Holcomb prepares for last legislative session
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Gov. Eric Holcomb says he isn’t yet ready to unveil his final legislative agenda, which is set to be revealed on Jan. 8. Lawmakers seem keen to keep session short in 2024, meaning any priorities will need to be ready when legislators convene on that same date.
The governor shared three generalized priorities in an interview with the Indiana Capital Chronicle, including: government efficacy and transparency, wrapping up outstanding or in-progress projects and increasing awareness of current government programs.
“We want to finish strong; we don’t want to limp to the line,” Holcomb said. “That will require us not only finishing some projects but also getting some programs (with) the structure in place.”
For an example of the latter, Holcomb pointed to his initiative to send more dollars to beleaguered public health programs — an opt-in program that ultimately 86 out of 92 counties agreed to earlier this year.
“We want to make sure that the governance, the structure, the sharing of data, and expertise is actually in place,” Holcomb said.
Other examples that Holcomb said would “far outlive me,” include ongoing efforts to expand access to high-speed internet and Indiana’s network of trails.
Something else Holcomb wouldn’t reveal until 2024: whether or not he’d endorse any of the six contenders in the Republican primary for governor.
Holcomb has worked closely with several of the candidates, which includes: U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, his Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, his former Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden, his former Attorney General Curtis Hill and mother Jamie Reitenour.
But Holcomb said he wanted to see more policy proposals from the candidates and then make the decision whether or not to endorse.
“I don’t know if, quite honestly, endorsements still have the impact that maybe they did 50 years ago,” Holcomb said. “I think Hoosiers are very discerning and that’s been proven election after election… so I’ll judge if a, I think it will be helpful and b, if I want to.”
The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, not-for-profit news organization that covers state government, policy and elections.