INDIANAPOLIS - Eric Holcomb joked he’s said “maintain Indiana’s AAA credit rating” so much this campaign cycle it feels like that phrase should be part of a drinking game.
But the constant use just stresses his belief of how important it is to protect the state’s fiscal security.
The Republican nominee for governor spoke Friday afternoon at the Kiwanis Club of Indianapolis and unveiled his fourth and final policy proposal. He called it a checklist for offering good state government to Indiana taxpayers. The policy plan has four steps. Passing a balanced budget and preserving Indiana’s credit rating is at the very top. Continuing the state’s HIP 2.0 program, delivering efficient government and honor Hoosier veterans were the other three items.
Holcomb said he and former Gov. Mitch Daniels worked hard to get the state to its current financial situation. He said as he and the General Assembly discuss the 2017-18 budget, he wants to make sure it’s balanced and doesn’t hurt the state’s credit rating.
“If we get out of whack in terms of our business stewardship, it makes everything else we want to do just that much harder,” Holcomb said.
Preserving HIP 2.0 is also high on Holcomb’s priority list. He mentioned the healthcare program during his policy speech in Fort Wayne on community development, lauding it as a tool for improving mental health. Friday, he said he wants to make sure the state maintains control of the program, not Washington D.C.: even though some of the funding is provided through the Affordable Care Act.
“This is a very successful program and we need to make sure over the next year as we negotiate a waiver that we can deliver on our results,” he said.
Holcomb’s other points centered
around following up on items Gov. Mike Pence has already started, such as moving the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship to the Indiana Economic Development Corp. He also wants to make certain tasks, such as getting a driver’s license, easier on Hoosier veterans.
The Indiana Democratic Party was quick to jump on what it called a lack of clear ideas from Holcomb and his team.
“Being governor requires more than talking points,” IDP spokesman Drew Anderson said.