Gov Holcomb Gives 2019 State Of The State Speech Tuesday Night

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INDIANAPOLIS  — Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb is looking to dip slightly into the state’s reserves for more money toward a goal of boosting teacher pay.

 

Holcomb used his State of the State speech Tuesday evening to announce plans to seek $140 million in the new two-year state budget to pay off teacher pension obligations owed by school districts. The Republican governor said 100 percent of that money should go toward teacher pay raises.

 

The extra money would amount to about 1 percent more funding to Indiana school districts, which are receiving an estimated $7.16 billion in state funding this school year.

 

Democrats have suggested tapping into the state’s $1.8 billion reserves to give additional funding to schools.

Holcomb wants to protect that reserve, saying it preserves Indiana’s top credit rating and is insurance against a recession. But Holcomb said Tuesday that the state can use “surplus” money to pay the teacher pension debt and still maintain the reserve figure.

 

Holcomb also renewed his support for a state hate crimes law,  telling the Republican-dominated Legislature that Indiana needs to end its status as one of just five states without laws specifically targeting crimes fueled by biases regarding race, religion and sexual orientation. Efforts to pass such a law in the past have failed when critics said that judges already have to power to enhance sentences motivated by hate.

 

The complete text of the speech is available by clicking the link below:

here.

StateOfTheState2019

Video of the speech is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC8VQMlNj3s&feature=youtu.be