Gov. Eric Holcomb is asking the Indiana General Assembly to help him next year improve the management of state government operations — not to dramatically transform them.
The Republican chief executive unveiled a 2021 legislative agenda Thursday that largely seeks to build on Holcomb's first-term accomplishments, instead of proposing major new initiatives for state government programs and services.
Holcomb said the need to continue seeing Indiana through the coronavirus pandemic, including weathering its impact on state tax revenues, necessarily limited the measures he hopes to enact when lawmakers return to the Statehouse Jan. 4 for a four-month session.
"Managing through the surge, and safely accelerating out of this pandemic, will remain priority No. 1," Holcomb said. "And yes, that finally includes our vaccination protocol, which is rolling out as we speak right now."
"Never in the history of our state have we rolled out a vaccination process on this scale, and the more who participate, the swifter and safer we'll all get through this — and I assure you, lives will be saved."
Among the few funding increases Holcomb identified in his address to participants at the the 29th annual Dentons Legislative Conference, held online due to COVID-19, was a to-be-announced additional amount for elementary and high school education.
The governor said he also hopes to restore the 7% funding cut imposed on colleges and universities as tax revenue dipped this year due to COVID-19 shutdowns, increase support for manufacturing technology improvements through the Indiana Economic Development Corp., and to resume Next Level Trails grants to communities across the state.
But Holcomb said those spending decisions largely will hinge on the revised revenue forecast due to be issued in April shortly before the Republican-controlled Legislature finalizes and adopts the next two-year state budget.
Holcomb pledged to "review and consider" the myriad recommendations of his Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission. Though he did not commit to enacting or funding significant teacher pay raises in the upcoming legislative session.
However, he is taking advantage of the change in leadership from a citizen-elected state superintendent of public instruction to a governor-appointed secretary of education to consolidate staffing for the Indiana State Board of Education and the Indiana Charter School Board under his designated state schools chief Katie Jenner.
State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, said the governor's failure to commit to a teacher pay hike "is a cause for concern."
"Let's be clear: we cannot afford to kick the can down the road a moment longer. We need to deliver for our Hoosier teachers, who have extended themselves even more than usual this year as we dealt with this virus," Melton said.
"I strongly encourage the governor to urge his Republican caucus to make teacher pay raises a nonnegotiable priority this year."
Other items on Holcomb's agenda include finalizing funding and beginning construction of the South Shore Line's West Lake Corridor and NWI Double Track projects in Northwest Indiana, studying potential upgrades to U.S. 30 particularly east of Valparaiso, completing Interstate 69, and attracting additional defense industry investment to Indiana.
The governor also wants to study post-pandemic improvements or consolidation of local health departments, make it easier for Indiana families to choose a nursing home for an aging relative, and guarantee reasonable workplace accommodations for pregnant women.
In addition, Holcomb will ask lawmakers to permanently allow expanded use of telemedicine and virtual government meetings, provide COVID-19 liability protections for Indiana schools and businesses, increase opportunities and equity for minorities, and to remove barriers preventing thousands of Hoosiers from reinstating their revoked driver's licenses.
"Every single thing on this agenda is very important to the growth of our state," Holcomb said. "This is what we need to do to continue to stay on the road that we're on, to grow."
Hoosier Democrats questioned Holcomb's ability to deliver on any of his agenda items since they claim Holcomb has failed Hoosiers amid the coronavirus pandemic, particularly the more than 7,000 Hoosiers who have died from COVID-19 since March.
"Democrats in the Statehouse will work tirelessly to ensure Indiana can come out of this pandemic stronger than before, but that effort begins when all parties are honest about the reality of our situation," said Drew Anderson, Indiana Democratic Party spokesman.
Statehouse Republicans, meanwhile, said they're prepared to help turn the governor's legislative proposals into real achievements.
"We face an important and challenging session ahead, and I look forward to working with Governor Holcomb and our Senate colleagues to accomplish our shared legislative priorities while continuing to manage through the pandemic," said House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers.
"We'll be focused on a number of common objectives, including passing a fiscally responsible budget and business liability protections, in addition to supporting our students and educators, and improving our infrastructure."
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