Neighbors,
We need to talk about what is actually happening to our community. The talking points out of Indianapolis always sound great on paper, but down here in District 75, the reality is hitting our bank accounts every single month. I want to explain exactly how statehouse decisions are quietly pulling money out of your pockets, and what we are going to do to stop it.
Our incumbent, Cindy Ledbetter, advanced from the primary uncontested. When there is no debate, accountability disappears.
In April 2025, the state legislature passed Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1). They sold it as "tax relief." What they didn't tell you is that by cutting countywide funding distributions, they forced our local town councils to make up the difference. How? By raising your basic service fees. If you've noticed that your recurring electronic payments to the Town of Newburgh Sewer Utility just keep getting heavier, you aren't imagining things. That is a stealth tax, engineered in Indianapolis, but paid for by you.
SEA 1 also eliminated the depreciation floor on business personal property. In plain English: they gave massive corporations a permanent tax break, and shifted the burden onto local homeowners and small businesses. The economics of building a life here have been deliberately broken. Working families are formally canceling residential home construction projects right here in Newburgh just because the math no longer works. We are sacrificing our local growth to subsidize corporate balance sheets.
In February 2025, state regulators at the IURC rubber-stamped an $80 million revenue increase for CenterPoint. Now, you are paying the price. Utility monopolies shouldn't get guaranteed profits while you struggle to keep the lights on. I will introduce legislation demanding independent, forensic public audits of these utility companies. They need to prove they are broke before they are allowed to raise your rates by a single penny.
When out-of-state energy companies want to build carbon sequestration pipelines or expand utility lines, they use eminent domain to force you to sell your land. The current establishment protects the energy sector; I will protect your property rights. If a multi-billion-dollar corporation wants your family's land, they must negotiate fairly or go home empty-handed.
Southwest Indiana's healthcare system has been swallowed up by regional monopolies. When competition disappears, prices skyrocket, and small businesses are left drowning in premium hikes. I am fighting for one simple rule: strict, upfront price transparency. If a hospital or clinic cannot give you a clear, cash price for a standard procedure before it happens, they should not be allowed to bill you for it later.
It is time to end the uncontested political monopolies that let this happen. I am Mason Barclay, and I am running to return power, and your money, back to District 75.