Cate Charron

@catecharron.bsky.social

economic dev & statehouse at the Indianapolis Business Journal | she/her | beep me: ccharron@ibj.com

The LEAP District water questions signaled to lawmakers last year that they could no longer take a backseat on water mgmt policy. This session, two Repub. senators plan to file legislation to add more oversight to a traditionally lightly regulated process.

Two Senate bills propose new oversight of water withdrawals following LEAP pipeline concerns - Indianapolis Business Journal

One of the bills—which made the Senate Republican agenda—would require permits for projects that move significant amounts of water from one area of the state to another.

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A highly anticipated state water study focused on a region prime for utility-intensive economic development concludes enough water exists for current and future demand, but coordinated management is needed to ensure demand does not outweigh supply.

New Wabash watershed study finds supply should meet demand with proper management - Indianapolis Business Journal

The findings are consistent with a statewide water study released in August that concluded Indiana has a “plentiful” but unevenly distributed water supply.

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After two years of study committee debate and campaign promises, lawmakers have started providing a glimpse of how tax reform conversations have developed into legislation for the 2025 session. Here's what's been filed:

Lawmakers ready tax legislation ahead of session prime for reform - Indianapolis Business Journal

Policymakers have proposed at least 12 bills seeking to create or adjust property tax credits or deductions and institute freezes.

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State budget officials on Tuesday approved the Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s plans to use $60 million to close on land deals and build infrastructure for a Meta data center and Eli Lilly and Co.’s planned medicine foundry at the LEAP District.

State approves $60M for LEAP District development for Lilly, Meta projects - Indianapolis Business Journal

The state will eventually recoup much of that investment when LEAP land is sold to tenants, officials from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. said.

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The state’s public retirement oversight committee plans to remove BlackRock Inc. from its investment portfolio after a state review found the firm has participated in environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, practices.

State retirement oversight board removes BlackRock from portfolio for ESG violations - Indianapolis Business Journal

The board of the Indiana Public Retirement System unanimously voted to replace Black Rock as the provider of global inflation-linked bonds to the system.

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1/ Here’s a story about how journalism works. Spoiler Alert: This is how we decide *not* to publish. We were recently looking at Pete Hegseth’s different statements over the years about West Point, where he has said he was admitted. First stop: West Point.

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Lawmakers are holding their collective breath in anticipation of Dec. 17 forecasts for tax receipts and Medicaid needs that will determine how they’ll proceed with writing the state’s next two-year budget and funding priorities like education. New for IBJ:

Soaring Medicaid expenses foreshadow tough decisions but Braun says he won't cut program access - Indianapolis Business Journal

Lawmakers are holding their collective breath in anticipation of Dec. 17 forecasts for tax receipts and Medicaid needs that will determine how they’ll proceed with writing the state’s next two-year…

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After unveiling his pick for secretary of commerce as well as a policy agenda this week, Gov.-elect Mike Braun has given Hoosiers a better sense of how he is seeking to use economic development to improve the state’s outcomes.

Policy agenda, secretary pick refine Braun’s vision for economic development - Indianapolis Business Journal

The governor-elect's plans include creating a consolidated workforce development strategy and adding a new entrepreneurship office.

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Gov.-elect Mike Braun announced a dozen panels of 147 people to vet state agencies and develop policy recs. We made a spreadsheet to grasp who he selected. We found one in three are business leaders and two in three have not worked in state gov.

Who's on Braun’s transition councils? Mostly businesspeople and lawyers - Indianapolis Business Journal

Of the 147 people Braun chose to serve on his 12 transition councils, one in three are private-sector business leaders and two in three have not previously worked in state government, an IBJ analysis…

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