U.S. Representative Rudy Yakym meets with community members during Fulton County Legislative Breakfast in Akron

The Fulton County Chamber of Commerce and Fulton County Farm Bureau's 2026 Legislative Breakfast Series held its second session Saturday, Feb. 7, with U.S. Representative Rudy Yakym at the Akron Community Center. 

The event was open to the public as an opportunity for community members to communicate one-on-one with Congressman Yakym. 

Representative Rudy Yakym represents Indiana’s Second Congressional District and serves on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, where he was a critical piece in crafting the tax portion of the One Big Beautiful Bill that was signed on July 4, 2025. Additionally, Yakm says he focuses on advancing pro-growth, fiscally responsible policies rooted in Hoosier values. Yakym has also championed legislation like the Reducing Bureaucracy to Uplift Families Act and the bipartisan Improper Payments Transparency Act, that he says aimed at assisting with federal efficiency and supporting working families.

During the question-and-answer period of the session community members voiced concerns on rising NIPSCO bills and wanted to know the reasoning behind the recent price spike.

Congressman Yakym's representative Nate Griffin explained that for-profit companies like NIPSCO can raise their rates if approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and not a federal agency. While the rate increases are out of Yakym's hands for now, Griffin said NIPSCO has been rolling out some affordability plans and payment plans for their customers. Griffin welcomed any community members looking for more information on those payment plans to contact or visit one of their local offices and he would be glad to help. 

“At the end of the day, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission is who makes those decisions for rate increases. They determine whether or not to approve those, or not. There is some relief available through NIPSCO, like I said, come see me and I'd be happy to give you that information,“ Griffin said. 

Representative Yakym said he has also personally met with NIPSCO regarding the sudden price increase across the community and says the company is trying to work on some things to make bills a little more predictable for their customers in the future. 

While Saturday's session was not specifically related to data center, many community members attending the breakfast also had questions and concerns about them for Representative Yakym. Although there have still been no official announcements regarding a data center in Fulton County, rumors about one being potentially placed near Akron have put locals on high alert over the past few months. 

Weighing in on the topic, Representative Yakym stated he trusts the local and state elected officials to make the decisions for where data centers should go at a local and state level.

“They've got great opportunity in front of them, and ultimately, the local elected officials will have to make a decision that's best for them," Representative Yakym said.

The Fulton County Area Planning Committee will be meeting at the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, 2006 Sweetgum Rd, in Rochester on Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. to further address concerns with community members about their data center concerns. The 2026 Fulton County Legislative Breakfast Series concludes with Rochester Mayor Trent Odell and County Commissioners Bryan Lewis, Rick Ranstead, and David Sommers on Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Fulton County Public Library located at 320 W Seventh St in Rochester.