Gov.-elect Braun unveils streamlined cabinet plan with eight policy focuses

Sen. Mike Braun holds a post-election press conference one day after winning election for Indiana governor. (IBJ photo/Mickey Shuey)

Indiana’s next governor has big plans for the executive office, he announced Thursday, a proposal that would trim his cabinet to include eight policy secretaries aligned with core governing areas. Governor-elect Mike Braun’s new cabinet will seek to model “efficiency, accountability and communication in state government,” he said in a news release.

Cabinet members will include Braun, incoming Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, Braun’s chief of staff, the superintendent of state police, the adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard and secretaries over eight policy areas or “verticals.” Secretaries could also serve as agency heads, meaning not every role will need to be filled by a new hire, but each will be “empower(ed) … to drive progress within their vertical.”

Here is how the Braun cabinet will be organized (provided by transition team):

“This new cabinet model will allow us to be laser-focused on delivering results for Hoosiers,” Braun said in the release. “By aligning agencies and reorganizing the executive branch, we can drive accountability for leaders and agencies, promote better coordination and communication between our administration and the Indiana General Assembly, and create efficiency across state government.”

Cabinet positions will include:

• A secretary of management and budget will be responsible for developing a budget aligned with the governor’s vision and serving as operational oversight for other secretaries. Eighteen agencies and departments will report to this person, including the Inspector General, the Public Retirement System and the State Budget Agency.
• A secretary of commerce will oversee the state’s economic development plan.Eight agencies and departments will report to this person, including the Indiana Economic Development Corp. the Department of Workforce Development, the Hoosier Lottery and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
• A secretary of health and family services will coordinate “constituent-facing health and well-being services” and oversee public health programs. The four reporting agencies include the Department of Health, the Family and Social Services Administration, the Department of Child Services and the Department of Veteran Affairs.
• A secretary of public safety will oversee law enforcement, emergency preparedness and public safety. Eight agencies and departments will report to this role, including the Department of Correction, Homeland Security and the Office of School Safety.
• A secretary of energy and natural resources will be responsible for energy and recreation policy as well as “sustainable economic development.” Seven agencies and departments will report to this role, including the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Management and the Utility Regulatory Commission.
• A secretary of education will oversee programming from pre-K to college. The seven reporting agencies and departments include the Department of Education, the Commission for Higher Education and the Charter School Board.
• A secretary of transportation and infrastructure, which also includes oversight of broadband and other quality of life measures. Four agencies will report to this role, including the Department of Transportation, the Northwest IN Regional Development Authority, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Broadband Office.
• A secretary of business affairs who will manage Indiana’s regulatory framework to ensure “businesses and industries operate safely, ethically and efficiently.” Eleven agencies and departments will report to this position, including the Department of Insurance, the Department of Labor, the Professional Licensing Agency and the Gaming Commission.

Both the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs will continue to be led by the lieutenant governor, as outlined by statute. Braun’s chief of staff will set the agenda for the cabinet, which will meet “frequently.”

Gov. Eric Holcomb’s cabinet, in contrast, has more traditionally included major agency heads rather than policy-aligned “verticals.” A two-year-old post on the state’s website includes more than two dozen agencies, keeping departments like the Family and Social Services Administration separate from the Department of Health, for example.