We’ve had a busy first six months of the Freedom and Opportunity agenda.
I’d like to share some of those wins with you and give you an idea of what I see in Indiana’s bright future.
I’m often asked how my experience building a business in my hometown comes into play as Governor. To me, that experience is the foundation of everything I do. My mission is to make Indiana the best place in America to build a business and raise a family, and being able to speak with Indiana’s job creators as a peer rather than a politician is a big advantage.
This legislative session was full of wins, with the biggest one being our balanced budget that trims 5% across the board for most agencies while increasing investment in education and public safety and maintaining two scheduled income tax cuts. We’re building a leaner, more efficient state government that works better for Hoosier taxpayers.
Our property tax relief solution will also bring nearly $1.5 billion in savings to Hoosier homeowners and businesses, further establishing Indiana as a destination for efficient, accountable government.
My first act as Governor was to reorganize our Cabinet structure to work more like a business, with clear chains of command for accountability. Now, we’re applying that efficiency-first mindset across the state government with a new initiative to deliver more for Hoosiers. I’m excited to share more about this initiative.
We’re taking a new approach to economic development, one focused on two metrics we’re calling our ‘North Stars’ — wage growth and new job opportunities for Hoosiers. We’re also taking steps to spread economic development investment to all four corners of our state. There is so much potential in all 92 counties of our great state, and we want to unleash it.
One way we’re doing that is by encouraging entrepreneurship. I’m proud to be creating our first ever Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, tasked with supporting Main Street entrepreneurs backed by their friends and family - not just entrepreneurs backed by venture capital.
By investing in public safety and expanding universal school choice so that parents are in the driver’s seat, the Freedom and Opportunity agenda is all about making Indiana a better place to raise a family, and a more attractive place for companies to build and grow.
I’m proud to have all of you as partners in this initiative to take our state to new horizons, and I hope you will reach out to share your perspective on how our state government can help build Indiana business.
