At issue is funding for Indiana health departments through the state’s Health First initiative. There were warning signs that lawmakers were looking towards restrictions on the program earlier this year.

Braun put out a statement underlining that the state was monitoring both the impact of the outbreak on farmers and any risk of human exposure.

When Indiana overhauled its public health system in 2023, county health departments had to opt-in to the program. Six counties did not participate in the first year, but joined in year two. Johnson County was one of them.

Eighty-six counties covering nearly 96% of Hoosiers have started receiving $75 million of state funds dedicated to improving public health outcomes under the Health First Indiana (HFI) program, an initiative approved and funded in the 2023 legislative session.