AIP 07/26/26 INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — On this week’s episode of ‘All INdiana Politics,’ Gov. Braun sat down with News 8’s Political Reporter Garrett Bergquist. The governor opened up about starting in an office, eventually becoming an owner; a Hoosier business leader is sharing lessons le arned from steering a small, agricultural supply company through to public policy. “When I arrived, the business was in survival mode, operating out of a used mobile home,” Braun says. “We were selling to farmers, and the farm crisis hit just six months later. Everything I learned was less about economics from college and more about day-to-day survival”. Years of managing tight budgets and turning the business around, including launching a used-truck and equipment division, gave him firsthand insight into the challenges facing Indiana’s agricultural and automotive sectors. “When you have an economy that isn’t diverse enough, like we saw with steel in Gary, the impact can be devastating,” he said, referencing the steep population decline in Gary after steel jobs vanished. “Indiana needs to be on the leading edge of new sectors like biosciences and technology.” Braun explained the razor-thin margins and rising costs that Indiana farmers face. “When I started, you could put an acre of soybeans out for $70 in inputs. Now it’s $400. Equipment and land costs are through the roof,” Braun says. “Farmers have the toughest job out there, and most are small businesses buying their inputs from much larger corporations”. The business background proved critical during his time in the state Senate, especially when confronted with crises like rising gas prices tied to conflict in Iran. In response, he suspended both of Indiana’s gas taxes earlier this year the use tax and the excise taxto provide relief to Hoosier families. “Dropping just the use tax wasn’t enough,” Braun says. “Combining the two meant more than 60 cents in savings per gallon, and it showed that we’re running state government efficiently enough to afford it.” The executive orders set to expire in August, Braun notes, could require legislative action to extend the tax relief. “Calling the legislature into session doesn’t guarantee anything, but as long as oil keeps moving through the Strait of Hormuz, prices should stay steady,” according to Braun. ...read more read less