Two hundred years after the state’s founding, the moonlight is still shining on the Wabash, he said. There’s still that newly mown hay smell and candlelight shining through the sycamore trees.
But even with all of these symbols that continuously define the Hoosier state, the governor and legislators made it clear that with regards to state transportation, education, healthcare and civil rights legislation, some things have to change.
Republican leaders Brian Bosma and David Long said they were happy with the speech and felt the governor was very clear on feelings about these controversies. The leaders from the other side of the aisle, however, argued that the remarks were too vague.
“It was storytelling that was veiling cynicism,” Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath said.
With regards to education, Pence said Indiana’s graduation rates have risen to 7th in the nation and the Indiana General Assembly had passed the largest increase in K-12 education funding in the state’s history.
Even so, Pence acknowledged the problems facing Hoosier teachers. He encouraged moving away from Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress and improving how students and schools are evaluated.
When speaking on education, Pence boasted that more than 350,000 low-income Hoosiers have access to healthcare due to the Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0.
Senate Minority Floor Leader Tim Lanane said he found this remark ironic since HIP 2.0 was made possible through Obamacare, an act Pence has repeatedly said he would like to see repealed.
“I’m glad we have 350,000 more Hoosiers on healthcare than we did before the Affordable Care Act,” Lanane said. “But what will happen to the healthcare of those Hoosiers if the act is repealed?”
One issue the governor and the majority Republican leadership disagreed on is how to fund infrastructure improvements.
In his speech, Pence said he would not raise taxes to increase investments in roads and bridges.
“The concept that we need a lot of road investment and Hoosier taxpayers shouldn’t pay for it, I find that to be an anomaly,” Bosma said.
Keeping Hoosiers in suspense, the governor addressed the hottest topic last: civil rights protections for LGBT individuals.
“While Hoosiers are divided over how or even whether to change our civil rights laws, I think there are two things we can all agree on: Hoosiers do not tolerate discrimination against anybody and Hoosiers cherish faith and the freedoms enshrined in our constitution,” Pence said.
He insisted Indiana is an “open and welcoming state that respects everyone,” and that all people are created equal.
Then, he addressed religious liberties.
Pence said he would not support a bill that “diminishes the religious freedom of Hoosiers,” or interferes with citizens’ rights to live out their beliefs. He told the present lawmakers it was up to them to decide whether reconciling these two sets of values in the law was “necessary or even possible.”
“He completely washed his hands of the entire issue,” Pelath said. “He punted it to the legislature.”
Lanane agreed.
“I think I heard him correctly when he said it’s not even necessary for us to amend the Civil Rights Act,” Lanane said. “He not only punts it to us but it sent a message to me that he would be perfectly happy to have us do nothing at all with regards to the Civil Rights Act.”
LGBT activists across the state have also expressed anger over the way Pence spoke on civil rights protections.
“Religious liberty and LGBT rights can coexist quite peacefully, but there are some folks who want to push the envelope,” Freedom Indiana Communications Director Jennifer Wagner said.
Freedom Indiana Campaign Manager Chris Paulsen also noted in a press release Pence had 10 months to listen to Hoosiers and reconsider his stance on LGBT rights.
“This is a complete letdown.” Paulsen, said in a press release. “We are disappointed in his lack of leadership on an update that we know a majority of people in our state support.”
