Republican mayoral candidate Jefferson Shreve is taking up a gun control agenda and promising he can implement it more effectively than Democrat Joe Hogsett.

Driving the news: Shreve, a self-funded millionaire who has campaigned on Hogsett's failure to stop violence, released a public safety agenda yesterday that includes raising the firearm purchase age to 21, ending permitless carry and banning assault-style weapons in Indianapolis.

Flashback: If that sounds familiar, it's because that's the same set of policies Hogsett introduced in May and passed through the City-County Council on Monday, even though none of the new ordinances are enforceable under state law.

The intrigue: Shreve's pitch is that, as a Republican, he can work to carve out exceptions in the state's pro-gun laws with the Republican-dominated Indiana General Assembly.

Why it matters: Shreve's left turn on guns is an unequivocal win for Hogsett, showing the mayor is setting the campaign agenda while Shreve is playing catch-up, appealing to a Democratic-leaning electorate.

Between the lines: Hogsett has been running a two-pronged strategy: Link Shreve to the NRA, based on ads Shreve ran while running for a state Senate seat in 2016, and pound the table with new anti-gun policies that offer the appearance of doing something.

💭 James' thought bubble: Shreve's adoption of gun control rhetoric is remarkable for a Republican.

• Shreve pledged to "ban assault weapon sales," a phrase Republicans routinely decry as meaningless.

What we're watching: As Democrats expressed glee over Shreve's gun concession, conservatives recoiled, with radio station WIBC distilling pro-gun Republicans' anger to a captive audience on the right.

• Afternoon host Jason Hammer delivered a message to the Shreve campaign: "You lost the election."

Go deeper

Indiana had another good economic year — but don't get excited about another automatic taxpayer refund.

Driving the news: State officials yesterday announced that Indiana had $3 billion in the bank at the close of the fiscal year that ended June 30.

• The state brought in $21.6 billion over the last 12 months, falling short of the previous year's general fund revenue collections but beating expectations.

State of play: Indiana's previous two fiscal years ended with uncharacteristically high surpluses, fueled by pandemic-related cash infusions to both institutions and individuals.

• This fiscal year is a return to historic growth patterns, said Cris Johnston, director of the Office of Budget and Management.

Of note: Though the state is banking more than $3 billion, it's not enough to trigger another automatic taxpayer refund like those distributed last year.

What we're watching: In December, experts predicted we'd see a mild recession this year.

• That hasn't come to fruition, yet, but the state did see softening in its three main revenue sources — sales, income and corporate tax collections — over the last quarter.

What they're saying

🏫 A federal appeals court dismissed the lawsuit of Shelly Fitzgerald, a guidance counselor fired from Roncalli High School in 2018 over her same-sex marriage, upholding the "ministerial exception" that allows faith-based schools to fire employees who don’t uphold their religious beliefs.

⚖️ Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears is seeking the death penalty in the case of an escaped inmate accused of killing sheriff's deputy John Durm. Prosecutors charged Orlando Mitchell with two counts of murder, robbery and escape yesterday. (FOX 59)

• Flashback: It's the second time Mears, a Democrat, has sought the death penalty. He's also pursuing it against the man accused of killing Indianapolis police officer Breann Leath in 2020. (Indianapolis Monthly)

📱 The FBI found photos of Adolf Hitler and Nazi propaganda on a phone belonging to the 20-year-old gunman who shot and killed three people, plus himself, in the Greenwood Park Mall food court last July. The phone contents reveal a history of violent and suicidal thoughts, but no motive. (IndyStar)

👨‍🎓 Jim Bullard, a longtime CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, will be the inaugural dean of the Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. School of Business at Purdue University. (IBJ)

This weekend closes out the Indiana Black Expo's Summer Celebration with several of its biggest events.

• Today there's a corporate luncheon honoring George Hill and Jim Irsay and an outdoor concert at the American Legion Mall, and tomorrow's highlight is the All White Affair featuring Juvenile.

Flashback: On this day in 2005, then-President George W. Bush spoke at the Expo's corporate luncheon in the RCA Dome.

• Media reports say the crowd of around 3,000 greeted Bush primarily with a positive but "subdued" reaction.
• His decision to speak at the event was controversial, since it meant he skipped the NAACP convention held on the same day.
• IBE awarded Bush its Lifetime Achievement award.

If you go: See the Summer Celebration's full schedule of events today through Sunday.

IBE's Summer Celebration is the biggest thing in town this weekend, but there are plenty of other things to do, too.

💃 Dig out that flapper costume and step back into the Roaring '20s at the Indiana State Museum from 7-10pm tonight for a night of drinks and dancing alongside the museum's exhibit of vintage cars.

• Tickets are $65 and include one signature cocktail.

🔎 Explore the near east side's bevy of antique shops and salvage stores while sampling local coffee, beer and eats from 10am to 4pm tomorrow during the Raiders of the Lost Antiques event.

🎉 Indulge in the richness of African culture through music, food and games starting at 6pm tomorrow at AfroFest, hosted at the park at Phoenix Theater.

• Tickets start at $20.

🤠 Let it all hang out at Shania Twain's "Queen of Me Tour" tomorrow night at Ruoff Music Center.

• Resale tickets for lawn seating start at $100.

Fall Out Boy and two more things to do