By Niki Kelly and Mackenezi Klemann
Indiana Capital Chronicle

Gov. Mike Braun issued an executive order Wednesday to enact a 30-day suspension of the 7% sales tax on gasoline — with the potential for extensions.

“I am declaring a gas tax holiday to give Hoosiers relief from the pain at the pump from high gas prices,” Braun said in a news release. “Affordability is my top priority.”

The order is in effect now through May 8. Braun called on retailers to pass savings directly to customers, noting the state will be monitoring prices to make sure.

Taxes on fuel in Indiana are made up of the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, the state excise tax of 36 cents per gallon and the 7% state sales tax.

The current average cost for a gallon of gas in Indiana, according to AAA, is $4.14 — of which about 17 cents is attributable to the sales tax.

Braun estimated savings for Hoosiers could reach $50 million a month. He will revisit the emergency declaration in 30 days.

Attorney General Todd Rokita also announced that his office will actively monitor fuel prices across the state and enforce price gouging protections.

“Hoosiers deserve the full relief intended by this emergency measure and we will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the removal of the tax translates into lower prices at the pump — and that consumers are not taken advantage of during this time,” Rokita said in a news release. “If a consumer suspects that a gas station in Indiana is still charging tax during the suspension, they should file a consumer complaint with our office.”

History of suspending gasoline sales tax

In 2000, then-Gov. Frank O’Bannon suspended the sales tax on gasoline for two 60-day periods heading into an election. It saved motorists more than $46 million.

At that time, gas was nearing $2 a gallon; the savings were between 8 and 10 cents per gallon.

O’Bannon cited a 1981 statute allowing him to declare an energy emergency if “an existing or projected shortfall of at least eight percent (8%) of motor fuel or of other energy sources that threatens to seriously disrupt or diminish energy supplies to the extent that life, health, or property may be jeopardized.”

The law doesn’t specifically mention fuel taxes, but it allows the governor to “suspend the provisions of any state statute regulating transportation or the orders or rules of any state agency if strict compliance with any of the provisions would prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with the energy emergency.”

Authority unclear

But in 2007, then-Gov. Mitch Daniels asked the Attorney General’s Office whether he had the authority to suspend the sales tax on gas.

The letter, signed by then Chief Deputy Attorney General Gregory Zoeller, said it was “clear that a suspension of a sales tax is not among those powers enumerated by this statute nor does it fall with the same category of those within the 1981 act.”

“Without further legislative action granting the governor the authority to suspend the gas tax, we agree that this authority is not within the intent of the 1981 statute,” the letter continued.

A message to Rokita’s office seeking clarity on authority wasn’t immediately returned. All AG opinions are non-binding.

“We feel this is within the latitude of what I’m able to do,” Braun told reporters Wednesday, citing the cumulative effect of inflation.

“The emergency was created by conditions outside our control,” he said, “and that was done in D.C. — not particularly on fuel, but in many of those years it was way above $4. We’ve been carrying that burden for a long time.”

The executive order said the ongoing war with Iran “has threatened the global supply of oil,” with 20% to 25% of the world’s crude oil production shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have blocked the strait in recent weeks.

When asked about the 8% shortage requirement, the governor’s office cited the executive order.

Braun praised President Donald Trump for negotiating a two-week ceasefire with Iran, which he said should lead to lower fuel prices over time.

“This is big news,” Braun said. “You can already see it in the markets. We’ll begin to see that peace dividend over time, and there’s now clarity in terms of what they’re doing.”

Legislative reaction

Half a dozen Senate Republicans released statements supporting the move, including the chamber’s leader.

“Senate Republicans have led on issues of affordability for years, resulting in one of the lowest costs of living in the country for Hoosiers, but the recent spike in gas prices is still leaving many Hoosiers feeling undue pressure on their budgets,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville. “With affordability top of mind right now, I’m supportive of temporarily suspending the state’s sales tax on gas.”

Many of those in support are facing primary challenges and have been attacked for earlier votes to raise the gas tax.

