AGP Executive Report

Energy & Infrastructure: Gov. Mike Braun extended Indiana’s gas tax suspension for 30 more days, keeping the state on track for “cheapest gas in America” while also directing the state to reimburse local governments for lost fuel-tax revenue. Local Roads & Safety: Indiana joined Wabash officials to celebrate a $12 million railroad overpass meant to cut train-crossing delays and improve safety at East Street over Norfolk Southern. Workforce & Education: The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is limiting new applications for the Workforce Ready Grant, prioritizing returning and independent students as demand outpaces funding. Agriculture & Manufacturing: Purdue researchers identified a soybean trait that could boost yields and strengthen nitrogen fixation, potentially reducing fertilizer needs. Food Industry: Caito Foods recalled pre-cut melon products over possible salmonella, and the FDA is investigating a cyclospora outbreak tied to packaged salad mixes from Hy-Vee, Aldi and Jewel-Osco. Business & Retail: Kroger’s $1.65 billion deal to buy Giant Eagle is framed as a retail-media power play, strengthening Kroger Precision Marketing’s ability to target shoppers using first-party data.

Grocery M&A: Kroger will buy Giant Eagle for $1.65B, keeping the Giant Eagle name and adding 197 supermarkets plus 11 pharmacies across Indiana and the Midwest—another sign of consolidation as shoppers shift to big-box and discount rivals. Workforce Development: The Indiana Chamber and Aspire Johnson County are teaming up to expand work-based learning, using an interactive platform to connect employers with educators and students for job shadowing, site visits and other career exploration. Local Infrastructure: Gov. Braun awarded more than $84M in Community Crossings matching grants to 147 Indiana communities for road and bridge projects, with additional gas-tax reimbursement steps aimed at making local governments whole. Data Center Governance: Indianapolis’ development commission advanced a data center zoning ordinance with tighter noise and water-use requirements, sending it to the City-County Council after amendments. Public Safety & Health: Braun and Indiana State Police urged impaired-driving prevention during the holiday weekend, while local groups continued heat-wave support through meal and wellness checks. Business/Markets: Wall Street was mixed as tech dragged the Nasdaq lower while broader indexes edged up.

Retail Deal: Kroger agreed to buy Giant Eagle for $1.65B (about $1.25B cash plus $400M in liabilities), expanding its grocery and pharmacy footprint across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana; the deal is expected to close in 2027 pending regulators. Higher Ed Governance: Gov. Mike Braun named three new IU Board of Trustees members—Steve Henke, Matthew Ferguson and Mel Raines—each serving through June 30, 2029. Aerospace/Workforce: Aloft AeroArchitects’ Indianapolis engineering hub will add about 30% more staff to handle a heavier VVIP and special-mission workload. Infrastructure & Construction: East Rhorer Road Bridge in Bloomington will be replaced, closing July 13–Oct. 9 (with continued work under flagging into mid-December). Local Business HQ: Do it Best Group will align True Value’s world headquarters in Fort Wayne, consolidating leadership and operations on the Electric Works campus. Energy Reliability: Portage Mayor Austin Bonta urged NIPSCO to meet publicly on grid infrastructure and reliability after severe storms. Logistics/Transit: South Shore Line busing after a June 24 derailment is continuing, with monthly passes extended. Public Safety: Court documents detail an unruly passenger incident that led to an emergency landing at Indianapolis International Airport.

Auto Supply Shock: ThyssenKrupp Presta North America will permanently close its Terre Haute plant, cutting 207 jobs over the next nine months. Healthcare Finance: IKS Health says its coding work with Axia Women’s Health delivered $12 million in annual cash impact, including lower denial rates and higher collections. Local Roads Funding: Gov. Mike Braun laid out a timeline to reimburse Indiana cities and counties for gas-tax suspension revenue losses, after some counties paused paving and maintenance plans. Drug Supply Chain: The FDA named seven companies for its PreCheck Pilot Program, including Eli Lilly’s Lebanon, Ind., facility, aiming to speed earlier regulatory engagement for new U.S. manufacturing. State Policy Updates: New Indiana laws taking effect July 1 include measures aimed at energy affordability, expanded employer childcare tax credits, and more. Immigration Enforcement Clash: Indiana AG Todd Rokita warned Merrillville it could face a lawsuit over actions opposing an ICE detention facility. Road Work: INDOT plans a July 6 closure of S.R. 234 in Parke and Vermillion counties for pavement restoration and culvert replacement. Business & Growth: Colorado’s Birdcall says it expects 10–15 new Indiana locations as part of a broader Midwestern expansion.

