INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb again focused on funding infrastructure and pre-K and tackling the state’s drug epidemic in a well-received, though unspecific, Tuesday night address to Indiana.
As Holcomb leads the state into its third century more emphasis needs to be placed on working for the future now than ever, he said in his State of the State speech.
“Our secret weapon is the Hoosier pioneering spirit itself, proven over the last 200 years: the ingenuity, determination and common sense that enables us not only to overcome any challenge, but also to continually find better ways of doing things,” Holcomb said.
Holcomb spent his 30-minute speech reiterating his five-pillar plan, first announced when he laid out his legislative agenda Jan. 5. The five pillars are keeping Indiana a magnet for jobs, funding infrastructure plans, developing a 21st-century workforce, attacking the drug epidemic and using tax dollars efficiently.
The speech, punctuated with both personal and historical anecdotes, was described by both Republican and Democratic legislative leaders as easy to agree with. However, Indiana House Democratic leader Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, and Indiana Senate Democratic leader Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, said they were disappointed with Holcomb’s lack of specificity.
While Pelath and Lanane both said they appreciated the strong delivery of his speech, Pelath said he was not impressed with Holcomb’s discussion of maybe the biggest issue — funding a way to fix Indiana’s roads and bridges — on the 2017 legislative agenda.
Indiana’s plan for improving state infrastructure should include “projects in every quadrant of our state,” Holcomb said. He described the projects as upgrades to US 30 from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Valparaiso, Indiana, and US 31 to South Bend, Indiana; extra lanes on I-70 and I-65 from Jeffersonville, Indiana, to Crown Point, Indiana; and completing I-69 from Evansville, Indiana, to Fort Wayne.
Holcomb said he’s open to a menu of options when it comes to paying for these infrastructure projects.
However, that wasn’t detailed enough for Pelath. The Democrat said the elephant in the room of the governor’s speech was he did not directly say he supports the Republican tax increase plan for funding infrastructure improvements, which could include raising gas and diesel taxes and installing more road tolls.
“If you’re going to propose tax increases, you need a chief executive to sell that plan, and it appears to me he’s not willing to do that,” Pelath said.
Holcomb will leave the heavy lifting of infrastructure improvements to House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, Pelath said.
Bosma said after the address he’s not worried about the governor’s support on this issue. He said he expects Holcomb will support the Republicans’ plan for infrastructure funding, and while their plan isn’t perfect yet, they have three and a half months to improve it.
“We need political courage, and we’re showing it,” Bosma said. “We staked this territory out. It’s a proper investment.”
In addressing the need to tackle Indiana’s drug epidemic, Holcomb offered several potential solutions. He reiterated his announcement to appoint Jim McClelland as executive director for drug prevention, treatment and enforcement. McClelland also said he hopes to give county officials the authority to establish their own syringe exchange programs.
Pelath said he was happy to hear Holcomb discuss the drug epidemic and talk about it pragmatically. It was a big change from his predecessor, Mike Pence, who Pelath said didn’t talk about the issue at all.
Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, R-Fort Wayne, said handing the responsibility of tackling the epidemic to locals through needle exchanges makes sense. They are the ones on the front lines, he said.
Forming plans to deal with the drug epidemic is a learning curve for everyone, said Long.
“The Midwest is on fire with this epidemic right now,” Bosma added.
The governor’s mission to double the state’s investment in pre-K education to $20 million annually is strongly supported by both Republican leaders, though Bosma admitted some are reluctant about the program expansion.
If House Bill 1330 passed, “On My Way Pre-K,” which gives grants to low-income families with 4-year-olds to allow access to higher-quality pre-K education, would be spread further throughout the state.
Lanane said the $20 million isn’t enough.
“We really should be tripling or quadrupling the amount of funding for early childhood education,” Lanane said. “We need to really be bold in regards to that.”
Additional points in Holcomb’s speech included finding a way for Indiana to burn coal cleanly and adding a fourth water port in southeast Indiana, which he said will help accelerate economic development and play to our strength.
He ended his speech with a commitment to making his promises a reality.
Pelath said ultimately, while Holcomb’s speech may have lacked specifics, his pillars are difficult to oppose.
“I strive to listen to every incoming governor with a purely open mind,” Pelath said. “In this case it was rather easy to do.”
