7/14/26 - Gentry defends referendum and LEAP, Bayh donor contract ban, Indy weighs data center ban

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob covering Indianapolis’ move toward pausing new data center development. The Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee voted 10 to 3 to recommend a moratorium through December 2027, sending the proposal to the full City-County Council. Rob says the timing may be politically convenient ahead of the next mayoral and council elections, but argues the pause is still a good thing because local governments do not yet understand the full financial, infrastructure, and utility impact of these projects. Rob says the basic math on data centers still does not make sense to the public. He argues that while billion-dollar facilities sound attractive on paper, long-term abatements, sales tax exemptions, and minimal job creation mean many communities may not see the payoff for decades, if ever. He says the state and local governments need to explain exactly why taxpayers are subsidizing these developments and how they benefit the communities taking on the risk. The discussion also focuses on the need for statewide guardrails before more data centers are approved. Rob says power, water, utility rates, and tax incentives do not stop at city or county lines, so Indiana needs a broader policy framework instead of letting every community make it up as they go. He says the state should establish a minimum floor for transparency and community benefit, while still allowing local governments to adopt stricter rules if they choose. The show also turns to Beau Bayh’s new pledge in the Secretary of State race. Bayh says that if elected, campaign staffers will be barred from contacting state employees about state business, and he will not award Secretary of State contracts to campaign donors. Rob says this is a direct shot at Diego Morales and a smart campaign move because it keeps Republican corruption in the office at the center of the race, regardless of who Republicans nominate. Rob says Bayh’s pledge also puts pressure on Republican nominee Max Engling, especially because Engling has received support from Marty Obst’s Hoosier Leadership for America, a dark money group that does not disclose its donors. The discussion also notes Bayh’s ties to fundraiser Emily Gurwitz, whose firm was paid by Bayh’s campaign and who has been connected in reporting to questions around Joe Hogsett donors and city contracts. Rob argues the Secretary of State race is shaping up around transparency, corruption, donor influence, and whether voters will finally punish Republicans for what happened under Diego Morales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices