By Niki Kelly | Editor-in-Chief
“It has become apparent that an agency that thrived on transparency and engaging the public to foster sound public policy has become a cabal in which citizen input has been stifled.” — Bart Harriman, former member of the Indiana Natural Resources Commission
Let’s hope this four-day week is a bit slower, because the past week was FULL of news.
Gov. Mike Braun took a leadership position from a utility regulator who cast a vote for a rate increase.
Indiana’s newest prison includes a space for a firing squad execution even though lawmakers haven’t approved it.
A longtime natural resources panel is coming apart at the seams.
Other big Indiana stories included changes to the GOP platform, a major move from Eli Lilly and Co. and a retirement program that is helping Hoosiers.
And I really enjoyed a national look we had on child labor laws.
** If you have been enjoying columns from Indianapolis Public Editor Tracey Compton, check out a list of public events with her below.
Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission Chair Andy Zay leads a daylong utility affordability hearing on March 24, 2026, at the IURC’s downtown Indianapolis headquarters. (Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Braun replaces chairman of the Utility Regulatory Commission days after AES rate-hike decision
By Casey Smith
Six months after tapping former state senator Andy Zay to lead the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, Gov. Mike Braun removed him from the chairman’s post Monday and installed Commissioner Anthony Swinger as the new leader.
The shake-up comes days after Braun publicly criticized regulators’ approval of a major AES Indiana rate increase.
A live look at ongoing construction at the site of the new Northwest Indiana Correctional Facility in Westville, taken on June 25, 2026. (Photo courtesy Indiana Department of Correction)
Indiana's new prison already equipped for firing squads as death penalty debate continues
By Casey Smith
As Indiana inches toward what could be its fourth state execution since resuming capital punishment, prison officials confirmed the state's next correctional complex is already equipped for an execution method Hoosier lawmakers have yet to authorize.
The Indiana Department of Correction confirmed to the Indiana Capital Chronicle that the new Westville Correctional Facility, now nearing completion, is designed to accommodate both lethal injection and firing squad executions. Indiana law currently allows only lethal injection.
The development comes as national death penalty policy increasingly converges in Indiana — and as federal officials lean on the Hoosier State for more flexibility.
COMMENTARY
A RAND study estimates the 1.3 million Hoosiers who used cannabis in 2024 spent approximately $1.8 billion on marijuana products. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
Using data to guide cannabis policy decisions
By Claire Fiddian-Green
Cannabis use in Indiana has more than doubled over the past decade, with growth especially pronounced among adults 26 and over. In total, RAND estimates the 1.3 million Hoosiers who used cannabis in 2024 spent approximately $1.8 billion on marijuana products.
At the same time, Indiana recorded over 13,000 cannabis-related arrests in 2024, with over 90% for possession and more than 75% in connection with non-cannabis charges. The state spends an estimated $10 million to $20 million annually on cannabis law enforcement.
NATIONAL NEWS
A fast food restaurant advertises jobs on the first day of summer. The Economic Policy Institute found a handful of states that eased labor laws for teenagers during this year’s legislative sessions. (Photo by Robbie Sequeira/Stateline)
States ease child labor laws ahead of summer hiring season
By Robbie Sequeira
For some teenagers across the country, the summer is the first opportunity to gain work experience for their nascent resume.
In a handful of states, however, teens who find jobs will find fewer protections under child labor laws. Four states — Indiana, Nebraska, Washington and West Virginia — enacted laws this year that weaken child labor protections, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank. In all, 13 states had bills seeking to weaken those protections; some are still under consideration.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Eli Lilly suspends access to drug discounts for some hospitals | Mackenzi Klemann
‘No benefit to waiting’: State initiative yields millions in claimed retirement resources | Leslie Bonilla Muñiz
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