Questions Rise Over Braun’s Role in Mid-States Corridor Project
INDIANAPOLIS — Members of the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority appeared before the Dubois County Council this week, urging the county to remain involved as the authority nears its legal expiration in May.
Leaders say Dubois County’s participation is critical as the project moves through a state environmental study. The authority formed in 2017 with approval from Dubois County, Spencer County, and the cities of Jasper and Huntingburg.
Lawmakers approved the corridor in 2017 through a state bill, saying it would help the region compete for federal highway funding. The legislation allowed public and private groups to raise about $7 million for early studies on possible routes and economic impact, moving the project to its current phase.
The Mid‑States Corridor is planned for southern Indiana, connecting I‑64 near Evansville up to I‑69 near Bloomington or Martinsville, running roughly north-south through several counties.
The project is now drawing increased scrutiny from property rights advocates and others who are raising questions about Governor Mike Braun’s role. Critics are calling for clearer answers on cost, transparency, and political influence tied to the corridor.
“The estimate now is $3.4 billion, and that doesn’t even include land acquisition,” Jason McCoy, President of the Property Rights Alliance in Southwest Indiana said during an appearance on WIBC’s “Kendall and Casey” on 93.1 WIBC. “You’re talking about acquiring land from people who have absolutely no intention whatsoever of giving it up, so you know that’s going to be very, very expensive.”
McCoy said the size of the project makes federal funding necessary and argued the state does not have the money to build it on its own.
“He needs federal funding for that. He can’t get that built with state funding,” McCoy said. “There simply isn’t enough money for that, and there’s no reasonable way to justify it without federal funding.”
McCoy said Governor Mike Braun could financially benefit from the corridor through his logistics business, a claim the governor has not publicly addressed. McCoy described the project as part of a broader political strategy.
“It’s funny, people talk about Braun being a Trump puppet. I don’t necessarily see it that way,” McCoy said. “The way I see it is quid pro quo. Braun needs federal support for this road. Trump wanted redistricting, and it was Braun’s job, in my opinion, to deliver Trump’s redistricting mandate.”
“They want this road,” McCoy added. “They need this road badly.”
McCoy encouraged residents to look closely at the project’s history, saying the corridor has been discussed for more than a decade.
“I will encourage you to go to the Dubois County Free Press and start with the Mid-States Corridor articles from 2011,” he said. “Read it all. It starts to make sense.”
Beyond construction costs, McCoy warned local governments could face long-term financial burdens, including road maintenance.
“One of the things they need is Jasper, Huntingburg and Dubois County to assume all the maintenance costs for U.S. 231,” he said. “We don’t have enough money down there to take care of the roads that we have right now.”
McCoy said growing public opposition is starting to influence elected officials who once supported the project.
“A lot of elected officials are seeing the writing on the wall,” he said. “They’re saying, ‘You know what, 81% of the people don’t want this road. It’s incumbent upon me to represent the best interests of my constituents.’ And now some of them are actually doing that.”
McCoy pushed back on the idea that the corridor is inevitable because of political power at the state level.
“This whole specter of Braun being the governor and running the show and always getting what he wants I don’t think that’s the case,” he said. “I think the people at the Statehouse are supposed to run things.”
The Dubois County Council took no action during the meeting on whether it will continue its membership in the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority.