Markle Republican Sen. Travis Holdman, who is locked in a tough reelection race, called on Braun to suspend the gas tax moments before he did so.

“Despite everything we have done at the Statehouse to maintain our state’s low cost of living, the current price of gas is adding too much pressure on Hoosiers and their wallets,” Holdman said. “Today, along with some of my colleagues, I am calling on Gov. Braun to provide relief at the pump for Hoosiers by using his legal authority to suspend the state’s tax on gas.”

House Democrats backed the suspension on Wednesday but questioned the timing.

House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, noted the caucus repeatedly called for a suspension back in 2022, when gas prices jumped amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I want to be clear: House Democrats support this suspension, but Gov. Braun and Statehouse Republicans are only cleaning up a mess that they helped create,” GiaQuinta said in a Wednesday news release. “Hoosiers are tired of unstrategic and unfocused foreign wars that cost American lives, drive up gas prices and raise the cost of living.”

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WARSAW  — In a move that's likely never been seen locally, a North Webster man has thrown his hat into the ring for two seats on the Kosciusko County Council.

Thaddeus Du Bois on Monday filed paperwork entering his name into two contests.

First, he registered to run for the at-large seat briefly held by John Barrett who resigned over a conflict of interest issue.

Du Bois is now the fifth candidate running for the seat. The caucus will happen on Tuesday night when precinct committee members from across the county meet to hear the candidates speak before voting.

Moments later, Du Bois filed paperwork to run in the Republican primary in May for the 1st District seat currently held by Kimberly Cates.

Dubois said he views the 1st District seat as a backup option if he loses next week's caucus.

He said he was motivated to run in order to eventually change state law involving regional sewer district board representation. He's upset that the Tippecannoe Chapman Sewer District is demanding that he tap into the system.

The sewer board, he said, "Sent me a letter, said I must do this or else, and I didn't want to "must do this or else.' I have a septic, and it works just fine, and I don't want to, and I thought I could just say no thanks, but that's not possible. You can't do that."

He said he and others briefly looked into whether the sewer district could be dissolved — similarly to what recently happened in Marshall County — but has since determined that's not possible and that he's now inclined to sell his home and find a new home for his family of six.

Du Bois also said he's considering a future run against incumbent Republican David Abbott, who represents State House District 18.

“I want to get that law changed, I want to take down the sewer board. It’s not right what they’re doing to people,” he said.

The 52-year-old said a handful of advisers came up with the idea of running for both seats.

Dubois said he prides himself on thinking outside the box.

“That was one of the strategies that was brought up, and everybody loved it and like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s genius,’ so we went for it,” Du Bois said late Monday afternoon.

Kosciusko County GOP Chairman Mike Ragan, who announced the double bid to the media, was asked about a scenario in which one person simultaneously runs for two seats on the same board.

“While it’s not necessarily troublesome, it is highly unusual,” Ragan said.

Other caucus candidates are Will Stockdale, Kyle Tom, Rob Parker, and Travis Trump. The caucus will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, in the county courthouse.

The deadline to file for the May primary is noon Friday.

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WARSAW — Gov. Mike Braun defended Republicans’ renewed effort to redraw Indiana’s congressional districts Wednesday, saying the new map is needed to create competitive districts despite criticism from opponents.

Braun spoke at a groundbreaking ceremony in Warsaw, marking his first public comments since state legislators resumed efforts to redraw congressional districts that could eliminate Indiana’s only two Democratic-held seats.

Article continues below.

[caption id="attachment_123707" align="aligncenter" width="670"] Here is how the existing congressional map (Left) compares to what House Republicans proposed earlier this week.[/caption]

Braun said the new map would level the national political landscape.

The new map is under consideration in the House after passing out of committee. If it passes in the House, it faces a tougher road in the Senate, WNDU reported.

A proposal touted by Indiana’s House Republicans would drastically change each district from the existing congressional lines that are much more compact.

