INDIANAPOLIS — Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb unveiled plans Tuesday to spend billions of dollars improving Indiana's workforce and infrastructure, including speeding travel through the Region on the South Shore Line, if he's elected governor Nov. 8.
However, the Republican clammed up when asked how he'd pay for his massive list of projects while keeping his promises to maintain Indiana's balanced budget, $2.2 billion reserve fund and top credit rating.
"That will come during the legislative process," Holcomb said. "We'll be discussing how we're going to pay for it."
Much of Holcomb's economic development plan merely implements, continues or expands programs begun under Republican Gov. Mike Pence, including state support for start-up companies, improved workforce training, funding for Regional Cities Initiative projects, completing Interstate 69, defending the use of coal energy and adding an Ohio River port.
Holcomb insisted those old ideas should be considered new, because he's actually going to follow through on them.
"All of this is my plan," Holcomb said. "I was talking about I-69 in 1998, so that's been a goal of mine going back a few years prior to both of my predecessors."
Holcomb's proposal does contain the strongest executive branch endorsement to date for double-tracking the South Shore Line between Gary and Michigan City to reduce travel times for Northwest Indiana residents headed to and from Chicago jobs.
"The South Shore Line ... was built in 1916, a century ago. It's long overdue for some serious upgrades," Holcomb said. "I want to be a partner with the Region as they develop their destiny in this 21st century."
On roads, Holcomb said he would apply a "data-driven" approach to deciding which state and local thoroughfares should be built or repaired, and he's open to allowing the private sector to take a lead role in paying for construction.
Unlike Pence, Holcomb did not rule out supporting tax increases or tolls to pay for infrastructure improvements. He said he's committed to working with the Legislature to find the right long-term solution.
"What I won't do is say, let's just borrow our way or raid our way into paying for things and start writing checks that I can't cash," Holcomb said, criticizing the $3.2 billion infrastructure plan of his Democratic opponent, former House Speaker John Gregg.
Holcomb declined to stake a new position on state civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers, saying the existing patchwork of local ordinances is satisfactory.
That rankled Democratic Party spokesman Drew Anderson, who said Indiana's economic future depends on making every person, including LGBT individuals, feel welcome in the state.
"Eric Holcomb will only continue the same policies of Mike Pence — an agenda that discriminates based on who you love, strikes down laws that only enable wages to fall further behind the national average and takes more activity out of our state's economy," Anderson said.
Holcomb vowed to announce his ideas for education and other issues in the coming weeks. Gregg's policy proposals have been posted on his campaign website for months.