Republican Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith is diverging from his 2024 running mate by actively opposing Republican Gov. Mike Braun's plan to charge motorists tolls for using Indiana's existing interstate highways.
In a recent Facebook post, Beckwith declared highway tolling is a "hard pass" for him and should not be implemented in the Hoosier State.
"Don't Illinois my Indiana," Beckwith said. "Tolling our interstates is a form of taxation and ANOTHER financial burden that Indiana Republicans want to put on Hoosiers!
"Call your state reps and state senators and tell them to end this nonsense right now."
The Republican-controlled General Assembly is not currently in session. It adjourned for the year in April after approving House Enrolled Act 1461 that opened the door to tolling on all of Indiana's interstate highways, subject to federal approval.
Beckwith did not speak out against tolling at the time despite presiding over two days of Senate debate on the measure and proposed revisions to it.
His current stance against tolling comes in tandem with Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales proclaiming Monday, "I stand firmly against adding toll roads to our interstates," due to the financial impact highway tolling would have on Indiana businesses.
The governor's office did not respond to a request for comment on two of Braun's fellow GOP statewide officeholders breaking with one of his key policy positions.
Though LaPorte County state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, chairman of the House Roads and Transportation Committee, doesn't see what the big deal is.
"The governor already has the authority to pursue tolling lanes on interstate highways. This year's law simply streamlines the back-end waiver process should the governor decide to seek that authority from the Federal Highway Administration," Pressel said.
Braun told reporters in May that he anticipates seeking permission from the federal administration of Republican President Donald Trump to toll Indiana's interstate highways as a means of supplementing Indiana's fuel and vehicle taxes that pay for most state and local road construction projects.
The governor said more fuel efficient vehicles are reducing the revenue generated by Indiana's 35 cents per gallon gasoline tax — set to rise to 36 cents a gallon on July 1 — as well as the 7% sales tax the state collects on all gasoline purchases, notwithstanding the additional $230 fee already paid by electric vehicle owners, and $77 for hybrids, on top of the vehicle excise tax, registration fee and administrative fee all motorists are charged to have a valid license plate attached to their vehicle.
State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, whose proposal to exclude Interstate 94 in Lake and Porter counties from tolling was defeated in February by the House Ways and Means Committee, said he believes Republicans are playing with fire if they add tolls to Indiana's highways.
"I'll tell you what, if I-94 and I-65 get tolled, we have a Democratic governor here in the next election," Andrade said Tuesday on the "Left of Center" podcast hosted by Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., a potential 2028 gubernatorial candidate.
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