“I know it upsets some people because it’s between a census and the last one, but if you want to be competitive, you got to do it,” Braun told WNDU. “And the House had the votes and was going to be held up by the Senate. When I saw the Senate purposely trying to do it behind closed doors, dragging their feet, especially when all the senators were becoming public for it, that’s why we needed to get to where we are.”

Meanwhile,  Republican state Sen. Kyle Walker announced he won’t seek reelection next year, making him another opponent of the proposed GOP-redraw of Indiana’s congressional maps who will be leaving the Legislature, Indiana Capital Chronicle reported on Wednesday.

Walker is among about a dozen Republican senators to publicly oppose redistricting.

Walker’s statement did not mention the congressional redistricting that’s been demanded by President Donald Trump, who has berated several Republican state senators who’ve come out against the redraw.

The House is expected to soon vote on the plan, and state senators are expected to consider it next week.

Braun's visit was listed on his online schedule, but it was not widely announced to the media.

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The months-long political drama over possible Indiana congressional redistricting has snarled up campaign plans for some Hoosiers with U.S. House ambitions.

Indiana House members are returning to the Statehouse this week for debate over President Donald Trump’s demand for Republican-led states to draw more GOP-leaning congressional districts.

Uncertainty clouds whether such a plan will clear the Republican-dominated state Senate. Such has been the campaign ambiguity since August when Indiana became ensnared in the national redistricting debate.

“It’s definitely muddied the waters,” said Randy Niemeyer, who was the 2024 Republican challenger to Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan and is considering a 2026 run.

Northwestern Indiana’s 1st Congressional District now held by Mrvan has been in Democratic hands since the 1930s. But it has trended more Republican in the Trump era and is seen as the easiest potential GOP pickup in the state.

The current 1st District takes in all of Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline areas, including all of Lake and Porter counties and part of LaPorte County. Many unofficial map proposals create a more Republican district by pairing Lake County — the state’s second-most populous — with numerous rural counties to the south and southeast.

The uncertainty of what map will be used for the 2026 election hangs over many campaign decisions, said Niemeyer, who is the Lake County Republican chair and a County Council member.

“It becomes a factor in fundraising,” Niemeyer said in an interview. “It becomes a factor in a ground game. You’re talking about a difference between covering two and a half counties and possibly 12 or 13 counties. What I’ve kind of been doing in my own consideration is, ‘All right, let’s build two business models and see what this looks like.’”

Republican hopeful faces unknowns

Similar troubles exist for candidates in what are now among solidly Republican districts.

Redrawing maps so that all nine of Indiana’s congressional districts favor Republicans would mean also carving up the heavily Democratic 7th District in Indianapolis now held by Rep. Andre Carson.

That could mean a chunk of Indianapolis going into the 4th District, where state Rep. Craig Haggard is challenging four-term U.S. Rep. Jim Baird for the Republican nomination.

Haggard said he’s spent most of the past two years traveling the district that spans from the western suburbs of Indianapolis more than a hundred miles north to the Kankakee River separating Lake and Newton counties.

“I’ve spent a lot of resources. I have volunteer coordinators in each of those counties,” Haggard said. “They could go away. It really could upend everything and then I have a very, very short time to start over again.”

Indiana’s candidate filing period for the 2026 primaries opens Jan. 7 and closes Feb. 6. Early voting is scheduled to start April 7 for the Republican and Democratic primaries on May 5.

So even though U.S. House candidates aren’t required to live in their districts, most serious campaigns for a congressional seat start months or years ahead of the filing period — especially with fundraising.

Haggard acknowledged some potential financial supporters were holding back until the district lines were finalized, but said he believed that was a small percentage.

The most recent Federal Election Commission reports show Haggard raised $49,500 during the three months ending Sept. 30, compared to Baird’s $70,610. Haggard’s campaign had about $117,000 in the bank, while Baird had $182,000.

Complications for Carson challenger 

George Hornedo has faced an even more complicated political landscape since May when he announced his Democratic primary challenge to Carson in the 7th District.

Hornedo says he is pressing on despite the prospect of the district being split up among perhaps two or three others to favor Republicans.

