Highlights of 'All INdiana Politics Special: The GOP Governor’s Debate'

Video with this story is the entire debate from March 27, 2024.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Five Republican candidates seeking a bid to run for Indiana governor debated live Wednesday night on WISH-TV.

The 90-minute “All INdiana Politics Special: The GOP Governor’s Debate” was from the historic Madam Walker Legacy Center in downtown Indianapolis. The five invited candidates were Mike Braun, Brad Chambers, Suzanne Crouch, Eric Doden, and Curtis Hill.

Should Indiana fully eliminate the state income tax?

Crouch was the only candidate who believes the state income tax should be eliminated. She says it can be done by limiting government growth, ending wasteful government spending, and finding efficiencies in running the government. She notes other states are growing by eliminating their income taxes.

“I’m the only one on this stage that has the political courage to eliminate the tax,” Crouch said. “It’s not going to happen overnight. It has to be phased in. We have to have triggers in place to protect against economic downturns.”

Hill says $8 billion is collected in state income tax, and axing the tax is impractical unless a plan exists. Chambers says lower taxes should be sought with a plan, but Indiana already draws attention for development without eliminating taxes. Hill says he’d move the gas tax back to pre-2018 levels.

Chambers says low taxes are what Indiana should strive for. He believes Indiana is competitive on its taxes compared to other states. He says Indiana should avoid eliminating taxes that support education, police pay, health care, child care, and other services. He’d rather grow Indiana’s economy and put more money in people’s pockets. “When you look at taxation, you can’t just look at one tax, you have to look at the whole array of taxes.” He says tax changes would need a plan in advance. He says Tennessee, Florida, and other states without income taxes have higher property taxes.

Doden says state lawmakers are studying the idea of changing taxes, and he would cap property taxes for “seniors on fixed incomes” and seek a way to lower taxes through the Legislature. He says axing the income tax would be 40% of the state budget, and he only sees the elimination of Indiana’s income tax as “a gimmick.”

Braun says Crouch would not be “axing the tax” since she says it would be gradual. He says he has experience that the next governor needs to evaluate its agencies to cut their spending. Braun says the increased gas tax was a good investment in infrastructure that helped the economy.

Should the state help cities and counties fight crime? Should the state play a bigger role in prosecuting criminals?

Chambers says Indiana needs uniform bail for repeat violent offenders. He says officers and first responders need to have more resources to address people’s mental health. He also criticized Braun, as a U.S. senator, for doing “literally nothing” to stop immigration on the U.S. border.

Crouch said the understaffed Indiana State Police needs to be fully staffed, and she will support local law enforcement. She says much of Indiana crimes and drugs are coming from the U.S. southern border, so she supports sending Indiana National Guard personnel there to keep the crime and the fentanyl from coming to Indiana. She adds that she wants to assure “illegals that come here will be deported to sanctuary cities,” which she helped to prohibit in Indiana when she was a state lawmaker.

Doden says police should enforce the rule of law, and the government needs to help recruit more police and give them the tools to keep people safe.

Braun says he’s been endorsed by Indiana State Police Alliance. Pay and benefits have been improved for state police troopers, he says, but now the pay and benefits for other police officers’ jobs need to be addressed. Braun says he’d deport “illegal aliens.”

Hill, a former Indiana attorney general who called himself a career prosecutor, said, “The one thing I wouldn’t do is stand by and watch the city of Indianapolis burn at the hands of lawless looters and hoodlums like the Holcomb-Crouch administration did during 2020.” He says he’s the only GOP candidate on the stage who’s fought crime and locked people up for violent offenses. He says he’ll support the police, and the creation of crime programs.

What should the state do about illegal immigration?

Crouch says much of Indiana’s crime is coming from the U.S. southern border, so she supports sending Indiana National Guard personnel there. She reiterated her desire to deport “illegal immigrants” from Indiana to “sanctuary cities,” because the people are bringing fentanyl to Indiana communities. She also expressed concerns about China buying land in Indiana for farming and near military sites.

Doden says he’d send Indiana National Guard personnel to the southern border and partner with other governors, and stop the flow from drug cartels. He also says more should be done to help police to protect Hoosiers. Lastly, he’d give more support for addressing drug addiction.

