STATEHOUSE - Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, Brian C. Bosma (R-Indianapolis), announced the end of session, or Sine Die on Friday evening, closing out a year of priorities achieved. The House Republican agenda, which was released in October, centered on making Indiana a stronger state for future generations, by focusing on fiscal integrity, job growth, and enhanced education opportunities for every Hoosier. The House Republicans’ “Own Your American Dream” plan focuses on three key concepts: financial security, matching Hoosier workers with high paying jobs, and making education investments. Financial Security for Future Generations “Our priorities are to pass a budget that maintains a strong fiscal reserve and which prioritizes education and roads funding. Our fiscal integrity provides an economic climate that spurs job creation. Hoosier taxpayers deserve nothing less, and our job creation environment will continue to benefit,” said Speaker Bosma. Indiana is one of only nine states that has a AAA credit rating from all three credit agencies. Indiana holds a higher credit rating than the federal government, whose debt has now passed the $16 trillion mark for the first time in our nation’s history. That equates to more than $50,000 of debt for every man, woman and child in the U.S. Bridging the Skills Gap “We have focused over the past decade on creating the best environment in the midwest through policies that encourage and incentivize companies from all over the world to relocate and grow in Indiana,” said Speaker Bosma. “HEA 1002, the Indiana Career Council (ICC), develops a workforce that will better prepare Hoosiers for the needs of a globally dynamic marketplace,” said Bosma. According to the Indiana Vision 2025 report published by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, more than 930,000 Hoosiers lack even the most basic skills to thrive in today’s economy. Designed to improve coordination, communication and vision for Indiana’s workforce training and career preparation systems, the ICC is a panel that will bring the principal stakeholders in the state’s workforce development efforts together to create a stronger plan to move Indiana forward. Members of the ICC will be charged with aligning the education skills and training provided by Indiana’s educational, job skills and career training systems with the existing and projected needs of the state’s job market. The legislation also puts into law a longitudinal data system to track the effectiveness of the state’s educational and workforce programs. Leaders in Classrooms; Leaders in Life “As a former teacher, I understand that a quality education lays the foundation for students for the rest of their lives,” said Rep. Thompson. “This session, we put a special focus on making sure that Hoosier students are prepared to enter college or the workforce. We also expanded opportunities for Hoosier families to access high quality education.” “Our budget reflects the state’s strong commitment to education,” said Rep. Thompson. “The lion’s share of Indiana’s current budget already goes to education, and we were able to increase that funding even further with our new budget. Providing a better future for our children is of utmost importance.” -30- Rep. Thompson (R-Lizton) represents portions of Hendricks and Boone counties. |
