Senator Mike Braun officially became a candidate for the Governor of Indiana in the 2024 election when he filed paperwork with the secretary of state's office in November 2022.

Braun visited Third Place in Brookville on Thursday, Feb. 23, and led a community leaders forum hosted by Main Street Brookville as a part of his annual 92-county tour of Indiana. The private event allowed community representatives to ask Braun questions about the direction he would take Indiana if elected in 2024, as well as discuss current issues.

Pete Connolly, vice president of the Laurel Town Board, asked Braun the first question. Connelly explained he is in the construction business and has several high school employees who come on a work site and don't know how to read a tape measure, prompting him to ask Braun if he saw building trades and other types of trades coming back into effect in our schools. Braun thanked Connolly for the question and shared why he believes trades are essential.

"Everyone should aspire to their full potential, Braun said. "Our teaching methodology is drawing that potential out of kids and guiding them properly. Not everyone is going to become a lawyer, a doctor, or an astronaut. In fact, in our own state, almost every job that is made to be filled pays as much as, if not more than a typical college degree, and it's what you (Connolly) are talking about. We have to ensure guidance counselors are getting with the parents as much as the kids to ensure we are giving them the full spectrum of opportunities based on career and technical education as much as it is based on Advancement Programming for college-bound students.

“When I come back, if I am successful in my next political venture, I'll make sure that's taken to the full limit, so every kid and every parent is going to be aware of it and schools don't misguide people to a degree that doesn't have a market, and you are back in the basement.”

Next, Brookville resident Becky Oglesby shared her concern after reading Biden was planning to send over 200 military personnel to Taiwan after already providing Ukraine with nearly $100 billion in military supplies, prompting her to ask, "Can we replenish our supplies?" 

Braun responded, "So you know, it's a lack of financial 101 that most senators have. We are currently borrowing 30 percent of everything spent this year. So whoever is the youngest in the crowd, you and your kids will carry a heavy load. For any new stuff we do, we are borrowing 100%. We can not keep doing all that. We will have to ask the Japanese, the South Koreans, the Philippines, and all the others over there to start picking up at least the financial burden. I don't mind leading, but we can't pay all of the bills. That is a disservice to future generations. We have to be involved because we are still the leader of the world. But, a leader that financially is looking weaker and weaker." 

Brookville resident Jennifer Profitt asked Braun to speak on the success of the PART Act, which is a bill Congress has reintroduced to stop the surge of catalytic converter thefts.

"Isn't that sad," Braun asked? “Of course, that's an item (catalytic convertor) mandated by the EPA. For stuff like that, clean water, clean air, less pollution coming out of our vehicles, I'm generally going to be for all that. Now when you shut our energy industry down, which is a whole other issue we won't get into.” Braun directed his attention back to the theft of the catalytic converters.

“That's a very simple fix. We are going to put a VIN on the catalytic converter. Then you won't be able to do it because anyone accepting it would have to be responsible for it.”

Bridget Hayes, president of the Brookville Town council explained to Braun how cumbersome it is to obtain and manage federal grants. She asked if there would be an initiative to make the process easier. Braun hopes to improve the process in the state if he becomes governor but offered some advice in the meantime. 

"We have the best staff of any senator here in Indiana, Braun said. "With the number of cases we handle, I gave one simple order to my chief of staff; I want you to run my constituent service as well as I ran my customer service. That's all I had to say, and it's run like that. We sometimes have to really go through many hoops, and we know how to do it. So if you are running into something that seems like an undue complication, get a hold of us. If it involves the Federal Nexus, we are really going to be who you need to call. But, we will tell you if it's simply a state thing." 

Julie Bommer and her husband are farmers and asked about the changes that would be made to the U.S. Farm Bill that is up for renewal this year. It's a sweeping piece of legislation containing provisions for food stamps, disaster aid, and agricultural subsidies. 

Braun shared that overall, the Farm Bill would change very little."When it comes to the Farm Bill, I wouldn't worry much about that. It is the least partisan engagement bill in U.S. Congress. It will move from the House to the Senate and have everything in it that was there last year, and I'll be watching it closely.” Braun said to Bommer, "Your job is about as hard as any one God has created. You are getting better commodity prices, but isn't it ironic that all your inputs and costs have gone up, but the profit margin is still elusive? I think 2023 will be a little bit better.”

Sara Duffy followed up with another question about the farm bill stating that 50% of the children in Franklin County get free breakfast and lunch. Duffy asked Braun if he would continue to support the funding for school breakfast and lunches, as well as SNAP vouchers.

"They are good programs,” Braun said. “No one is looking to change them. But, the program is also a part of what we borrow 30 cents of every dollar to support each year. I think the program will be close to costing a trillion dollars over five years. That means that it is $60 billion we are borrowing." 
Candy Yurcak, a Whitewater Canal Byway Association board member, shared the WCBA became a state-designated scenic byway in 2008 and a nationally designated scenic byway in 2021, helping to bring national attention to the entire region. Beyond the byway, Yurcak shared several other historical treasures in our region that bring people from all over, including the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site in Metamora, which desperately needs repair. The site asked for $14.5 million dollars in the state budget to save the historic site. However, no money was allocated for the project. Yurcak wanted to know how Braun feels about tourism and its economic impact on our region if he was elected governor.

Braun responded, "I will tell you very candidly, while you maybe expect at least a better year, not necessarily the conclusion you want, but we generally don't have a governor that is someone who is an entrepreneur and a business owner, just like we never get that in the U.S. Senate. What we get there is a lawyer. I will look at every agency, including the one who would be in charge of that, and see who is running it and if they are doing a good job; very likely to bring in somebody from the private sector that deals with that agency, so you just aren't dealing with someone who is a bureaucrat that goes from one administration to the next. So, you will need to keep doing what you are doing and putting your case out there. If I do make it through that gauntlet, I can tell you it will be a little different type of state government." 

The final question came from Nancy Main, Brookville Main Street executive director, regarding funding for Main Street programs and affordable housing, amongst others, that will encourage people to live and work in the community. 

“There are a lot of programs across the country that are trying to help small rural communities find their new sealegs for what that next act will be about. So, you are going to need your own ideas. Every small town in rural Indiana is working on its ideas of what is next. The good news is however you’re doing it, you are finding yourself in a good direction."