Braun says the U.S. Senate has been unable to advance any immigration legislation. Yet, he says, none of the other GOP candidates for governor on the stage have put out plans to address immigration that Hoosiers trust.

Hill says the federal government has “dropped the ball” on immigration issues. He says the Indiana National Guard should be used on the southern border. He also says Indiana should be “harsh” and provide no places to work or services for immigrants.

Chambers says the border question is affecting Hoosiers. He’d send the Indiana National Guard to the border. He says he’d create a fentanyl task force. He says Indiana also has to address the loss of jobs for Hoosiers to “illegal immigrants.”

How should the governor protect religious freedoms for all Hoosiers, not just Christians?

Doden says people should have the right to worship as they see fit, and he’d protect religious freedom.

Braun says voters should look at the candidates’ records on how they handled religion issues in the past, not what they say on the stage. Faith, family and community are his priorities.

Hill calls religious freedom a basic freedom, one of many under assault that need to be protected. “But one of the ways that we protect freedom is to make sure that we don’t support or give aid and comfort to Marxist organizations like Black Lives Matter that are antisemitic, that are racist, that are anti-family. … That’s the basis of who we are, and we cannot issue support for organizations that are anti-freedom and anti-religion.”

Chambers says religious freedoms must be protected, of course. The state government “needs to stand up and support our Jewish friends” in Indiana.

Crouch says Hoosiers and Americans should have the right to live their lives without government interference, and “religious freedom is a basic, basic part of that.”

How should the governor explain to parents of third graders why their children are held back under a new state law?

Only Crouch and Chambers support the new law, based on a show of hands.

Braun says if Hoosiers can’t get their kids to read better than they did 10 years ago, something needs to be done. He wants “more choice, more competition and something completely different,” with a comprehensive review of Indiana’s education system to find the solution. It has to start with teaching kids basic skill sets so that they leave high school with more than Indiana is giving them.

Hill, who notes his wife is a high school English teacher, says children need individual plans. Reading, writing and arithmetic are important, but civics education should also be included in a revamped education system, with fewer federal entanglements and the shrinking of the Indiana Department of Education.

Chambers says Indiana’s educational system is “backwards-looking” and leaves children with literacy challenges. He says 35% of sixth graders are struggling on their standardized math exams. Private education, “choice,” and teacher pay need to be considered as alternatives.

Crouch says reading by the third grade is necessary to be successful, and parents need to have more control over what their children learn. She’d focus education on reading, writing, arithmetic and reasoning. “We will teach our children how to think, not what to think.” She’d also make workforce training available through just one state agency instead of five. She’d also support more money in classrooms.

Doden says his plan supports “parents having choice,” vouchers, “competition,” and teacher investment. Teachers also would not pay income or property taxes under his plan. “We’re doing this directly to the teacher so that administration and the unions do not get their cut.” He also wants to address early education with a surplus in the state budget.

What, if anything, should change to better prepare high school students for jobs after graduation?

Hill says Indiana should do more. He says Indiana needs to train more students for vocations and military service at an earlier age. “This idea that everyone goes to college, it’s really sad,” and leaves people with debt.

Chambers says his “learn to earn” policy could look at vocational — “construction, electric, plumbing” — trades, civic trades, and life sciences trades. “It’s more about wages and jobs.”

Crouch says she wants to enhance workforce training by putting five state agencies that address it under one umbrella for students seeking all types of job opportunities. “Our education should be preparing our children for the jobs of the future, and those are advanced manufacturing and bioscience, cybersecurity defense, health care orthopedics, and life sciences.”

Doden says more creativity and partnerships need to happen. He says businesses going into high schools and inviting students to see and learn jobs is a positive action. He also likes using artificial intelligence to help students learn about jobs that interest them. He also says parents need to know about opportunities available to children.

Braun says only about one-third of the jobs pushed by Indiana Department of Education require a four-year degree, and more high school courses are needed to allow students to go to jobs that don’t require degrees. He says students also need courses to learn “better skills sets” including how to balance checkbooks. He said that “higher ed has stigmatized those pathways. Our guidance counselors won’t mention them, and, until you’re ready to shake that up, you can do a lot of talking about it, but you’re not going to get anything done. We need the perfect balance. Most of that’s going to be in real skills that everyone benefits from … high-demand, high-wage jobs … parents need to see that so they know where to spend the money for their kids.”

