Attorney General Rokita, IDEM champion EPA's
rollback of terrible regulations to
boost Hoosier economy, cut red tape
Attorney General Todd Rokita and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Commissioner Clint Woods are championing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to repeal burdensome and ineffective climate regulations for cars and trucks that hurt Hoosiers and the economy. These regulations, which cost Americans $54 billion annually, rest on the Obama EPA’s controversial 2009 decision to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
Attorney General Rokita said these regulations restrict Hoosiers’ ability to access affordable, reliable vehicles and hurt Indiana’s small businesses in the manufacturing and industrial industries.
“These rules are a bureaucratic power grab that burdens hardworking Hoosiers and families with unaffordable regulations,” Rokita said. “By scrapping it, the EPA would be restoring common sense, the rule of law, and American energy independence. We fully support the rollback to restore polices that put our country back on the path to prosperity and protect Hoosier workers.”
The letter, submitted last week, argues the Obama EPA misused a statute that Congress designed in the 1960s and 1970s to tackle local problems like smog, not global warming. Recent Supreme Court decisions have made clear that EPA cannot regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases based on speculative concerns about their indirect effects on the environment.
Attorney General Rokita added that the rule’s science is shaky, relying on outdated predictions that overstate CO2’s impact. Even if the U.S. stopped all car emissions, it wouldn’t noticeably change global temperatures. Meanwhile, these rules inflate car prices by thousands, hitting low-income Hoosiers hardest and keeping older, dirtier vehicles on the road.
As Indiana’s lead environmental regulator, Commissioner Woods emphasized IDEM’s success in balancing air quality gains with economic growth.
“The U.S. EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding and its resulting greenhouse gas regulations exceed the Agency’s limited authority under the Clean Air Act and suffer from significant scientific, procedural, and legal defects," said IDEM Commissioner Woods. "Given Indiana’s primary responsibility for air pollution control, its proven track record of improving air quality, and its bottom-up success in reducing greenhouse gases without federal overreach, IDEM strongly supports reconsidering these heavy-handed standards that impose costs on Hoosiers without delivering measurable environmental benefits.”
In July, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin visited Indianapolis to announce the proposal on U.S. energy policy and deregulation.
Read the joint letter here.
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Court rules Indiana may require biological sex on birth certificates rather than retroactive listings of ‘gender identity’
Attorney General Todd Rokita praises win for common sense
A federal district court handed a victory recently to Indiana’s policy of listing biological sex rather than gender identity on birth certificates. The court denied a request by the Americans for Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for a preliminary injunction against the policy.
"This ruling is a win for truth, reason and, of course, common sense,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Biological sex is an undeniable fact, not a feeling to be rewritten on official documents. Indiana will continue standing firm in protecting the integrity of birth certificates, ensuring they reflect reality, not ideology."
Earlier this year, Governor Mike Braun issued an executive order reiterating that the terms “sex” and “gender” in the Indiana code refer to the biological characteristic of being male or female. To implement the order, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) stopped changing birth certificates to list a person’s gender identity instead of the person’s sex.
This policy change prompted a lawsuit from individuals represented by the ACLU.
The federal district court declined to preliminarily enjoin Governor Braun’s executive order and IDOH’s policy. It rejected arguments that refusing to let a person self-define gender on birth certificates discriminates on the basis of sex, that transgender-identifying persons are a quasi-suspect class, and that there is a fundamental right to have gender identity listed on birth certificates.
Read the federal court decision here.
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Indiana Unclaimed Property Division on pace to break all-time annual record, returning over $77 million to Hoosiers already this year
Attorney General Todd Rokita says Hoosiers deserve their hard-earned money back in their pockets.
Attorney General Todd Rokita announced that with just 12 weeks remaining in 2025, Indiana’s Unclaimed Property Division, led by Amy Hendrix, is on track to surpass its all-time annual record for returning unclaimed funds to rightful owners. The division has already returned over $77 million in 2025, surpassing last year’s amount of $72 million, the second highest year, and is projected to easily exceed the 2023 record of $81 million by years end. Hoosiers across the state are reclaiming assets long held by the state.
Despite this success, Attorney General Rokita emphasized that many individuals remain unaware of funds waiting for them, driving the division’s mission.
"Our team is relentlessly driven to reconnect every dollar with its owner to provide a financial boost for hardworking families, businesses, and communities," said Attorney General Rokita. “Returning unclaimed property isn’t just our job—it’s a mission to restore what’s yours.”
Examples of unclaimed property include:
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Unclaimed wages or commissions
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Safety deposit box contents
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Savings and checking accounts
How to keep your property from going unclaimed:
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Keep a record of all bank accounts.
