John,

On Tuesday night, Governor Holcomb gave his 2022 State of the State address, outlining the successes we have achieved and the challenges Indiana is currently facing.

TOPLINE: Governor Holcomb presented a bold plan to further Indiana’s historic momentum and lead us out of the pandemic.

Here are the highlights:

Economy: Years of strong Republican leadership have put the state in an unprecedented financial position, and the stats back it up.
- Indiana ranks #1 in GDP and personal income growth compared to every state we border.
- Indiana ended 2021 with historic reserves and will be returning $545 million back to Hoosier taxpayers in an automatic taxpayer refund.
- Gov. Holcomb will pursue legislation that ensures 900,000 more Hoosiers are eligible for the automatic taxpayer refund.
- Gov. Holcomb is seeking to eliminate the 30% personal property tax floor on new equipment to ensure Indiana is more competitive with surrounding states, encouraging further capital investment, and to position Indiana as an even more dominant player in the advanced manufacturing age.

Education and Workforce Development: A historic investment in new education dollars combined with a deeper alignment of our educational, talent, and career pathways will ensure that the Indiana economy continues to boom, and Hoosiers thrive.
- More than 85% of school corporations raised teacher base pay by an average of $1,800 in the 2020-2021 school year; 99% are expected to raise it in the current school year.
- Gov. Holcomb and IDOE will launch a statewide teacher supply-and-demand marketplace that connects educators and preparation programs with school openings in real-time.
- Since the launch of Indiana’s Workforce Ready program, over 52,000 Hoosiers have enrolled and those who earned a credit saw an average wage gain of $6,800 a year.
- Since the launch of Indiana’s Employer Training Grant program, 3,700 employers have trained more than 41,000 Hoosiers, with an average pay raise of over $4,000 a year.

Health and Wellness: Indiana has made progress in areas like reducing infant mortality, but there is more work to be done to truly be firing on all cylinders.
- Gov. Holcomb and Lt. Governor Crouch will work to implement a comprehensive strategy to support Hoosiers’ mental health by growing the workforce, providing greater access, and reducing stigma.
- Gov. Holcomb will pursue strengthening the guidelines for childhood lead screening and gathering more knowledge about the causes of sudden infant deaths so we can continue to reduce infant mortality and save precious lives.
- The Indiana Public Health Commission will submit a report this summer with recommendations ready for the next budget session on how to modernize and strengthen the state’s public health system overall, one person at a time.

Community Development: Indiana is maintaining its aggressive pace to build a 21st-century infrastructure network that links Hoosiers to each other, the nation, and a world of opportunities.
- Indiana will continue the construction of new capital projects throughout the state, including $420 million committed to wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater infrastructure and $780 million for a new state archives building, Westville Correctional facility, blind and deaf schools, and a new inn at Potato Creek State Park.
- Indiana is in the middle of the largest expansion of walking, hiking, and biking trails, investing up to $150 million. Now, 94% of Hoosiers now live within five miles of trail.
- The $500 million READI program investment will help communities accelerate economic growth, improve quality of life for their residents, and become magnets for talent.

Good Government Service: Gov. Holcomb will continue to partner with local communities on public safety efforts and deliver good government service.
- Indiana will invest $70 million in our state law enforcement academy and continue to implement best practices.
- Gov. Holcomb will work to revise the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s toolkit to provide greater flexibility within existing tax-credit incentive programs.
- Gov. Holcomb and IDOE will roll out the “Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) Dashboard” so parents, community leaders, and school corporations can have easy public access to school performance measures and outputs.

“Even as we’re contending with the challenges of a global pandemic, we’re simultaneously strengthening our economy, reskilling our workforce, building out infrastructure, and enhancing quality of life. And now, because we’re ready and able, we’re revitalizing and connecting our communities across the state like never before.” – Gov. Eric Holcomb

Overall, the Governor’s message is very positive. Things are looking up in Indiana.

Our state is fighting the pandemic and making huge strides towards building a better Indiana for ALL. Did you see his address? No worries if not – you can watch his full remarks here: