INDIANAPOLIS – How would a Hoosier sum up the 2016 General Assembly Session? One word: Failure. From refusing to bring protections for LGBT Hoosiers, to ignoring public education, and to not offering long-term solutions to fix the state’s crumbling infrastructure, Mike Pence and his Republican Statehouse failed the state of Indiana.
“With glaring problems facing our state’s welcoming reputation, crumbling infrastructure, and education system – this was an opportunity for Governor Mike Pence and his Republican Statehouse to show true leadership for Hoosiers. Instead, all they provided Hoosiers was an assurance that they would rather save their own skin than do the right thing for our state,” said Drew Anderson, communication director. “Hoosiers want results and commonsense ideas that would lead Indiana into the future – and those ideas were offered by Democrats this session. Mike Pence, however, did show Hoosiers that in an election year, he’s willing to use the state’s well-being as a pawn by putting his out-of-touch agenda ahead of the everyday Hoosier. Something must change, and it begins by electing John Gregg as governor in November.”
| Problem | Mike Pence’s Solution |
| Mike Pence signs RFRA, throwing state into a $250 million economic panic. State’s “Hoosier Hospitality” image put in jeopardy. [Advocate, 7.10.2015] | After 174 days of “studying” LGBT rights, Mike Pence stands firm with his discrimination against LGBT Hoosiers. [Indy Star, 1.13.16] |
| I-65 bridge closure and $71 million wasted in faulty asphalt exposes Mike Pence’s negligence of Indiana’s crumbling infrastructure system. [Indy Star, 9.21.15] | After first being late to the game, Mike Pence and Statehouse Republicans listened to Democrats and passed an infrastructure bill with no tax increases. [NWI Times, 3.10.16] |
| Mike Pence ignores Superintendent Glenda Ritz’s call to abolish the ISTEP exam. This year’s ISTEP scores plummet, lowering many schools’ A-F grades by state. [WTHR, 1.06.16] | Creates a committee to replace the ISTEP, but picks a political appointee as chair of the committee instead of Superintendent Ritz, further thwarting the will of voters. [Indy Star, 2.22.16] |
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