Topline: A bill that passed the Indiana state legislature on April 1 will make it harder for public employees to buy luxury cars with taxpayer money, but it’s too late to prevent the purchases already made by two top officials.
Secretary of State Diego Morales is driving around a $90,000 GMC Yukon Denali, marketed as a car to “immerse yourself in luxury, ” according to the IndyStar. Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith is driving an $88,000 Chevy Tahoe High Country.
Key facts: Beckwith’s car is the most expensive model of the Chevy Tahoe, with an “upgraded engine, chrome accents along with a signature grille, sill plates, stitching and badging, and real wood decor,” according to IndyStar. Other models are available for $59,000.
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He told IndyStar his purchase was justified because he needed to fit the “big guys” on his staff, unlike his predecessor Suzanne Crouch and her mostly female staff.
“We needed a car that was big enough for the guys on my team, because the previous lieutenant governor had a smaller car, because she had a bunch of women that would travel with her, and we got some big guys that go with us,” Beckwith said. “And so I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got to have something that’s good for three or four guys.’ And so when you start looking at those models, I mean, the price gets up there when you’re talking about a new car.”
Beckwith also recently asked lawmakers to double his office budget while telling local governments to cut spending and provide property tax relief. After his luxury vehicle made headlines, he promised to cut his office budget by $164,000 instead.
Morales’ SUV is outfitted with a heated steering wheel and a 14-speaker Bose surround sound system. A spokeswoman for Morales told IndyStar the secretary of state’s car is an “appropriate and responsible” use of taxpayer money, noting that Morales travels to all 92 counties in Indiana every year.
Gov. Mike Braun’s office didn’t answer IndyStar’s questions about the vehicles but said the governor supports House Bill 1518, which would require officials to buy the cheapest possible model of a car unless they have special permission.
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Background: Beckwith makes a salary of $194,501 — 66% more than his predecessor, thanks to pay raises passed by the Republican legislature before Beckwith was elected.
Morales got a 44% raise to $145,875. He paid his staff $300,000 in bonuses last year and hired his brother-in-law to a $108,000 state job.
Summary: Indiana’s officials should not be driving around in luxury vehicles until taxes are low enough for their constituents to afford upgraded SUVs of their own.
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