On Tuesday, January 10, 2023 Governor Holcomb gave his State of the State address, sharing his legislative priorities and reflecting on Indiana’s year. Senate Democratic Leader Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis) gave the following response:
“The Governor’s address correctly outlined some issues impacting our residents and state, but it still fell short of conveying the full extent of Indiana’s problems. Over the last two decades, our state has been in a downward spiral. When it comes to our K-12 per-pupil spending, high healthcare costs, and our post-secondary opportunities—we are not competing with other states.
“Unfortunately, our Legislature has been too busy passing policies that chip away at our residents’ freedoms, and we’ve failed to adopt enough laws to ensure they can actually lead successful lives by staying in Indiana. In metrics like ‘maternal mortality’, ‘quality-of-life’ and even ‘Best and Worst Places to Have a Baby,’ our state consistently ranks poorly. It’s not surprising that we have a brain drain problem. Look at the lack of support for Hoosiers—our residents have few housing and childcare options, a stagnant $7.25 minimum wage, and supports like paid leave and pregnancy accommodations don’t exist.
“Despite our current standing, I do believe we have the opportunity to make improvements this session. With the record reserves we have, we can make record investments and pass a budget that prioritizes Hoosiers’ families, futures and freedoms. My caucus will be pushing for bold investments to improve our economy for every resident, including continuing to push long-time Democratic priorities that the Governor supports—like eliminating school book fees and auto-enrolling students into the 21st Century Scholars Program.
“I look forward to working with both my Democratic and Republican colleagues to do some great work this session.”
