(Indianapolis, Indiana) “Nothing surprising,” summarized Libertarian Party of Indiana State Chairman Dan Drexler referring to the State of the State speech given by Gov. Pence last night.
“While we should have expected the speech to be light on details, I was a little disappointed just how little he offered,” Drexler concluded. “What’s clear is the GOP has zero interest in treating Hoosiers equally and will continue to press for writing discrimination into our Constitution with the passage of HJR-3. We also question some of the job growth numbers in terms of how we compare with the rest of the nation.”
The speech was not without points that libertarians embrace.
“I particularly liked his emphasis on school choice. That continues to be a policy that libertarians embrace and this governor has been unwavering in his advocacy of letting families have a greater stake in a child’s education. We are also interested to learn more about phasing out the Business Personal Property Tax. While he did not offer a plan to get us there, it is an excellent goal and one that we can certainly work toward.”
Drexler concluded, “Two points really stood out to me. Given the well-documented issues between the governor and Superintendent Ritz, it could have been the most awkward moment in these annual speeches when he thanked Ritz and the Board of Education for their work. And, concluding a part of the speech by noting ‘we’ll be stronger if we work together’ seems to be pure lip service. You can’t work together easily when you are actively pursuing an agenda that discriminates against your state’s citizens.”