Eric Holcomb in 2021 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Budget & Economy:
Infrastructure a priority, complete interstate project
I made infrastructure a priority four years ago because of the need to have strong connections with each other and the world. That means we'll complete I-69, the longest new interstate project in the country, from Evansville to Indy, three years ahead
of schedule and paid for, and we'll move toward the construction of a new I-69 bridge over the Ohio River, as well as pursue plans for future upgrades to US 30 and 31 up north, as an example.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Indiana legislature
Jan 19, 2021
On Education:
Parents deserve options but not at expense of public schools
Parents not only deserve to have options about where they send their child to be educated--after-all, they pay for it--but at the same time, those options
shouldn't come at the expense of the public school system, which educates 90% of Hoosier children.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Indiana legislature
Jan 19, 2021
On Education:
Help Hoosiers obtain post-secondary education for jobs
We'll continue our emphasis on helping all Hoosiers--whether you're 15 or 50--obtain the post-secondary educations that are needed to step into today's job market.
The "Workforce Ready" and "Employer Grant" Programs we put in place are making a huge difference for Hoosiers, moving more of them into higher-paying jobs and increasing the number of people achieving a post-secondary education.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Indiana legislature
Jan 19, 2021
On Environment:
Investing in community trails, planting a million new trees
We're re-starting our $90 million state investment in community trails in every corner of the state to move us toward an even more interconnected system. Moreover, Indiana has more than four times the timberland acreage than we did
100 years ago, and we're adding to that by planting one million new trees--natural scrubbers--at or near our parks over the next five years.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Indiana legislature
Jan 19, 2021
On Health Care:
Now is the time to implement a managed care system
Now is the time to put this effort in place, including a managed care system similar to the ones 25 other states are using to integrate care across the entire spectrum to make it easier for families to navigate and drive outcomes in a transparent and
accountable way. And for our eligible Hoosiers, we're fortunate that our Healthy Indiana Plan recently received a 10-year federal waiver to cover the 600,000 Hoosiers who are active participants in improving their health outcomes.
[OnTheIssues editor's note: a "managed care system" means partial privatization via MCOs; definition from Medicaid.gov]: "Managed Care is a health care delivery system organized to manage cost, utilization, and quality. Medicaid managed care provides
for the delivery of Medicaid health benefits and additional services through contracted arrangements between state Medicaid agencies and managed care organizations (MCOs) that accept a set per member per month (capitation) payment for these services."
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Indiana legislature
Jan 19, 2021
On Jobs:
Pass pregnancy accommodations bill for women on the job
Women make up over half of Indiana's workforce and should expect reasonable accommodations at their workplace, which often comes at little or no cost to an employer.This is why I've come back to the legislature again
to ask them to make Indiana the 31st state to pass a pregnancy accommodations bill. Many employers already do this on their own. So, let's get this done for the well-being and security of Indiana's current and future working mothers.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Indiana legislature
Jan 19, 2021
On Technology:
Additional $100 million to boost broadband connectivity
We've distributed $61 million to K-12 schools and higher education institutions to improve remote learning during the pandemic.
But connectivity is just as essential for workers, entrepreneurs, and farmers.
Our Next Level Broadband program to date will provide access to more than 21,000 homes and businesses, including health clinics, fire departments and police stations.
The additional $100 million I'm requesting will enable us to continue making progress, bringing improved speed to all corners of our state for all Hoosiers.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Indiana legislature
Jan 19, 2021
Page last updated: Feb 24, 2022