Miller's Monthly Update: June 2025
Dear neighbor,
The Allen County Public Library is offering free lunch to children ages 18 and under Monday through Friday. With kids out for summer break, this program is a great way to ensure Fort Wayne students have access to healthy lunches until school gets underway again.
For more information on the Free Lunch program, click here.
Stay Safe in the Heat
Much of Indiana is currently facing extreme heat, which poses significant risks to the elderly, small children and those with pre-existing health conditions. The main branch of the Allen County Public Library and The Rescue Mission are among the several community organizations serving as cooling centers in our community. To find a location in Allen County, click here.
Braun Breaks Promise and Replaces Elected IU Trustees
On June 2, Gov. Braun went back on his promise and removed three elected members of the Indiana University Board of Trustees. This authority was given to the Governor by a last-minute, unvetted addition in the state budget. It was slipped in before the final vote without public input or a public hearing.
Braun had previously promised not to take action until the three trustees—Vivian Winston, Jill Maurer Burnett and Donna Spears—completed their elected terms. One trustee’s term ended this year, while the other two were supposed to serve until 2026 and 2027. Not fulfilling a promise you previously made is par for the course with this administration – first property tax relief, now IU trustee appointments. Promises made, promises broken.
In their places, he appointed James Bopp, Jr., a prominent conservative attorney known for his work to overturn Roe v. Wade; Sage Steele, a conservative sports broadcaster who sued ESPN after she was disciplined for her comments on the COVID-19 vaccine; and Brian Eagle, an Indianapolis attorney. Braun is also allowing W. Quinn Buckner to serve a fourth term, even though the law explicitly prohibits members from more than three terms.
I am incredibly disappointed by the government’s overreach into our universities. It’s completely undemocratic to remove an elected official and replace them with an appointment, especially via a law that had no public debate. I hope we can come together to support the independence of higher education in Indiana.
Here’s How the One Big Ugly Bill Could Impact Indiana
The GOP’s mega bill is currently moving through the Capitol after passing in the U.S. House of Representatives with a narrow vote of 215 to 214. Called the “One Big Beautiful Bill” by its supporters and the “One Big Ugly Bill” by its critics, the 1,000-page bill contains massive changes to domestic policy.
Although this is national policy, my office has received some calls asking about its impact on our state. Indiana is the 3rd most reliant state on federal funding, after Louisiana and Mississippi. Since we rely heavily on federal funding, programs Hoosiers need may be reduced. Here are some impacts the megabill could have on our state:
Medicaid:
In Indiana, close to 2 million Hoosiers rely on Medicaid, and roughly 39% of enrollees are children. The megabill would reduce federal funding for Medicaid by $700 billion, resulting in an estimated cut of $15 billion to Indiana’s Medicaid program. Indiana Republicans also passed SEA 2 this session which creates state work requirements for the Medicaid program. Eligibility checks would shift to twice a year, and additional income and residency verifications would be required. By adding more paperwork and red tape, eligible Hoosiers could lose their coverage. We should take measures to limit waste and fraud in government services, but these changes put Hoosiers at risk. If passed, 223,000 Hoosiers are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage..
You can read about Medicaid cuts at this link. Also, check out this Indiana Medicaid fact sheet.
SNAP:
The Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves 600,000 Hoosiers. The megabill would cut the program by $300 billion and increase the amount that states need to contribute. Indiana would need an additional estimated $356 million to cover SNAP. The president and CEO of the Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana warned that these changes would create “a needless self-inflicted humanitarian and economic disaster for Indiana.” \· You can read more about the SNAP cuts here.
Student Loans:
Close to $330 billion would be cut from the federal student loan system, reducing the amount available to students. Existing repayment plans would be scrapped, including plans based on income and household size. Borrowers would only have two repayment options— a standard plan and the “Repayment Assistance Plan.” Economists worry that limiting repayment options will make it harder for students to pursue graduate degrees, especially those who wish to attend medical or law school. Changes would be made to the Pell Grant program for low-income students, increasing the definition of full-time college attendance to 30 credit hours per year. Pell Grant students must be enrolled at least half-time, or 6 credit hours per semester, to qualify. These changes could ultimately result in less aid for students or fewer students going to college.
You can read more about the student loan changes here.
Taxes:
Extends the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), mostly providing tax breaks to the richest Americans and large corporations. The top 0.1% will save close to $400,000 while the average Hoosier making $51K to $91K a year will save around $845. Individuals with the lowest income could actually pay more in taxes. There are some good parts of the bill’s tax policy, including no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and an increase in the child dependent tax credit. However, the Big Beautiful Bill would increase our national debt by over $3 trillion. You can read the analysis by the Penn Wharton Budget Model here.
Pause on State AI Laws:
Included in the megabill is a 10-year moratorium on state AI laws, but it contains no federal regulations. Indiana’s progress would halt since legislators have been discussing AI regulations, its role in education, and the dangers of deepfakes and altered images or videos. Many of us are familiar with the issues AI creates for our schools with the potential use of ChatGPT to cheat. AI has already caused upheaval in the job market. Forbes estimates that roughly 65,000 jobs were cut in April 2024 due to the technology. The tech world moves fast, and Indiana can’t wait 10 years to regulate AI.
In service,
Rep. Kyle Miller
thanks! You are appreciated
Thank you for this concise summary… very much needed, very much appreciated