Garcia Wilburn announces 2024 Economic Freedom Agenda

Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn is announcing her Economic Freedom Agenda, a suite of policies that seeks to help individuals and families balance their budgets more easily.

“It's an honor to hear your challenges and concerns as the state representative for House District 32,” Garcia Wilburn said. “It's my goal to be responsive to your needs, and right now, the cost of living is making it hard for residents of House District 32 to thrive. That's why my Economic Freedom Agenda will help Hoosiers with housing expenses and childcare concerns – these are serious problems that require serious solutions.”

Highlights from the Economic Freedom Agenda include:

1. Building power for working people; 
   1. Raise minimum wage to $15/hour
   2. Reform last year’s HEA 1002 into a bill that sets up young people with good-paying jobs
   3. Protect project labor agreements (PLAs) 
   4. Make union dues tax-deductible
   5. Crack down on worker misclassification (Misclassification allows employers to pay full-time employees as casual labor or to pay them in cash. The workers still get a 1099 on which they must pay taxes, but the employer doesn't pay their part of the taxes. It also cuts into the unemployment benefits available for workers and lowers the employer's unemployment insurance costs.)

2. Cutting homeowners and renters a better deal; 
   

   1. $250 property tax credit for all homeowners 
   2. Over 65 deduction for seniors 
   3. Increase renter’s deduction
   4. Stop utilities from making customers bear the cost of doing business and keep utility bills for Hoosiers down
   5. Fair housing protections (fair appraisals and mortgages and curbing predatory investors hurting neighborhoods)

3. Setting up Hoosier families for success through childcare and early learning; and
   

   1. Child and dependent care income tax credit 
   2. Establish a statewide pre-K program 
   3. Increase before and after school care funding  

4. Making good on promises to retirees and keeping Hoosiers insured. 
   

   1. Guarantee a 13th check and cost-of-living adjustment for PRF and TRF retirees 
   2. Protect Medicaid and increase reimbursement rates for healthcare professionals

“Whether you're relying on childcare for a Mother's Day Out or because you work full-time, it is simply too expensive,” Garcia Wilburn said. “Increasing the affordability and accessibility of high-quality childcare is a top priority for me. Childcare is an engine that keeps our economy running – but right now, that engine is struggling to keep up with demand. Creating a child and dependent care income tax credit and increasing before- and after-school care funding will help bring down the cost for parents.”

“Additionally, a top concern for our community is rising property taxes. I support sending homeowners a $250 property tax credit that is paid for by the state surplus – not local government or schools. It's important to me that we get real relief to homeowners while not hurting the public school systems that deliver such great results for our kids, and paying for the relief with state dollars is the best way to do that.”

Garcia Wilburn is not offering any of these economic freedom policies as filed legislation due to House rules, and instead will look to opportunities throughout the legislative session to cast votes in favor of them. Garcia Wilburn will soon announce her filed legislation for the 2024 legislative session.