bring are right for their community. He argues their concerns about traffic, land use, and long-term character deserve to be taken seriously. Rob says the Buc-ee’s story matters beyond Greenwood because it shows why more residents need to organize against bad or poorly planned development. He argues too many communities get dazzled by big-name projects without asking who actually benefits, what costs residents will bear, and how the project will affect the area years later. Rob says he hopes the Greenwood opposition inspires people in other towns to push back on school referendums, data centers, and other local government decisions. The show also previews a conversation with Bill Moreau, publisher of The Indiana Citizen and former chief of staff to Evan Bayh. Rob says Moreau’s perspective is useful for understanding how Indiana Democrats went from sharing power in the state to being almost completely shut out. He also highlights The Indiana Citizen’s focus on school board races, especially now that candidates can identify by party affiliation again. Another major topic is the Indiana Republican Party adding closed primaries to its platform. Rob argues Republicans want to make it harder for people to vote in their primaries while still forcing every taxpayer to fund those elections. He says if parties want private elections where they control who participates, they should pay for and run them themselves instead of using public money, public workers, and public election systems. The discussion also turns to Lebanon’s proposed police station referendum and the broader collapse of Indiana’s property tax system. Rob says taxpayers already pay enough to expect basic services like police, fire, roads, bridges, water, and sewer without being asked for another tax hike. Rob argues local governments face no real penalty for putting referendums on the ballot, so they keep using police, schools, roads, or children as shields to demand more money instead of learning to operate within existing tax limits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

6/24/26 - Elliott defends GOP flip on Diego, NFL tells Sorsby to get lost, MTG bails on Republicans

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show focuses on the Republican Party’s attempt to move past Diego Morales without fully holding him accountable. Rob previews a heated conversation with State Treasurer Daniel Elliott, arguing that many Republicans did nothing about Morales for years, then only turned on him once they believed he could lose the Secretary of State race. Rob says the issue is not just replacing Morales, but exposing what happened and holding people accountable. Rob also reacts to conservative media figures questioning why Greg Ballard is still running now that Morales is no longer the Republican nominee. He argues Ballard’s campaign was never only about Morales, but about a broken political system that enabled him. Rob says Ballard collecting tens of thousands of signatures without a party machine proves there is real demand for more competition and more voices outside the Republican-Democrat structure. The show also turns to the Indiana Republican Party adding property tax elimination to its platform. Rob says that sounds good on paper, but warns that J.D. Prescott’s proposal would replace property taxes with a new 7% sales tax on services, potentially raising the overall tax burden on Hoosiers. Rob argues true property tax reform should force local governments to spend less, not simply move the tax burden somewhere else while giving government even more money. Another major topic is the Chicago Bears stadium drama. Rob says he has believed all along that the Bears are using Indiana and its politicians to get a better deal from Illinois. He points to Illinois leaders now signaling they may call a special session if the Bears help put together a workable stadium bill, while Indiana politicians continue acting as though Hammond is a done deal. The episode closes with Rob arguing that the Bears situation reveals how quickly Indiana politicians move for powerful interests compared to ordinary taxpayers. He says whether or not the Bears ever come to Indiana, Hoosiers should remember how much energy, money, and urgency lawmakers were willing to spend on a billionaire sports franchise while moving slowly on property taxes, utility bills, and other everyday problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

6/23/26 - Greg Ballard's BIG Announcement, Braun lashes out at IURC, Tucker bails on Republicans

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show focuses on Greg Ballard’s independent campaign for Indiana Secretary of State and Rob’s belief that Ballard should not be underestimated. Rob says Republicans spent years treating Ballard as the gold standard when he was mayor of Indianapolis, only to turn on him once he launched an independent statewide run. He argues Ballard’s likely success in collecting nearly 37,000 verified signatures would be a major political achievement because Indiana’s ballot access rules are designed to protect Republicans and Democrats from serious independent challengers. Rob says Ballard could reshape the Secretary of State race even if he does not win. He argues Ballard will likely pull voters from Republicans, independents, and even Beau Bayh’s Marion County base, making the race more competitive and forcing the major-party candidates to work harder. Rob says Ballard’s presence would make the election more serious because candidates would no longer be able to coast through a weak, predictable Republican-versus-Democrat contest. The show also covers Governor Braun removing Andy Zay as chairman of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission after Zay voted for an AES rate increase. Rob says the move is mostly symbolic because Zay remains on the board and only loses part of his salary. He argues Braun owns the problem because he appointed Zay in the first place, despite Zay being an insider and former state senator who helped create the same utility system Braun now claims to oppose. Rob says Braun’s outrage over utility rates rings hollow because he never required his IURC picks to pledge against rate increases and previously signed legislation allowing utilities to recover costs for small modular reactor development. He argues Indiana’s utility system is bought and sold by powerful companies, and that Braun keeps responding to public anger with gestures that look tough but do not actually change the structure causing higher bills. Another major topic is Buc-ee’s proposing its first Indiana location in Greenwood near I-65 and Worthville Road. Rob says the local pushback is more reasonable than it may sound because residents are not simply rejecting development; they are questioning whether a massive travel stop serves the community or mostly benefits transient traffic. He says Greenwood residents are right to ask about traffic, rezoning, local businesses, tax impact, and whether a big-name project actually improves life for the people who live there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]