Comment submitted by Amy Mickschl

"Indiana wants to be an AI leader. Its education and tax policies guarantee it won't be." Hey Mike Braun and the super majority in leadership who identify as Republicans. LISTEN UP! Indiana needs to be a leader in fixing our issues before we can lead in anything. Currently INDIANA is a disaster. "After more than 25 years of Republican control, is Indiana actually better off? The numbers tell a different story. Indiana ranks: • 47th in education • 50th in environmental quality • 50th in prevention of childhood trauma • 49th in chronic illness • 49th in occupational safety • 48th in quality of life • 48th in industrial pollution • 48th in public health • 47th in senior care • 47th in disaster preparedness • 41st-42nd in access to primary care and mental health providers • 38th in infant mortality • 34th in preterm births • 33rd in voter registration • 41st in voter participation And it gets worse: • 32 counties have no obstetric services • 42 counties lack labor and delivery units • Indiana has the 3rd-highest maternal mortality rate in America • Black infant mortality is twice the rate of white infants • Black maternal mortality is three times higher than white maternal mortality • An estimated 71-72% of maternal deaths are preventable with proper access to care • Indiana ranks 16th for gun violence • Suicide rates are 12% above the national average • 3rd worst state for employee layoffs • 2nd worst for methamphetamine production • 5th worst for drug addiction and abuse Meanwhile, Indiana continues to face underfunded schools, underfunded disaster response systems, aging drinking water infrastructure, and 266 rural dams in high-hazard condition requiring repairs. This is the result of decades of failed leadership and misplaced priorities. National Republicans continue pushing policies that hurt working families, but Democrats must also stop wasting time fighting each other. If we want to save Indiana, improve lives, and build a future that works for everyone, we need to focus less on internal battles and more on winning elections. The future of Indiana depends on what we do next." Indiana child well-being rank declines in national report • Indiana Capital Chronicle https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/06/09/indiana-child-well-being-rank-declines-in-national-report/ Now you fools want to put more poison in the ground water? How can HOOSIERS fix our horrible living conditions that impact our quality of life when you fools want to poison our ground water with coal ashes. "Coal ash sites in Indiana have rendered the groundwater unfit for human consumption with varying combinations of arsenic, molybdenum, lithium, boron, cobalt, antimony, radium, lead, selenium and thallium often at concentrations many times the maximum allowed in drinking water. What’s more, this contaminated groundwater flows into the neighboring lakes and rivers, putting aquatic life at risk." ( HEC, 2026) If any HOOSIERS have a well within a mile of a coal ash site, it would be good to have their well water tested. The Indiana Department of Health maintains a list of certified drinking water laboratories. In some circumstances, county health department may be able to help. I say the polluters should pay for all of this. HOOSIERS are being exploited by greedy humans who do not care if we suffer deletorious health impacts as long as they are making money. SHAME ON ALL OF THEM! Amy Mickschl, BSN If your private well tests positive for the coal ash contaminants listed above, HEC would be interested in talking with you. Please contact us at coalash@hecweb.org.