INDIANAPOLIS — Gov.-elect Eric Holcomb can hardly wait to get started on implementing his agenda that he believes will take the state "to the next level."
The Republican, who will be sworn in as Indiana's 51st governor on Jan. 9 at the state fairgrounds, said he didn't expect at the start of 2016 that he'd become the state's chief executive in 2017 — but he's ready for it.
"There will be no higher honor in my life, right up there with wearing that Navy uniform, than serving as your governor," Holcomb said.
"I take both the trust and the responsibility that Hoosiers have placed in me seriously, and I'm chomping at the bit to lead this team."
Holcomb declared at December's Bingham Greenebaum Doll Legislative Conference that his four-year term will "relentlessly be focused, every day, to make Indiana a jobs magnet.
"We've laid a strong foundation. Where we sit right now bodes well ... for where we are going. In this world of uncertainty, Indiana has become a place of certainty," Holcomb said.
"We've become a national model for advanced manufacturing, for aeronautics and defense development, for precision agriculture and life sciences."
Going forward, Holcomb vowed to continue telling Indiana's story: that Hoosiers believe in "hard work, playing by the rules, getting the basics right and playing to your strengths," so "new companies plant their flags on our Hoosier soil and existing companies continue to reinvest and grow and innovate right here in the heart of the heartland."
Legi session convenes Thursday
The governor-to-be plans to announce the specifics of his legislative agenda on Thursday after both the Republican-controlled House and Senate convene for their four-month sessions.
He said his plan will cover five key areas that Holcomb believes are essential to ensuring Indiana is not just competing but also winning on the world stage — starting with strengthening and diversifying the state's economy.
"If we don't get our economic ecosystem in place," Holcomb said, "we can't do much of anything else."
He then wants to invest in "transformational" infrastructure projects, such as double-tracking the South Shore commuter rail line between Gary and Michigan City, that will pay long-term dividends in terms of new residents, businesses and state tax revenue.
"Being the Crossroads of America is not just a motto to us. It has to be our mission," Holcomb said. "We have to continue to further leverage one of our greatest assets — location, location, location — if we're going to continue to be a national logistics leader."
Holcomb also believes Indiana needs to put in place programs, including pre-kindergarten, to recruit, educate and train a "21st century workforce" that can capably fill the projected 1 million job vacancies in the state over the next 10 years.
In addition, he said Indiana must "kill the drug epidemic that our state is grappling with" and restore the commitment to "deliver good state government at great taxpayer value" by measuring everything the state does, keeping what works and dumping what doesn't.
Holcomb will try to persuade legislators and Hoosiers alike to embrace his goals on Jan. 17 when he delivers his first State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly and a statewide television audience.
He said he is confident that his plan truly is what Hoosiers want for their lives and what Indiana needs for its future.
"As I travel throughout our beautiful state, I'm constantly both inspired and reminded that we do indeed live in a very special place and at a very special time, all because of what people are doing each and every day," Holcomb said.