Pence Touts ‘Tremendous’ 2015, Looks Ahead to 2016

Pence says jobs

Governor Mike Pence has released a message to Hoosiers outlining what he calls "a tremendous year in the life of our state." The open letter and corresponding "Making Indiana Work: A 2015 Progress Report" infographic highlight Indiana’s declining unemployment rate, what he calls "historic" work force investments, higher economic growth and increased education funding.

He says plans for 2016, the state’s bicentennial, include continued emphasis on strengthening the economy, improving lives and attracting and retaining top talent.

You can view the full letter and connect to the infographic by clicking here.

The 2016 legislative session, which begins Monday, will feature proposals relating to some events that stirred up negative attention in 2015. Higher levels of funding aimed at addressing aging roads and bridges throughout the state will be a major focus of both chambers of the General Assembly. The issue was punctuated this summer when a bridge on I-65 in Tippecanoe County buckled, causing weeks of detours along one of the state’s busiest roadways.

Debate over potential expansion of the state’s civil rights laws to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity is also expected to come up in the short session. Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law at the end of the 2015 legislative session, pushing the state into the national spotlight and sparking impassioned discussions on all sides of the issue.