Indiana received some recognition from a national publication this week as The Washington Post’s editorial board named Indiana its inaugural state of the year.
The Post’s editorial board announced the distinction Monday, kicking off what the board says is a new yearly tradition to recognize states that “did the most to improve or otherwise acted in a way worthy of distinction.”
Indiana stood out this year for the Legislature’s tax policy reforms, the Post’s Editorial Board said, but mostly for the state Senate’s stand against mid-decade redistricting. The Post’s Editorial Board labeled the vote against redrawing the state’s congressional maps a strong example of “political courage” that has empowered legislative leaders in other states to resist similar measures.
“Twenty-one principled conservatives in the state Senate resisted four months of intense threats, from primary challenges to federal funding cuts, but they never caved to demands from the Trump White House and Gov. Mike Braun (R) to redraw the congressional map,” the editorial says. “This act of political courage has emboldened others, including Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D), who continues trying to fend off Gov. Wes Moore’s brazen power grab.”
District boundaries are usually adjusted based on the U.S. Census counts every 10 years, but the Trump administration’s push to create more winnable seats for the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms has sent ripples through state legislatures. Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina quickly enacted new GOP-favorable maps, while California voters approved a new congressional map favorable to Democrats in response to Texas’ efforts.
The monthslong political pressure campaign against Indiana Senate Republicans featured a call with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance making two trips to meet with lawmakers in Indianapolis and threats from national conservative groups like Turning Point USA to spend huge sums on primary opponents for Republicans who didn’t agree to Trump’s demands.
Around a dozen Indiana lawmakers reported anonymous threats or swatting incidents made against their homes or businesses during the redistricting process.
In the end, 21 Republicans joined all 10 Democrats in the state Senate to vote down the redistricting bill, with only 19 Republicans voting in favor.
Braun has maintained he will support efforts to primary senators who voted against new maps. The governor recently told the IBJ he isn’t aware of any specific projects that won’t be given federal funds as a result of the vote, but he “wouldn’t be surprised” if that happens.
Lawmakers respond
Representatives for Braun and House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) did not immediately respond to requests for comment from IBJ on Monday.
In a written statement to IBJ, Senate Pro Tem Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, who repeatedly cautioned that his chamber did not have enough votes to pass a redistricting measure and was the target of Trump’s ire in the final days of the debate, did not address the issue at all.
Rather, he celebrated both property tax relief and budget cuts that he said made way for increased funding to public education.
“I am grateful Indiana is being recognized on the national stage for our commitment property tax reform and our strong financial stewardship,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, said in a written statement that she was proud that “Hoosiers showed up and made their voices heard” during the redistricting debate.
“When people across the state spoke out against mid-decade redistricting, lawmakers listened,” she said. “That’s how democracy is supposed to work, not power imposed from the top down but decisions shaped by the people most affected by them.”
Post also cites tax reform, education funding
In addition to resisting redistricting, the Post’s editorial praised Indiana’s local tax reforms, passed in the 2025 legislative session as a policy worthy of recognition. The wide-reaching law touches on a range of local government budget issues, from property and income tax structures to revenue-sharing for charter schools.
At the heart of the law is a 10% property tax credit for homeowners that is capped at $300, plus additional tax credits for veterans and seniors. The provisions are expected to save homeowners $1.3 billion over the next three years, though critics and leaders in some cities and towns throughout the state have sounded the alarm about significant revenue losses for local governments and schools.
House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, criticized the Post’s take on property tax reforms, saying their decision “was clearly made without consideration of the fallout,” including: “the fact that many homeowners and renters will end up paying more than they save from the cuts in the form of local income taxes, wheel taxes, and more; the cancellation of important local projects and programs across the state, like a domestic violence shelter in Hamilton County; and the mass closure of child care facilities.”
In part to help cities and towns make up for property tax revenue losses, lawmakers voted to allow cities with more than 3,500 residents to adopt income tax rates of up to 1.2%.
“An estimated two-thirds of homeowners will pay less property taxes next year thanks to a broad overhaul in funding formulas—the sort of change a responsible state can make,” the Post’s editorial board wrote. “Indeed, Indiana actually cut spending, not just the rate of growth, while increasing education funding.”
The Post’s editorial board also gave a nod to Indiana’s efforts to remove barriers to entry for charter schools as a positive change.
Indiana was joined by New Hampshire and California as finalists for the editorial board’s “state of the year” honors.