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Cash all checks promptly
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Change address form with the US Postal Service when moving
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Open all the mail (in case there is a due diligence letter from the company holding their funds)
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Record all utility deposits, including telephone, cable, and electricity deposits.
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Record all stock certificates and be sure to cash all dividends received.
New property is added to indianaunclaimed.gov regularly. With nearly a billion dollars waiting to be claimed, Attorney General Rokita encourages everyone to spread the word to friends, family, coworkers, or others.
Visit IndianaUnclaimed.gov or text CLAIM to 46220 to search your name, family or business.
You can also contact the Unclaimed Property Division at 1-866-462-5246 or [email protected].
You may also like and/or follow the Unclaimed Property Division on Facebook.
A headshot of Attorney General Rokita is available for download.
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Attorney General Rokita eliminates DEI, enforces merit-based legal representation for Indiana
Attorney General Todd Rokita recently unveiled a robust new policy to protect Hoosiers from the unconstitutional diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices infiltrating law firms seeking to represent the State of Indiana. Effective October 2025, this policy will ensure that only firms committed to merit-based excellence and traditional American values of fairness will serve the state.
The Office of the Indiana Attorney General, tasked with approving most executive branch requests for outside counsel, is cracking down on woke ideologies that undermine equal treatment under the law. This move reinforces Indiana’s commitment to rejecting discriminatory practices that prioritize race or sex over competence.
“The executive branch of Indiana state government is leading the charge against the radical left’s woke DEI agenda, which undermines our constitutional principles and divides Hoosiers with race-obsessed schemes,” said Attorney General Rokita. “This policy is a firewall to protect our state’s legal representation, ensuring that law firms reject divisive ideologies and uphold the meritocracy and fairness that reflect the values of hard-working Hoosiers.”
Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings, including Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard Coll. (2023) and Ames v. Ohio Dep't of Youth Servs. (2025), have reaffirmed that race-based policies violate the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause and federal civil rights laws. These landmark decisions expose DEI initiatives as not only divisive but illegal.
Under this new policy, the Attorney General will block contracts with law firms that engage in discriminatory practices, including:
This policy applies to all new requests for outside counsel, as well as amendments or renewals of prior requests, ensuring a clean break from existing DEI-driven practices. It does not affect previously approved contracts but sets a strong precedent for future engagements.
Attorney General Rokita’s policy builds on his ongoing partnership with Governor Mike Braun to restore fairness in state contracting. In January 2025, Governor Braun issued an executive order banning state agencies from using taxpayer funds to support DEI initiatives that grant preferential treatment based on race. In July 2025, Attorney General Rokita and Governor Braun further strengthened state contracts by adding language to prohibit race- and sex-based discrimination, including DEI practices that violate Indiana and federal civil rights laws.
Read Attorney General Rokita’s full policy guidelines here.
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Attorney General Todd Rokita exposes public posts from educators glorifying Charlie Kirk’s assassination
Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office is actively reviewing public submissions regarding posts made by educators and administrators that glorified the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk.
According to Attorney General Rokita, his office has received hundreds of submissions through the Eyes on Education portal over the past week and is evaluating them for posting on a rolling basis. There are currently nine submissions live with many more expected over the coming days.
“Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of our Republic, but it does not shield individuals from the consequences of their words, especially when they are public servants who are getting paid with taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Rokita. “Statements that celebrate or glorify violence are deeply concerning, particularly when made by those entrusted with shaping young minds. Our office is committed to transparency by sharing verified submissions on the Eyes on Education portal, where many examples are already available.”
The Eyes on Education portal is a tool to help empower parents and community members to engage in their children’s education by submitting and reviewing materials or statements that may be inappropriate in school settings. Since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the portal has received numerous reports around the state of public comments or shared posts celebrating or glorifying the tragedy.
In recent days, several educators, including an administrator at Ball State University, have faced consequences, including resignations or terminations. Ball State University referenced
Hedgepeth v. Britton, a federal ruling allowing schools to discipline employees whose public statements disrupt operations or undermine public trust.
Attorney General Rokita said Ball State’s legal analysis was correct and other higher education institutions, as well as secondary and elementary school boards, superintendents, principals and their attorneys should take notice.
To submit a report to the Eyes on Education portal, visit
in.gov/attorneygeneral, select “Eyes on Education,” choose the school corporation and name, and upload relevant documents. A member of the Attorney General’s office may contact submitters for additional information. Verified submissions will be published regularly.
“Let me be clear: my office is not conducting investigations into these individuals,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Our goal is to provide transparency, equipping parents with the information they need to make informed decisions about their children’s education.”