How should Indiana be involved in diversity, equity and inclusion programs?

Chambers says he does not believe governments should have diversity, equity and inclusion programs. He says businesses need to hire the best people to drive profit.

Crouch says diversity, equity and inclusion programs are divisive and exclusionary, and have proven themselves to not be inclusive. She says more people with disabilities need to be hired.

Doden says he will eliminate any diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Indiana. “Group think” with the “best people at the table” is necessary.

Braun says freedom and opportunity are the only items needed to force outcomes. He says a level playing field is important, but Indiana can’t just listen to only the biggest players.

Hill says diversity and equity are wonderful, but programs cannot be limited with those goals.

How can anyone in the GOP primary for governor claim to be an outsider?

Crouch says she doesn’t know how anyone on the stage could claim to be an outsider. She’s proud of her public service.

Doden says he’s not focused on being an outsider, but focused instead on having leadership and a bold vision. “Great leaders have character and they will not tell people things that are not true.”

Braun says outsiders should be defined on what they’ve done with most of their lives. He says candidates should instead be judged on how they’re going to “shake things up.” He says he’s endorsed by “another outsider,” former President Donald Trump.

Hill criticizes Braun for defining himself as an “outsider.” He notes that he ran the Indiana attorney general’s office and made executive decisions unlike Braun.

Chambers, who is a former Indiana secretary of commerce, says he’s never been on a ballot, and Braun has been on a ballot five times. Chambers says someone needs to be the chief executive officer of the state, like former Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, with a clear view. Chambers says long-term thinking, as in the LEAP Project which he helped champion, is a positive with the Lilly jobs and economic impact it will provide.

Should Indiana completely ban abortion while guaranteeing access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF)?

Doden says he’s “ardently pro-life,” and abortion is not just a religious issue for him. He says Indiana should promote having children and families, and will protect IVF. He also talks about helping people to adopt children.

Braun says he believes in “the sanctity of live.” He says, in Indiana, nothing needs to change in state laws on abortion and IVF. He says Indiana should to do more to help moms in troubled pregnancies, and to nurture life once it’s born, too.

Hill says he believes in “the culture of life,” banning abortion in all circumstances. He says the Indiana Department of Health should be sharing “pregnancy termination reports” to watchdog agencies and assure the state’s abortion limits are enforced.

Chambers says he’s “pro-life,” and he believes the Indiana abortion exceptions are important and should stand. He says IVF is protected in state law, and he supports it. He also supports helping people to adopt children.

Crouch says she’s “pro-life.” She wants to make sure Indiana also supports pregnant moms and their children. On IVF, she says that she would work with the state’s lawmakers “to ensure that we protect life but also give those women the ability, and those couples the ability, to bring life into this world.”

How would you help small businesses and minority-owned businesses?

Braun says he would help small businesses become the next regional and national businesses rather than just helping “a few big companies” in Indiana.

Hill says decreasing regulatory control would be best to help businesses and allow “the free market to do its thing.” He says Indiana information and resources on starting new businesses needs to be shared more widely.

Chambers says he’d put “a secretary of entrepreneurship” in place. He notes the big companies that come to Indiana help the small businesses and grow the economy, too.

Crouch says eliminating the state income tax would help small businesses to grow and prosper. She says that also will attract new workers to Indiana.

Doden says the Indiana Main Street program helps restore smaller Indiana communities’ pride, buildings and houses. He’d use that model to create an ecosystem in that same way.

Should Indiana stop observing daylight saving time?

Hill says he likes the system Indiana had before former Gov. Mitch Daniels messed with it. He would choose Eastern time.

Chambers says the agricultural community is the most affected. He’d have to listen to people and decide later.

Crouch and Doden say the issue may be one the General Assembly should take up. Crouch says she doesn’t like the back-and-forth time changes, and Doden says he doesn’t “have a dog in that hunt.”

Braun says he’d be more apt to get rid of changing clocks in the spring and fall.