Sen. Deery Shares Update

Fighting Waste, Fraud and Abuse

Every tax dollar taken from you leaves you a dollar less free to spend on what you choose.

That’s why I believe it’s essential for government to go to great lengths to ensure no tax dollars are wasted or abused.

Across the country, states are facing billions of dollars of welfare fraud and other improper payments for government programs. Indiana has acted aggressively to make sure that is not true in our state.

This year we passed a new law to shield tax dollars from bad actors and to preserve programs like SNAP and Medicaid for the Hoosier families that need them most.

Senate Enrolled Act 1 protects Hoosier benefits by imposing additional eligibility checks for public assistance programs. The law also requires the state to verify the immigration status of people applying for Medicaid and SNAP to help stop illegal immigrants from taking benefits that belong to Hoosiers.

SEA 1 builds upon work we did during the 2025 legislative session to reform Medicaid by including a work requirement for able-bodied, working-age adults and improving verification of recipients’ eligibility. (The bill includes several commonsense exemptions for those in school, those with young children, or who are truly not fit for work in some way).

As other states struggle to contain loss, Indiana remains dedicated to keeping our state a national leader in protecting the fiscal integrity of our public assistance programs.

While some oppose added eligibility checks, I believe our actions were both necessary and compassionate to ensure that no tax dollar is wasted and to preserve the limited funds available for those who need it most.

Indiana Recognized for AAA Credit Rating

For the 17th year in a row, Indiana has earned the ‘AAA’ credit rating from Fitch Ratings, a major credit-rating agency.

This is big news for taxpayers. It signals to businesses that may want to invest in our state that we have a well-run state government. It also saves taxpayers money by ensuring that Indiana gets the best deal possible anytime the state borrows for a major project.

As the highest rank awarded, the ‘AAA’ score highlights Indiana’s commitment to fiscal management, economic resilience and long-term financial stability.

Indiana continues to be one of a select few states to hold the highest ratings from all major rating agencies.