Hornedo, an attorney who was a staffer with Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign, decided to narrow his campaign team’s focus to northern Indianapolis, knocking on doors and making phone calls to both oppose redistricting and support his candidacy.

“Every ounce of volunteer energy, every phone banking shift, every hour canvassing, it was going to identify and support us for the campaign, but also educating neighbors with what’s at stake with redistricting and helping to enable them to take action,” he said.

Hornedo had an initial burst of fundraising success, collecting nearly $160,000 in the first three-month period when he announced his bid. That dropped to about $18,000 for the three months ending Sept. 30, leaving his campaign with about $43,000.

Carson, who has held the House seat since 2008, ended September with more than $600,000, having raised about $155,000 in the previous three months.

Hornedo said he is committed to a 2026 campaign regardless of how the redistricting debate plays out.

“I would organize in whatever the new district is, but I would continue to organize in the district as it is now — Indianapolis at large — because part of the reason I got into this race was talking about rebuilding the Democratic Party from the bottom up,” he said.

Carson’s campaign said it is running a coordinating effort “to support Democrats up and down the ballot.

“This year, that work has continued — and the congressman has also collaborated with local leaders to raise the alarm on redistricting,” Carson spokesperson Caroline Ellert said in a statement.

Democratic enthusiasm boost?

The biggest political change from the 2021 congressional maps drawn by Republicans after the 2020 census was strengthening the GOP’s hold on central Indiana’s 5th District following U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz’s narrow 2020 general election win for her first term.

Spartz easily defeated Democratic candidates in the 2022 and 2024 elections, even after surviving a tight Republican primary last year.

No 2026 Republican challengers have emerged against Spartz as the redistricting debate has lingered.

But Democrats say they have stirred up animosity among voters with a redistricting push that they see as unfair.

“They want to know where the district lines are, but people are just paying attention to what’s going on and they’re stepping up,” said 5th District Democratic chair Terri Austin, a former state legislator from Anderson. “They’re stepping up in their activism. They’re stepping up to run for local office and they’re fired up. They really are.”

Mrvan challengers jumping in

Mrvan, the Democratic congressman from northwestern Indiana, told an anti-redistricting rally at the Statehouse in August that he planned to seek reelection next year “no matter what district they put me in.”

Mrvan argued Trump was pushing redistricting to help Republicans overcome unpopular policies and retain a narrow U.S. House majority.

“They are afraid, they are afraid to face voters,” Mrvan said during the rally.

A Mrvan spokeswoman did not return recent messages seeking additional comment.

The unknown makeup of the 1st District hasn’t stopped Republicans from entering the race to possibly challenge Mrvan.

Those who’ve already declared candidacies include Porter County Commissioner Barb Regnitz and Jennifer-Ruth Green, who got 47% of the vote in a 2022 loss to Mrvan.

Green announced her new campaign in October, the month after she resigned as public safety secretary for Gov. Mike Braun’s administration. She has denied allegations of ghost employment and misuse of state property made by the state inspector general in a formal ethics complaint.

Green campaign spokesman Tim Edson said in a statement that Green “is receiving a lot of support from Republican activists, donors and Hoosiers across the Region excited to have an outsider, a conservative and a fighter who will stand with President Trump in this race.  We remain confident Indiana will redraw the congressional map to combat Democrats efforts to rig the game through gerrymandering and counting illegal immigrants in the census.”

The Regnitz campaign did not reply to messages seeking comment.

Some Republican legislators who oppose the redistricting push argue that it has taken focus away from supporting a GOP candidate against Mrvan.

Niemeyer said he would be making a decision soon about seeking a rematch against Mrvan and scoffed at the argument the redistricting debate hurts Republican candidates.

“We built a really legitimate campaign and not a single one of those people saying that lent a hand,” Niemeyer said. “I find it to be a very hollow statement and actually a statement that is trying to deflect what’s at play, because I doubt that they will help.”

GOP U.S. House members in support

All seven of Indiana’s current Republican U.S. House members have endorsed Trump’s redistricting call — despite not seeing what those new maps might look like.

