Gov. Mike Braun is calling for a conservative, Christian-aligned organization to expand into Indiana’s public schools, a move critics say blurs the line between education and religion.
Thursday, Braun issued a proclamation recognizing the freedom of speech and calling on colleges and high schools to facilitate chapters of Turning Point USA, a group that promotes “the values of liberty.”
The governor, joined by Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and members of Turning Point, pitched the partnership as a way to bring political balance to schools.
“It's going to still have to go through the process, so that school is going to be convinced that it makes sense. We're not saying you've got to do it,” Braun said. “We're just saying you're going to have the ability to sell that just like the other side has done.”
Indiana joins states like Tennessee and Texas in formalizing ties with the group. The announcement also follows news from Secretary of State Diego Morales earlier this week that the state will also partner with Turning Point USA to register high school voters.
Charlie Kirk, the former CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated Sept. 10 while speaking on stage in Utah. He became a leading figure for young conservatives and was seen as instrumental in President Donald Trump winning the 2024 election.
Democrats and some educators are pushing back, saying the governor is blurring the line between public service and politics.
“And at some point, Hoosiers have every right to ask: Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?“ Sen. Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) said in a statement. “Public schools belong to every child and every family… They do not belong to any political brand. And they do not belong to any outside ideological or religious movement.
The state’s largest teachers union released a statement noting that students already have the right to form clubs and engage in civic discussion.
“Public schools should remain focused on creating a respectful learning environment where students can explore ideas and perspectives without the state appearing to favor or promote any particular political organization,” said ISTA President Jennifer Smith-Margraf. “Decisions about student activities are best handled at the local school level with the goal of supporting all students.”
Public schools often provide a process for students to create clubs and topic groups on campus with the support of a school staff member.
While the Turning Point USA website does not explicitly mention the Republican Party, its leadership explicitly promotes Christian values.
Shortly after that shooting that killed Kirk, Braun warned Indiana educators could lose their licenses for speech or social media comments that celebrated the death of Kirk. No educator licenses appear to have been suspended or revoked on that basis.
Braun also joined conservative commentator Tucker Carlson for a TPUSA event on the campus of Indiana University.
Turning Point Action, the political arm of Turning Point USA, supported the push from Trump and Braun for state lawmakers to redistrict Indiana's congressional districts to favor the GOP in the midterm elections. Indiana lawmakers eventually rejected the redistricting plan.
During Thursday's announcement at the governor's residence, Josh Thifault, Turning Point’s senior director, said membership has grown in schools where states have announced similar partnerships.
“We are at a unique moment where most young Americans want to live in a Christian nation again,” Thifault said. “They want to live in a nation where our laws are based on the Word of God, on the values that originally founded our country.”
The governor dismissed concerns of bias, telling reporters that it was about leveling the playing field.
“It's not endorsing anything, particularly; it's making sure you've got the freedom of speech to be as loud about your point of view as the other side has always exercised with high decibel levels,” he said.
Across the state, the group has 34 chapters on college campuses and 65 clubs at high schools, according to a spokesperson for Turning Point USA.
The group claims that some chapters have faced denials or obstacles in getting school approval, instances that were reported to Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita.
Recently, Valparaiso University rejected a student’s request to re-establish a chapter of Turning Point USA on the private campus.
It’s still not exactly clear how Braun’s proclamation will ultimately change the formation of TPUSA chapters.
Morales’ partnership with the group, led a candidate for the Secretary of State seat to call the move partisan.
“Voter registration should be run by neutral institutions, not political advocacy groups,” Libertarian candidate Lauri Shillings said in a statement. “ The appearance of the Secretary of State partnering with organizations aligned with one political ideology risks undermining trust in our elections.”
The deadline to register to vote in Indiana’s next election, the May 5 primary, is April 6.
Contact Government Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org