Stage Set For State of The State

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A political observer expects Governor Eric Holcomb to focus on the economy and look to build on previous successes in this evening’s State of the State address. University of Indianapolis Assistant Professor of History and Political Science Laura Albright expects his priorities, echoed by many legislative leaders, to include attracting more jobs to the state and making sure Indiana’s workers are trained to fill those positions. Albright says "we haven’t heard a lot" about Holcomb’s first year in office, "in part because everything’s been going very smoothly."

In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Albright says Holcomb deserves some credit for economic and policy successes.

Holcomb’s first year in office was a record-breaker for economic development in Indiana, with the Indiana Economic Development Corp. reporting 30,158 new job commitments. For Holcomb, his time in office has included trade missions to Japan, the United Kingdom and Europe.

In addition to jobs and workforce development, Holcomb is expected to address the growing opioid epidemic in Indiana. Last week, Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch called the crisis "the greatest challenge we have before us." INdiana Senate Republicans laid out their legislative agenda this week, which includes a measure to require doctors to check INSPECT, the state’s prescription-monitoring service, when prescribing opioids to a patient.

This evening’s address is set to begin at about 7:00.

At last year’s State of the State, Holcomb promised to "relentlessly" look for ways to improve and build on Indiana’s economic climate. He also once again spotlighted his administration’s "five pillars" of focus:

• Cultivate a strong and diverse economy to ensure Indiana is a magnet for jobs.
• Fund a long-term roads and bridges plan.
• Develop a 21st century skilled and ready workforce.
• Attack the drug epidemic.
• Provide great government service.