Pharma Oversight: A House China Communist Party panel is pressing Eli Lilly for details on drug trials tied to military-linked hospitals in China and Xinjiang, raising new scrutiny for Indiana’s life-sciences giant. Local Business & Services: Alderman Automotive launched a mobile service for vehicle maintenance in Fishers and Indianapolis, aiming to cut downtime for busy owners and fleets. Utilities & Rates: Bloomington-area residents face a 20% drinking-water rate jump starting Aug. 1, while Gov. Braun moves to reimburse local governments for lost gas-tax holiday revenue. Energy & Affordability: Indiana’s utility regulator shake-up continues as Braun seeks a new IURC commissioner after a resignation, amid ongoing rate pressure. Retail Expansion: Primark is nearing 50 U.S. stores, including its first Indiana location at Castleton Square Mall in Indianapolis. Public Safety: Indiana’s Division of Water is streamlining inquiries through one email, and the state fire marshal is urging fireworks safety as summer heat and holiday travel ramp up. Food Safety: Utz potato-chip recalls affecting Indiana were upgraded to the FDA’s highest risk level for possible Salmonella.

Data Centers: Whitley County commissioners signaled a pause on new data center proposals until an ordinance is drafted, as residents press for clearer zoning, water and power protections, and decommissioning rules. Public Health: The USDA FSIS issued a public health alert for Private Selection Honey Dijon Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat sold at Kroger/Fred Meyer due to an undeclared egg allergen and misbranding, urging shoppers to discard or return affected lots. Energy & Industry: The U.S. is offering $17.5B in conditional loans to speed long-lead components for large commercial nuclear reactors, aiming to revive domestic supply chains. Crypto Mining: Indiana is quietly emerging as a Bitcoin mining hub, with a new facility under construction and more operations expanding. Transportation & Costs: RiverLink tolls for Louisville-area bridges rise 3.8% this week, while Indiana state police launch a holiday impaired-driving crackdown. Business & Community: Elevance Health Foundation awarded $5.8M in behavioral health grants to expand access to mental health and substance use care. Agriculture & Food Safety: CDC reports 513 Salmonella cases tied to backyard poultry, with summer peak risk for families. Sports Business: The Chicago Bears began soil testing at Wolf Lake Terminals as they continue evaluating a Hammond stadium site.

Road & Construction: INDOT plans to close US 35 in La Porte County between C.R. 400 W and Schultz Road starting Monday, July 6, with a detour via S.R. 39 and US 20, followed by a longer resurfacing stretch later this year. Local Infrastructure: Auburn’s S.R. 8 improvements begin on or after July 6, adding a raised center curb, turn lanes, ADA sidewalks, and driveway consolidation through three phased traffic shifts. Data Centers: Whitley County commissioners are putting a moratorium on new data center proposals until an ordinance is completed, while Merrillville faces an AG-backed pushback over alleged interference with ICE detention efforts. Governance & Labor: Northeast Indiana lawmakers received 2026 interim study committee appointments focused on employment and labor, including workers’ comp and pension oversight. Agriculture & Talent: Keystone Cooperative names Scott Logue as next CEO; Indiana FFA highlights corn/soy-linked initiatives and a robotics competition in Indianapolis. Food Safety: USDA issued a health alert for Private Selection Honey Dijon raw chicken breasts sold at Kroger and Fred Meyer due to an undeclared egg allergen. Business & Industry: H.I.G. Capital completed its acquisition of Portland, Indiana-based Premier Forge Group, expanding forged components capacity for aerospace and defense. Weather & Safety: U.S. 50 is closed in Martin County due to a landslide, and heat advisories are in effect across parts of Indiana and Illinois.

Utility Regulation: Gov. Mike Braun reshuffled the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and the panel still approved a major rate hike, raising fresh questions about how independent the IURC can be when the governor sets the tone. Stadium Watch (NW Indiana): The Chicago Bears are assessing additional parcels near Hammond’s Wolf Lake, with soil drilling spotted at Wolf Lake Terminals as part of the site-evaluation process for a potential new stadium and mixed-use district. Local Infrastructure: Portage Redevelopment Commission is preparing to issue $15 million in bonds for city projects, including access improvements tied to the former Bears stadium-area site. Education & Community: Bluffton High School students completed a new mural for the campus, funded through a teacher creativity grant. Agriculture: A no-tillage soybean yield champion is set to preview his approach at the National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis this winter. Health & Food Safety: USDA announced multiple food safety actions, urging consumers to check affected products. Energy & Data Centers: A report highlights how data centers can lower residential electricity bills in some states, while opponents warn about long-term impacts.

