By Tom Davies | Deputy Editor
“Right now, it’s a program that drains public schools to subsidize families who never needed the help.” — state Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute
Eligibility for Indiana’s private school voucher program has kept expanding since it started in 2011. As of this school year, it's open to all families, regardless of income.
We have another story on how a debate over Indiana’s ban on transgender youth playing in girls school sports flared up in the secretary of state’s race, of all places.
Plus, a commentary about Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s decision to take to a church pulpit and preach on “how to hate properly.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun tours Cardinal Ritter High School in Indianapolis on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (Photo by Mackenzi Klemann/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Braun touts start of universal school choice in Indiana
By Mackenzi Klemann
Indiana's K-12 school voucher program reached a new milestone when students returned this month: All Hoosier students are now eligible for the state's publicly funded choice scholarship to offset the cost of private school tuition, regardless of family income.
Gov. Mike Braun toured Cardinal Ritter Catholic High School in Indianapolis on Thursday to commemorate the occasion — a key priority of his administration and Republican lawmakers.
People rally in support of transgender rights outside of the Indiana Statehouse on Feb. 5, 2025. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Spat breaks out in secretary of state's race over Indiana transgender sports ban
By Tom Davies
Indiana’s law banning transgender youth from girls school sports has emerged as a potential wedge issue in the race for secretary of state — despite the office having no role in the topic.
Republican nominee Max Engling and his campaign jumped on comments from Lincoln Party candidate Greg Ballard saying he regarded the law adopted in 2022 as “unnecessary.” Engling characterizes the former Republican Indianapolis mayor’s position as out of touch with conservatives.
COMMENTARY
Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith preaches at Faith Baptist Church in Elkhart on July 26, 2026. (Photo from public livestream)
Beckwith sermon, once again, draws the wrong kind of attention
By Niki Kelly
A friend reached out the other day, disappointed and sad that Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith gave a sermon entitled “How to Hate Properly” in the church she grew up in. He was wearing Indiana's torch and stars on his chest.
Here we are again, with Beckwith bringing negative attention to the great state of Indiana.
The question is whether Gov. Mike Braun and Republicans will do anything about it.
NATIONAL NEWS
A person works on a condominium in Chicago. Some U.S. cities are trying to modernize the housing permitting process by adopting AI tools. (Photo by Robbie Sequeira/Stateline)
Cities turn to AI to speed housing permitting
By Robbie Sequeira
New housing projects can sometimes stall out as a developer applies to city or county planning boards and goes through cycles of inspections, reviews and approvals.
Now, cities are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to address one of the most persistent sources of housing permitting delays: incomplete applications. And two new streams of federal money aim to help them.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
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