Braun shares agriculture, rural plan for Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Republican gubernatorial nominee U.S. Sen. Mike Braun shared a plan called the Freedom and Opportunity Agenda, aimed at supporting rural communities.

“Hoosier family farms feed the world with millions of acres of crops, livestock and poultry, and as governor, I will protect our farms while giving rural communities the tools they need to grow and thrive,” he said.

Braun is running against Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater.

As farmers and rural communities face rising taxes, population decline and other challenges, the agenda aims to find solutions.

Braun proposes the following:

• Improve customer service for farmers — Establish a one-stop online portal to simplify access to funding, market opportunities, technical support and regulatory updates, ensuring Hoosier farmers get the help they need quickly and efficiently.

• Tax relief that protects family farms — Provide historic property tax relief by capping annual increases, fixing the referendum process and modernizing how farmland is valued to reflect the realities of today’s farm economy.

• Target economic development to rural communities — Ensure economic development dollars flow to rural communities with full transparency and accountability, so that small towns can grow and thrive.

• Build out reliable connectivity — Introduce a matching grant program for broadband expansion to ensure every Hoosier, no matter where they live, has access to high-speed internet, a necessity for both families and modern agriculture.

• Protect Hoosier farmland — Protect Indiana’s farmland from foreign adversaries by enforcing divestment rules, increasing transparency and working with the General Assembly to monitor emerging threats.

Braun partnered with HOPE Inc. to develop policy proposals and an action plan. See HOPE Inc.’s white paper and learn more at https://tinyurl.com/3hf5kmyu.