Baird, the 4th District incumbent, said he would be running for reelection “no matter what the final map looks like.”

“I would hate to lose any of my constituents, but I also recognize how important it is for Indiana to get this process right so every Hoosier has a fair voice in Washington,” Baird wrote in an email.

Baird said he trusted the Legislature “to do what is right for Indiana and all Hoosiers.”

“Neither my staff nor I have been involved in drafting any maps,” Baird wrote. “That responsibility lies solely with the Indiana General Assembly.”

Haggard, the legislator from Mooresville challenging Baird, said he supported the redistricting push despite the impact on his candidacy.

“If I can’t handle this, I shouldn’t go to Congress anyway,” Haggard said. “… It hurts a campaign like mine but at the end of the day, I think that this is bigger than me.”

* * *

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.

You can read the original version of the story here.

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Gov. Mike Braun on Monday called a special session to take up congressional redistricting, a politically charged move that follows months of mounting pressure from national Republicans to redraw Indiana’s map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Braun’s order says the session will begin Monday, Nov. 3 and will focus primarily on revising the state’s congressional boundaries — lines that were last redrawn in 2021 following the U.S. Census.

Braun’s office said lawmakers will use the special session to “consider altering the boundaries of Indiana’s congressional districts,” but also to “consider resolving an important issue regarding federal and state tax compliance that must be addressed.”

“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” the governor said in a Monday morning statement. “I am also asking the legislature to conform Indiana’s tax code with new federal tax provisions to ensure stability and certainty for taxpayers and tax preparers for 2026 filings.”

The news release from the governor’s office noted that Indiana uses federal tax law as the starting point for the Indiana tax return, and the recent changes to federal tax law in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act include provisions “that impact Indiana state tax filings.”

Addressing that “discrepancy” through a special session “will provide taxpayers, accountants and businesses the confidence and clarity ahead of filing season, avoid amended returns and filing delays, and continue the Indiana Department of Revenue’s strong record of fiscal management,” according to Braun’s office.

The state’s most recent special session in 2022 — which lasted two weeks and centered on abortion-related legislations — cost taxpayers about $240,000 in per-diem and travel expenses.

Legislative leaders don’t have to convene the exact day that Braun suggested. By law, the only rule is it can’t last for more than 30 session days or 40 calendar days. That clock will begin Nov 3.

In 2022, then-Gov. Eric Holcomb’s order began the session on July 6 but lawmakers didn’t convene until July 25, and it ended Aug. 5.

The announcement comes after weeks of speculation in the Statehouse, fueled by a series of meetings between Hoosier GOP leaders and top figures in President Donald Trump’s orbit, including Vice President JD Vance. Trump spoke with Indiana Senate Republicans by phone on Oct. 17.

Discussions have centered on ways to strengthen the party’s position in the U.S. House — where Republicans hold a narrow majority — by encouraging states with GOP strongholds to redraw districts before 2026.

During the leadup, House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray have refuse to publicly say where they stand.

It’s unclear how long the special session will last. Lawmakers could suspend rules to pass a map in just a day or two, but it’s unlikely there are enough votes to do that. A bill must be heard three times in each chamber, meaning a likely minimum of six days.

Legislative leaders are expected to outline their next steps in the coming days.

The last time Indiana redrew its congressional lines, the process stretched over several months and included statewide public hearings. This time, lawmakers will be under greater pressure to move quickly.

Candidate filing for the 2026 primary opens Jan. 7, leaving a narrow window for debate, map approval and potential legal challenges.

The next regularly scheduled legislative session will kick off in January.

Special session just one week away

Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder called Braun’s decision to convene a special session “a political stunt at the expense of every working Hoosier,” accusing state Republicans of bowing to national pressure.

“This is not democracy. This is desperation,” Yoder, of Bloomington, said in a statement issued on behalf of the Senate Democrat Caucus.

She said the push to redraw maps mid-decade “proves” Democrats’ warnings of a broader national effort to erode democratic norms.

