Democratic legislative leaders say Governor Mike Pence’s State of the State address was tepid, lacked bold ideas and serious solutions to the state’s problems.
House Minority Leader Scott Pelath says that if Mike Pence believes a governor should do little, he’s succeeding. Pelath says Pence’s solutions lack a seriousness that the state’s problems demand, calling them small, symbolic measures that create the illusion of addressing issues.
A phase out of the state’s levy on business equipment is the centerpiece of Pence’s legislative agenda. Senate President Pro Tem David Long says the governor painted with broad brushstrokes, setting the right tone for a legislative direction.
Both House and Senate Republican leaders have proposed personal property tax reform plans, both of them falling short of the full phase out Pence is calling for.