Manufacturing Reshuffle: Enkei America will close its North Jacksonville wheelmaking plant, citing labor recruitment and retention issues plus high operating and maintenance costs, with 62 jobs slated to end Aug. 30. Indiana Workforce & Skills: More Hoosier students are choosing apprenticeships, with Indiana now topping 22,000 active apprentices and Gov. Braun approving $6.2 million in federal funding since 2025 to expand programs. Local Business & Construction: The Chicago Bears are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond for a possible new stadium site, as Indiana lawmakers consider $1 billion for surrounding infrastructure. Healthcare Leadership: Franciscan Alliance CEO Kevin Leahy is stepping down effective Dec. 31, with a transition plan through 2027. Food Safety: USDA issued multiple alerts and a recall, including Private Selection chicken breasts with an undeclared egg allergen sold in Indiana and other states. Public Safety & Infrastructure: INDOT scheduled lane closures on State Road 56, I-64, and State Road 60 for bridge and pavement work. Energy & Housing: Daikin recalled 13,500+ Amana air conditioners/heat pumps due to a fire/burn hazard tied to a ground-fault defect.

Indiana Gaming Commission: The NCAA asked Indiana to ban player-specific college prop bets, but the commission tabled the motion until September, keeping traditional game-outcome wagers legal. Energy & environment: A federal appeals court rejected the EPA’s bid to lift Biden-era soot limits for coal plants, leaving the 9 micrograms per cubic meter PM2.5 cap in place. Data centers & rural pushback: A Purdue-linked study finds rural communities are worried about AI data centers’ hidden costs—higher electricity bills, water strain, and loss of prime farmland. Indiana agriculture & markets: Grain traders are watching USDA reports as corn and export demand signals shift. Indiana logistics & safety: TSA at Indianapolis International Airport intercepted two live smoke grenades, including one hidden in a peanut butter jar. State policy & food assistance: Arkansas will start restricting SNAP purchases of soda and certain “unhealthy” items on July 1, joining Indiana and other states with similar waivers. Indiana business & workforce: Meta is launching a workforce training academy aimed at retraining people for needed trades. Regional governance: Indiana is among states suing California over its plastics packaging law.

Indiana Plastics Fight: Indiana joined 16 states in suing California over its 2022 plastic packaging law, arguing it unlawfully forces nationwide packaging rules and could raise costs for everyday goods. AI Workforce Push: A new bipartisan nonprofit, RAISE US, backed by major AI firms including OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon and Anthropic, is launching with $500 million to retrain workers in states like Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland and Utah. Indiana Infrastructure: I-69 Ohio River Crossing work in Evansville is in its final months, with approach bridges and roadway access nearing completion. Local Business & Retail: Noblesville’s Velvet Plum Vintage & Consignments will close July 15 after downtown construction hurt sales. Food & Dining: Just Chicken opened at The Warehouse Food Hall, adding fresh, never-frozen tenders and house-made sauces to the Indiana-area lineup. Public Media: Ball State PBS will benefit from a Bob Ross painting auction tied to the station’s legacy. Gaming Expansion: Steuben County is marketing a lakefront site for a proposed inland casino license, but it hinges on a November referendum.

Property Tax Overhaul: Indiana Republican Rep. J.D. Prescott is proposing to end the state’s property tax system and replace it with a 7% sales tax on services, including labor-heavy items like landscaping, legal fees, and construction work—aimed at shifting roughly $10.6B in annual property-tax revenue to a new service-tax stream. Public Safety & Food: The USDA issued a public health alert for misbranded raw boneless chicken breast sold at Kroger and Fred Meyer in nine states, including Indiana, due to an undeclared allergen (eggs). Infrastructure & Costs: RiverLink tolls on the Ohio River bridges will rise July 1, with passenger-car rates increasing and truck tolls climbing based on axle count and transponder use. Local Growth: Caldwell is weighing a large mixed-use development plan for an 81-acre site, including hundreds of homes, multi-family units, and future commercial space. Community Programs: Indianapolis and Let Them Talk launched “Summer in the City” to give at-risk youth ages 12-17 safe Friday/Saturday activities focused on life skills and mental health. Sports & Business Spotlight: Vantage topped out its second building at OpenAI’s Lighthouse data-center campus in Wisconsin, with Indiana mentioned as part of its broader U.S. expansion.

