Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita stopped by the Kosciusko County Jail Friday to encourage the men in the Jail Chemical Addiction Program (JCAP) after visiting with Slate Auto officials and lawmakers in Warsaw.
Asked about his visit to Slate during a press conference after speaking with the JCAP participants, Rokita explained, “There’s some controversy in the Statehouse around it, from people who don’t have other things to do. I believe that every elected official - I don’t care if you are governor or down to dog catcher ... we all should be involved in economic development. We all have different roles. The fact of the matter is, we’re all cheerleaders, we’re all ambassadors for the state of Indiana. We all have different roles - I’m not saying I should be head of IEDC or anything like that, that’s not the point - the point is that all of us can do something to make sure businesses come here.”
His visit Friday to Slate is an example of that, he said, “which has an amazing product that I got to see today. See their business plan, their M.O. It could be revolutionary for the auto industry, and what a great next chapter to this long and beautiful Indiana automotive legacy/history that we have.”
Rokita said Slate had some questions and ideas for changing Indiana law, so there were some lawmakers in the meeting Friday with them as well. Rokita represents the lawmakers in terms of the constitutionality of the laws that the lawmakers pass.
“The fact of the matter is, we have a brand new, start-up company, who could have gone to 11 other states and they came here,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that they were welcomed with open arms, that they had an open door at their now attorney general’s office so that we can help work on their issues because, you know what, Slate and Indiana, they’re married now and that marriage has to be successful and every elected official ought to be a part of that.”
Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” erases the $7,500 tax credit that Slate Auto may have initially been counting on. Rokita was asked if he and the lawmakers who met with Slate Auto Friday were discussing ways to assist with offsetting that loss with the electric vehicle truck manufacturer coming to Warsaw.
Rokita said the lawmakers that were part of Friday’s meeting were at the state level so they weren’t involved with Trump’s bill.
“Without violating the confidence of a private meeting, I’ll tell you that issue came up. I know they’re talking with our federal lawmakers as well on that,” Rokita said. “From what I gather, this is my own observation from what they told me about the business plan, and their modus operandi, they plan to sell a lot of cars at the entry-level market. I’m not sure that tax credit, that their business model, hinges on that tax credit. Is it a nice to have? Sure. Why wouldn’t it be? It would be nice to have for any business. But, I found, in what they were saying, that they’re going to produce a product that is going to be beneficial and liked by the market. These tax credits are distortions to the market, so if they build a car that can survive in the market, that people really want, then what I understood is that they’re going to build a new car for the price of a used one.”
In his comments earlier to the JCAP inmates, who will be graduating from the program Aug. 15, Rokita offered his early congratulations. He explained his office handles criminal appeals for all 91 Indiana prosecutors in the 92 counties.
“I’m not here to preach, I’m not here to do any of that. I’m here to - like I said already - to say thank you, to encourage you to graduate. And to say, ‘You know what? There’s a lot of us that understand life a little bit and some of the life that you’ve been through.’ I’m not here to make excuses for you. I’m here to say, ‘I think I get it.’ I get it through the filings that are made in my office. I get it just through being 55 years old, not as old as some of you but older than some of you. And being through life a little bit. And it’s also an acknowledgement that society makes it hard on people like you to get back into society, and that’s not good for anyone. It’s not good for society generally, it’s not good for individuals in society, it’s not good for you,” Rokita stated.
He said he was there to present an olive branch and say there’s a lot of people who do care and do understand that the JCAP participants are about 7% of the jail population that’s made the choices, decisions and determination that they have to get back into society rather than to stay in that “alternative, terrible world.” He encouraged them and offered his support, grace, and forgiveness on behalf of the people of the state of Indiana.
“That means a lot to people like us,” one JCAP participant stated. “It means a lot.”
The JCAP participants were provided a lunch by Kosciusko County Councilwoman Kathy Groninger for their helping with decorating for Le Diner En Blanc downtown Warsaw in June. Councilwoman Rachael Rhoades played her guitar and sang Christian songs for the men, and everyone was invited to sing along with her. Two of the five songs included “Amazing Grace” and “The Old Rugged Cross.”
During the press conference after visiting with JCAP, Rokita answered questions on a variety of topics.
Epstein files
Asked if he would call on President Donald Trump to release the Epstein files, Rokita said he had absolutely nothing to do with that.
“But as a citizen, as a taxpayer, as a voter and as a legal law enforcement official who helps stop human trafficking, sex trafficking and the rest, I say, and I don’t think President Trump disagrees with this, because he is an ally and a friend of mine ... I say release everything that’s releasable and I think that’s where he is on this,” Rokita said.
SB-1
Indiana Senate Bill-1 is expected to have a large financial impact on the revenue that cities, towns, counties, schools and other taxing units receive in the coming years. Many units are expecting to take hits to the amount of funds they will receive.
Asked about its impact specifically on law enforcement, Rokita replied, “We all have to adjust to this. Now there’s good things about SB-1, there’s not-so-good things about SB-1. I’m not a lawmaker, I didn’t have a vote in it. I can tell you it’s constitutional. I don’t think it’ll be challenged in court, which would be my role with it.”
Focusing on what he said were “interesting” things about SB-1, he continued, “The interesting thing about SB-1 is that local officials now, especially local elected officials who have budget responsibilities may now have to use some tools - tax-raising, or cost-cutting tools - that they haven’t had to exercise before. So, they’re going to learn, so to speak, about muscles they didn’t know they had.”
He said they’re going to feel the heat now on whether they raise a tax or get more efficient.
American Exceptionalism
The United States celebrates its 250th birthday in 2026 and Rokita said his office was going to join in on that “wonderful” celebration.
“But this is what I call American Exceptionalism, with a capital A and a capital E. It’s not even taught in school anymore,” he said.
In his last public job, in between some private sector work, Rokita was a U.S. Congressman for the western part of the state. He also was chair of the House K-12 Education Committee.
“I’ve been to 100 schools, not only in Indiana but across this nation. I’ve been to a school in northern Minnesota in January on an Indian Reservation that didn’t have heat. I’ve seen the worst of schools, I’ve seen the best of schools. I got to the point where within one minute of entering a school building, I can tell you if that school district, if that school building exists for the adults that work there or it exists for the kids. Because there’s some professions you go into - public service is one, teaching is another - where you’re supposed to, by definition, by fiduciary duty - leave your interests at the door and work for someone else’s interests. And I can tell the difference walking into a school on that,” Rokita said.
He said 95% of the time, or greater, when he asks a group of students if they’ve been taught what American Exceptionalism is, the answer is no, but it should be taught.
“I think what President Trump is doing by making such an appropriate big deal about this, is a recognition about American Exceptionalism,” Rokita said. “Not that we’re better than every other country. It’s not a matter of arrogance. It’s a matter of uniqueness. We are unique to world history. It’s the first time in world history that the best ideas for self-governance ever came together at the same time in the same place, and that came from our Constitution, something I defend every day.”