“There is no new census, no court order and no support from the public,” Yoder said. “There is only political greed and fear — fear of voters, fear of accountability, fear of losing power the right way, at the ballot box.”

Braun has maintained that his goal is to “let the Legislature lead,” emphasizing that he wants the process to unfold through normal legislative channels rather than by executive dictate.

The Republican governor had previously said he would wait to call lawmakers back until they signaled readiness, telling reporters in August, “You’re going to hear individual representatives and senators speak up … that process will take a while to play out.”

But Braun also warned that “if we try to drag our feet as a state on it, probably, we’ll have consequences of not working with the Trump administration as tightly as we should.”

Indiana’s GOP legislative leaders have met at least three times with Vance in recent weeks. Bray described the latest conversation as “productive,” though he stopped short of confirming whether Senate Republicans were fully united behind an early redraw.

Before Braun’s decision, opposition had been building among both Democrats and some Republicans.

Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, said in August that there is “no justification” for revisiting maps drawn less than four years ago, arguing that redistricting should occur only after the decennial census. And Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, separately told the Indiana Capital Chronicle earlier this month that most lawmakers she’s spoken with aren’t eager to reopen the maps.

Democrats have likewise accused the governor and GOP leaders of orchestrating a “partisan power grab” meant to benefit Trump-aligned candidates. Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder of Bloomington said following Vance’s October visit to Indiana that Republicans “don’t have the votes, currently” to pass new maps without dissent within their own ranks.

That skepticism appears to mirror public sentiment.

Multiple polls — including one released in August and one earlier this month — have found that the majority of Hoosiers oppose early redistricting.

One statewide survey found that a majority of Hoosiers — about 53% — oppose early redistricting, compared to just 34% who support it. Another survey showed waning trust in both parties, with growing numbers of voters saying they feel disconnected from state political leadership.

But in recent days, a flurry of Senate Republicans have announced their support.

The Capital Chronicle has been tracking public statements on the proposal. As of Monday, 11 Senate Republicans have come out in support, while five are against. The rest of the 40-member caucus is undecided or haven’t commented publicly.

This story will be updated.

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WARSAW — On a warm October evening — thirteen months before next year’s general election and in the middle of a government shutdown — the political gears were turning in Warsaw.

About two dozen people, including one with a bullhorn, attempted to blunt the enthusiasm of some 300 diehard Republicans who gathered at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion Monday to show support for four Kosciusko County Council candidates who plan to run in next year's election.

[caption id="attachment_120701" align="alignright" width="420"] An unidentified woman at right leads a series of chants Monday night outside of the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw, where Republicans had gathered for a candidate reception. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The small but vocal gathering protested outside of the pavilion with hopes of catching the attention of two Republican members of Congress who were expected to attend the event.

The huge political gathering inside was organized weeks ago to support four district council candidates — Tony Ciriello, Dave Wolkins, Brad Jackson, and Joe Irwin, who will be on the May primary ballot and already gained the support of an impressive list of Republicans.

[caption id="attachment_120702" align="alignright" width="420"] Third District Congressman Marlin Stutzman smiles while addressing a large crowd Monday at a reception for candidates at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The protest outside the pavilion entrance was hastily arranged and announced to the media on Monday. It attracted a smaller crowd compared to previous recnt rallies held earlier this year near the Warsaw library.

But everyone arriving at the reception was fully aware of the protest.

Monday's protest was moved to get the attention of US Reps. Marlin Stutzman and Rudy Yakym. Stutzman attended and spoke at the reception and Yakym, who did not attend, provided a taped message.

The impromptu protest coincides with a growing concern among some that Republicans do not intend to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Without the subsidies, premiums are expected to double or triple, making the insurance unaffordable for many Americans.

"Republicans have been in control of all three branches of government, and they've done nothing about healthcare," said Robert Osbun, treasurer for the Kosciusko County Democratic Party who talked with News Now Warsaw during the protest.

"Their only solution to healthcare is to cut it. They can extend tax cuts for millionaires, but they cut healthcare for us. That's the solution for health care? Americans aren't buying it," Osbun said.

Brian Smith, who chairs the Democratic Party's 2nd Congressional District, said the protesters intentionally targeted the GOP gathering.

"We also wanted to let people know that while Republicans are busy fundraising like everything is business as usual, we're fighting to save their healthcare," Smith said.

Rokita brought up the protesters while making a pitch for the four candidates.

"Who rented the protesters?" Rokita quipped.

"These people put illegal aliens above you. These people put criminals on the street above you. They do not like America as we know it," Rokita said.  "And it's time to stop coddling."

Stutzman spoke briefly.

“It’s great to be with you. I’m on furlough right now,” Stutzman said.

“I keep coming home and people keep telling me, ‘Just leave it shut down,’ “ he said, adding, “We’re actually saving money this way.’ ”

Mishler emceed the candidate reception.

The four candidates each highlighted their conservative approach to governance.

Jackson is a former county commissioner who announced his run two weeks ago and is running for a seat currently held form fellow Republican Kimkberly Cates.

Irwin, who was appointed by a GOP caucus earlier this year, said he wants to represent farm interests.

Wolkins is a former state lawmaker and former Winona Lake Town Council member.

Ciriello is a longtime coroner and has a lengthy background in law enforcement. He currently serves as council president.

[caption id="attachment_120704" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita stands in the middle of a crowd during his address Monday at the GOP reception in Warsaw. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_120703" align="aligncenter" width="696"] A view of Monday's reception at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw. News Now Warsw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_120706" align="aligncenter" width="696"] An unidentified woman (Center) leads a series of chants Monday night outside of the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw, where Republicans had gathered for a candidate reception. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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WARSAW — State Sen. Ryan Mishler said he wants to hear the reasons behind the call for a special legislative session to redraw congressional maps.

The Trump administration, which has already seen Texas redistrict, has lobbied for the same to happen in Indiana, where seven of nine U.S. House seats are already held by Republicans.

Indiana lawmakers have moved rather slowly after the Trump administration began urging Hoosier Republicans to redistrict in hopes of picking up more seats in Congress.

A few other states have moved forward with redistricting.

Gov. Mike Braun, who would have to call a special session to redraw maps, said recently that he could see lawmakers addressing the issue in November.

Mishler, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, on Tuesday said he has questions.

“I’ve been open-minded about it, but no one’s been able to show me anything that would show a reason at this point,” Mishler said while attending the Kosciusko County Fish Tuesday at the fairgrounds in Warsaw.

Mishler said he has stayed busy with other issues this summer.

"I've been going to budget committees doing what I do, and that's all I've really been involved with. We haven't had any discussions about anything out of the ordinary," he said.

A special session could cost upward of $200,000 — or more, depending on how long it lasts — and Mishler said unexpected costs are always a concern.

Mishler was asked if redistricting halfway through the normal ten-year process could end up backfiring and hurt Republicans.

“I think anytime you make a change, if you have a viable reason to do it, and you can explain why you need to do it, I don’t think it’s an issue. But then again, that’s why we have to answer those questions," he said.

He said the new maps drawn in 2020 are more "squared off" in their designs, which he likes.

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WARSAW — Some of the biggest names in Indiana Republican politics are hosting a reception for four candidates running for Kosiusko County Council in 2026.

The block of candidates includes Council President Tony Ciriello, Dave Wolkins, Joe Erwin and Brad Jackson, a former county commissioner who confirmed his plans last week to run for council.

Elected officials supporting the block of candidates include Congressmen Marlin Stutzman and Rudy Yakym, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, State Sen. Ryan Mishler, and State Rep. Craig Snow.

The event is open to all residents. Snacks will be served.

RSVPs are requested by emailing kormsby@ryanmishler.com or calling 574-371-7790.

On a related note, the Kosciusko County Republican Party Annual Fall Fish Fry is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 30.

The event will be at the Home & Family Arts Building at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds in Warsaw from 4 to 7 p.m.

It is all-you-can-eat for $14 for adults and $7 for children 5 to 12 years old. Children 4 and under are free.

Carryouts are available.

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