Jobs and the Economy

Hoosiers are demanding a turnaround to our state’s economy.  House Democrats believe job creation is priority number one.

The jobs plan from this administration and the House Republicans was to build up a state surplus, but now Hoosiers are asking, where has that surplus gotten us?

• 1 in 3 Hoosiers is classified as low-income.
• More than 1 in 6 Hoosiers are living in poverty.
• Despite campaign promises from Republicans of increasing wages, Hoosier per capita income is down to 41st in the nation.
• Hoosiers now earn 86 cents (down from 91 cents in 2005) on the dollar as compared to the national

House Democrats plan to create jobs and restore our economy through targeted investment in Indiana’s small businesses and putting Hoosier workers first.  Our plan will:

• Establish a tax credit for small businesses that hire unemployed Hoosiers
• Offer low interest loans to small businesses to help them expand and weather the tough economy
• Prevent corporations from discriminating against employees through credit checks on applicants for jobs
• Ensure more state building projects hire Hoosier workers and contracts go Indiana companies
• Hold companies accountable that receive tax incentives to ensure the create the jobs they promise

Education

House Democrats are committed to two core principles.  First, every Hoosier child deserves a quality education.  And second, we must do all we can to attract and retain the best teachers for our schools.

Unfortunately, our system is not living up to these promises. This was the proclaimed goal of last session’s education reforms, but the Republicans threw spaghetti against the wall that did NOT stick.

House Democrats believe we need proven targeted reforms to close the achievement gap in our schools, and better prepare every Hoosier child for success in education.

Every school, every classroom, and every child are different.  We must empower teachers and administrators to meet these challenges.  We must give our children and their schools the tools they need to succeed.  We need a comprehensive investment modernization of our education system.  Otherwise, Indiana will continue setting our children up for failure in this global economy.

Our plan will:

• Cap class sizes for K-12 classes to ensure teachers can give students the attention they need
• Offer pre-school vouchers to working class families so their children can get an early start on their education
• Fully fund full-day kindergarten
• Preserve local control of schools
• Attract and retain the best and brightest teachers

Putting Hard Working Hoosiers First

Many hard working Hoosier families are struggling to put food on the table. They feel abandoned, and feel like the system isn’t working for them.  They work harder but have less.  The economy and government have let the working class down.

House Democrats are committed to helping those who work 40, 50, 60 hours a week, those families with duel income that are still struggling to make ends meet.  Hard working Hoosiers should be rewarded for their effort and see a return on their pay check and the tax dollars we spend.  

House Democrats will:

• Fight to provide tax relief to hard working Hoosiers
• Increase transparency and oversight of how tax dollars are spent
• Bolster consumer protections to ensure regulated industries are held accountable
• End pay to play politics of helping campaign donors get government contracts