Health Care & AI Regulation: Indiana’s new law starting July 1 limits insurer use of AI to downcode medical claims without a chart review, requires physician notice, bans diagnosis-only downcoding, and guarantees an appeals process. State Policy & Business Climate: Lawmakers also highlighted July 1 changes aimed at childcare access, tougher penalties for child predators, and reducing red tape for Hoosier farmers and small businesses. Manufacturing & Logistics Tech: GNC is using AI-enabled drones at its Whitestown warehouse to speed inventory checks, cut backorders, and reduce “nonshipments” from hundreds of units a day to about 98. Infrastructure & Public Safety: Porter County’s E911 team earned National Emergency Number Association certification, and officials credited it for improving readiness during surges like the June 11 tornado response. Economic Development: Buc-ee’s is in early talks to open its first Indiana travel center in Greenwood, with plans for fueling and EV charging. Defense Contracting: Jasper, Indiana-based Krempp Construction won a up-to-$45M NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic contract for maintenance and repairs at Naval Weapons Station Crane. Local Business: Lee Contracting expanded beyond Michigan by acquiring Florida water-infrastructure contractor Cathcart Construction.

Data Centers & Power: A new report argues the real bottleneck in the AI boom isn’t chips—it’s grid power and the long lead time to get high-voltage connections, with major tech firms still waiting years for transformers. Solar & Local Finance: Sullivan County Council approved extra bridge funding and heard an update on RWE’s Bear Run Solar plan, a 560-megawatt project on reclaimed mine land that could generate major tax revenue and includes a proposed tax abatement tied to community benefits. Indiana Utilities & Rates: Indiana’s IURC approved another AES rate increase for Indianapolis residents, adding to the pressure on household energy costs. Manufacturing Reshuffle: Michelin will wind down BFGoodrich tire production in Tuscaloosa by 2028 and consolidate nearly all production at its Fort Wayne, Indiana facility. Education Innovation: IPS approved Cold Spring School to remain in its Innovation Network as a charter innovation school, plus renewals for Global Prep and Monarca Academy. Food Safety: USDA issued a health alert for a misbranded Kroger/Fred Meyer boneless chicken product with undeclared eggs. Animal Health: Indiana’s Board of Animal Health issued an advisory as New World screwworm spreads and triggers tighter animal travel rules. Workforce/Training: Purdue students in Indianapolis built a World Cup-themed pinball machine as an international capstone with partners in Germany. EV Industry: Slate Auto says deliveries of its $24,950 electric pickup will begin in Q4 2026 from its Indiana manufacturing base.

Plastics & Trade Legal Fight: Seventeen Republican attorneys general, including Indiana’s, sued California over its single-use plastics packaging law, arguing it will raise consumer costs and improperly reach across state lines. Indiana Manufacturing: Michelin will close the BFGoodrich tire plant in Tuscaloosa, consolidating production at Fort Wayne; about 1,200 jobs are affected, with wind-down starting early next year and ending by 2028. Energy & Regulation: Duke Energy will conduct scheduled siren tests around Brunswick Nuclear Plant on July 1 (no public action needed), while Indiana’s utility regulator news continues with IURC approvals for AES rate increases. AI Workforce Push: RAISE US, backed by major AI and tech employers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon and Microsoft, launched with $500M+ to retrain workers for an AI-driven economy, with Indiana’s Eric Holcomb among founders. Public Safety & Infrastructure: A freight train derailment shut down South Shore Line service near Gary/East Chicago, damaging overhead power and disrupting Monon corridor service. Indiana Tech/Industry: Valgotech opened a new Noblesville battery production facility to expand domestic sulfur battery manufacturing for drones and aerospace. Agriculture & Rural Skills: Switzerland County Tech Center won $450,000 in federal funding to build a commercial teaching kitchen, expand co-working space, and upgrade infrastructure for workforce training and entrepreneurship. Consumer Cyber Risk: Indiana’s I-Team warned of a new lodging reservation phishing scam that uses real reservation details to lure victims into sharing personal and payment info.

Indiana Energy & Transportation: Gov. Mike Braun says Indiana has hit one month with the cheapest gas in the U.S. after pausing the state gasoline usage and excise taxes, with AAA reporting Hoosiers saving about 61 cents per gallon versus the national average. Local Infrastructure: INDOT announced multiple July closures, including State Road 32 bridge work in Yountsville and culvert replacements on S.R. 32 and U.S. 41, with detours and work expected through September. Workforce & Economic Development: Indiana’s next data-center buildout is drawing heavy trades demand, with two new campuses (one near Lebanon and another in Jeffersonville) expected to require electricians, welders, fiber installers and equipment operators. Public Health & Consumer Protection: AARP awarded 2026 Community Challenge grants to 16 Indiana organizations, including Gibson County Council on Aging, targeting mobility, disaster preparedness and community connections for older adults. Higher Education: IU’s Board of Trustees approved the 2026-27 operating budget and policy revisions, including a $4.7 billion budget and campus requirements tied to a 3% salary increase.