UPDATE (January 10, 2023):
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (ADAMS) – A new legislative session began Monday at the Statehouse. Governor Holcomb last week said his priorities include investing in K through 12 education.
On Monday, Senate Democrats held a press conference to share their 2023 Legislative Session priorities, which focus on “creating an economy that supports Indiana families, promotes the future of our students and state, and protects the freedoms of every resident.”
The following was issued by Senate Democratic Leader Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis):
“The Governor and Senate Republicans have shared their 2023 priorities, and I’m encouraged by what I see,” Sen. Taylor said. “I think there’s room for collaboration, and I’m hopeful we can get things done this session on behalf of Hoosiers.
“I will stress that my caucus and I believe we can invest heavily both in the state and Hoosiers this session. I know there’s an appetite to engage in the culture war being waged at the national level, but I pray the members of this Indiana General Assembly can avoid that as much as possible this session. I think that, and really working together to do the best for our residents, will be how we have a successful session.
“The priorities my caucus has adopted this session are bolder than what we’ve seen from our colleagues and even the Governor, but I believe there’s a real chance we can get some big-ticket items passed if we come together. If we do that instead of getting side-tracked with divisive and unproductive political games, I know we can do great things for Hoosiers this year.”
Families
Invest in expanding childcare access for families, which will help bolster our workforce.
Create a Paid Leave Program for parents and families to take necessary time off work.
Lower healthcare costs for Hoosiers paying the 7th highest costs in the nation.
Futures
Invest in K-12 to cover school operational costs along with teacher and staff pay raises.
Eliminate school textbook fees to remove the burden on parents.
Auto-enroll students into the 21st Century Scholars Program to bolster college attainment.
Freedoms
Restore reproductive freedom to all Hoosier women by expanding access to abortion back up to 20 weeks.
Decriminalize marijuana and advance legislation to make it legally accessible.
Remove the ban on same-sex marriage in Indiana’s current law, and protect all marriage in Indiana.
Amend the Indiana constitution to allow Hoosiers to vote directly on ballot initiatives at the polls.
Indiana Senate Democratic priorities can be viewed on the official caucus website
ORIGINAL STORY:
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (ADAMS) – Governor Holcomb is recommending more money for Indiana teachers as part of his 2023 legislative priorities.
Holcomb announced a plan on Wednesday to increase funding for K through 12 education by $1.15 billion dollars.
That includes an increase in pay for Hoosier teachers, from $56,600 up to $60,000 a year.
The funding increase would need to be approved by state lawmakers as part of the budget.
Read more here
Democrats were critical of the unveiled priorities. In a statement Senate Democratic Leader Greg Taylor said that his proposals are not enough.
Taylor released the following statement:
“There were several good priorities in the Governor’s agenda which members of my caucus have been pushing for years—investments in K-12 and public health, more money for food banks, elimination of school textbook fees, auto-enrolling students in the 21st Century Scholars Program—but as is the trend, his agenda failed to go far enough.
“Indiana has the means to step up exponentially and invest in problems impacting everyday Hoosiers. Residents are struggling. They’re paying the 7th highest healthcare costs in the nation; we lack sufficient childcare in all 92 counties; Hoosiers don’t have the workplace support to ensure their well-being. We don’t have pregnancy accommodations for expecting mothers; we have no paid leave program for workers who need to care for their families; and, we have a stagnant $7.25 minimum wage amidst record inflation.
“I would have loved to see more priority placed on improving the daily lives of Hoosiers through strategic investments that have a long-term impact. For example, we’re using $25 million in federal dollars to establish a grant to fund employer childcare options. We could be directing state dollars toward childcare solutions, including funding my child and dependent care tax credit program, to actually work toward fixing this issue. Not only would it benefit countless parents struggling with childcare across our state, but it would provide one of the best solutions to our strained workforce.
“Funding for public health is another glaring area where funding falls short. The Governor’s own health commission recommended $250M in funding and they’re receiving half of that. Our state needs to head into the budget year with a more robust vision for Indiana. We just banned abortion earlier this year. Why doesn’t the Governor’s agenda explicitly include a section to invest in mothers and new babies?
“Unfortunately, I think the Governor’s budget priorities ultimately just fall short.”
