Holcomb “Proud” of Mike Pence’s Out-of-Touch, Divisive Record

NWI Times Headline: “Holcomb, Crouch plan to run on Pence’s record”

INDIANAPOLIS – Yesterday, Eric Holcomb told the Statehouse press corps that he was proud of the ideological agenda that has the state’s economy lagging and the Hoosier middle-class falling behind.

“…Holcomb pledged, if elected, they would continue the work of Gov. Mike Pence, the party’s nominee for vice president of the United States. […] ‘I’m quite proud of where our state is right now, I’m quite proud of it, and I’ll run on this record,’ Holcomb said.” – NWI Times, 8.1.16

That must mean Holcomb is proud of the many PR problems Indiana has faced under Mike Pence. This includes RFRA, one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the nation, and the state’s choice to decline the $80 million grant for statewide Pre-K.

But that’s not all. Here’s a friendly reminder of repeated failures of the Pence Administration – a record Eric Holcomb is very proud of as the new GOP gubernatorial nominee.

Month/Year	Mike Pence’s Failed Record
January 2013	Mike Pence’s staff scrubbed pro-LGBT rights comments from the governor’s Facebook page. [NWI Times, 6.28.13]
October 2014	Without public announcement, Mike Pence declines $80 million that would have created a statewide Pre-K program. [IndyStar, 10.17.14]
January, 2015	Mike Pence announces and then embarrassingly ends “JustIN”, a state-run news service. [Fox 59. 1.29.15]
March 2015	In a closed door ceremony, Mike Pence signs the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, throwing Indiana into a $250 million economic panic. [Indy Star, 3.25.16]
March 2015	With Scott County in an HIV outbreak, Mike Pence waits 65 days to declare a State of Emergency for the county. Cases rise from 10 to 79. [Politico, 3.26.15]
May 2015	With no public debate, Mike Pence signs an education budget that eliminates funding for urban and rural public schools, creates more loans for struggling charter schools and adds to an unreliable voucher program. [Associated Press, 5.7.15]
August 2015	Mike Pence hires the bare minimum workers needed for the Department of Child Services to remain compliant with state law. [Indiana Public Media, 8.13.15]
August 2015	An I-65 Bridge nearly collapses in Lafayette, causing a month-long detour that leads to gridlocked traffic and fatal accidents. Mike Pence? He only provided “maybe” solutions to fix Indiana’s crumbling infrastructure – and ignored local roads and bridges. [Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, 8.13.15]
October 2015	Before hundreds of schools receive failing ISTEP score levels, Mike Pence flip-flops on accountability for teachers and schools on the test. [NWI Times, 10.27.15]
November 2015	Mike Pence politicizes the Syrian refugee crisis by denying a family the opportunity to resettle in Indiana, putting our “Hoosier Hospitality” reputation in jeopardy again. [Indy Star, 11.20.15]
December 2015	After the Lt. Governor’s longstanding opposition to RFRA, Mike Pence encourages her to seek new opening at Ivy Tech Community College. [Fox 59, 12.27.15]
January 2016	After RFRA and months of “studying” LGBT rights for Hoosiers, Mike Pence does nothing to advocate for adding protections to state’s nondiscrimination laws. [IndyStar, 1.13.16]
March 2016	In a closed door ceremony, Mike Pence signs one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the nation. [IndyStar, 3.24.16]

###