Indiana's bicentennial was met with celebration, and the first year into Indiana’s third century of statehood is being met with a plan for an ever-changing society.
Gov. Eric Holcomb gave his first state of the state address Jan. 17 at the Indiana Statehouse with a focus on "taking Indiana to the next level.”
The governor said the current state of Indiana was “sound” and went on to present five pillars he believes will further improve Indiana as a whole.
1. Create a strong and diverse economy to make Indiana a magnet for jobs
Holcomb wants to continue to maintain a balanced budget for the state and spend less than the Indiana government receives in funds from taxpayers. He believes this encourages businesses to come and stay in Indiana.
The maintenance of the rainy day fund will be continued in case an economic spiral hits Indiana.
Holcomb also talked about the inexpensive use of energy in the state, which largely consists of burning coal.
“Let’s apply technology and innovation to find new ways to unleash this abundant source of power by burning coal cleanly while keeping Hoosiers employed and factories humming,” he said.
Holcomb also proposed a plan to invest $1 billion over the next 10 years into Indiana in hopes of making the state the “capital of innovation and entrepreneurship.” The funds the governor hopes to pull money from include the Next Level Indiana Fund, the 21st Century Fund and a new grant program that aims to support institutes of higher education and local communities that work toward innovation and entrepreneurship.
Additionally, Holcomb said he would like to add $4 million to the budget to support the Regional Cities initiative. According to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the initiatives goal is to transform regions in the state into nationally recognized destinations to live, work and play.
2. Fund a long-term roads and bridges plan
The governor’s 20-year plan for infrastructure includes upgrades to U.S. Route 30, U.S. 31, additional lanes for Interstate 70 and I-65 and completing I-69 from Evansville to Ft. Wayne.
The governor said he was open to a variety of ways to pay for infrastructure costs and said the current sources of revenue were not enough. He went on to foreshadow an increase in taxes to fund the roads and bridges in the state.
“If we ask Hoosiers to invest a little more, to meet the need, the return is going to be well worth it — for them, for our communities and for our economy," he said.
Other projects he would like to pursue include double-tracking the South Shore Rail line, more direct flights to national and international markets, a water port in Southeastern Indiana and to continue to pay attention to the state’s water needs.
“This may not be sexy, but it has to be done,” he said.
3. Develop a skilled and ready workforce for the 21st century
Education is one of the key points of Holcomb's third pillar. The governor wants to double the state’s investment in pre-kindergarten programs to $20 million annually. He hopes this will help give children in Indiana a fair start in their education.
The governor said he would also like to put a focus on science, technology, engineering and math — calling them critical subjects for the jobs in the 21st century. He wants to invest $1 million annually in a statewide effort with K-12 education to improve coordination on these subjects.
Other plans the governor proposed included investing $1 million annually in schools that don’t have Wi-Fi in hopes to provide it and $2 million in “Jobs Ready Grants” for workers who choose to work toward credentials in high-demand and high-wage fields.
His final point in his third pillar was to make the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction to be appointed by the governor. He hopes this can start in 2020.
Holcomb said he has respect for Jennifer McCormick, who is the new Superintendent of Public Instruction, and looks forward to working with her but, “regardless of party, the governor should be able to choose his or her key education partner.”
4. Attack the drug epidemic
The governor said drug use in the state hurts Indiana’s children, families, cities, towns, schools, government agencies and the health care system.
In hopes to tackle the spread of disease that are connected to drug use, he plans to give counties in the state the authority to establish needle exchange programs.
He also plans to limit the number of controlled substances, prescriptions and refills in Indiana and he hopes to upgrade the Indiana State Police Labs.
5. Provide improved government service
The last pillar he presented in his address focused on the government and its use of taxpayer funds. He hopes to make the agency heads in the state to be accountable for the services and programs they provide to the people of Indiana.
Holcomb also announced a plan to give a pay raise to the Indiana State Police and a tax exemption to pensions for those who served in the military. He believes this will make Indiana place where veterans want to live after their military careers.
Student Reactions
Students from the Ball State College Republicans and the Ball State University Democrats who watched the address had varying opinions about the plan for Indiana.
Andrew Hammer, a junior economics major and the chairman of the Ball State College Republicans, said he enjoyed Holcomb’s address and didn’t disagree with anything the governor said in his address.
“His promise to provide great government service at a great taxpayer value is something I wholeheartedly support,” Hammer said.
An increase in taxes to fund roads is worth it, Hammer said, especially with today’s fuel-efficient cars.
“Our gas tax has remained the same for nearly 15 years," Hammer said. "So I do believe that these taxes, that are solely designated to infrastructure spending in the budget, is a wise investment that has significant returns."
Dominic Bordenaro, a freshman political science major and the Affairs Director for the Ball State Democrats, was surprised that Holcomb addressed pre-kindergarten education and the drug epidemic, but he doesn’t think he went far enough.
Bordenaro said he thinks the lack of a plan to increase the state’s minimum wage and to put forward a hate crime law that protects the LGBT community is alarming.
“Gov. Holcomb is the next [Mike] Pence," Bordenaro said. "Holcomb campaigned off of former Gov. Daniel’s and Pence’s administrations and I do not expect much will change."
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