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Gregg's Economic Plan: 35 Points, Allied With Indiana Chamber, Inclusive Of LGBT Hoosiers

Brandon Smith
/
Indiana Public Broadcasting

Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg Monday released a lengthy, detailed proposal he says will help spur Indiana’s economic growth.  And Gregg says it’s a plan that won’t require any new or increased taxes, relying instead on shifting existing resources.

The Gregg campaign’s 35-point plan includes proposals focused on building a skilled workforce, growing small businesses and streamlining economic development efforts. 

Gregg says those proposals, if put into action, would be judged by evaluating a series of key metrics.

“We’re going to look at population growth," Gregg says. "We’re going to look at the number of new jobs that we have created compared to the rest of the nation.  We’re going to look at per capita income.”

Much of Gregg’s plan mirrors the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s agenda.  Both, for instance, look at adding LGBT protections to state law and mapping Indiana’s water infrastructure and resources.  Gregg says that’s no coincidence.

“I’ve argued for many months with the Chamber of Commerce that I’ve got more in common with them than Governor Pence does,” Gregg says.

In response to Gregg’s plan, the Pence campaign points to Indiana’s economic record during the governor’s administration. 

That includes an unemployment rate that’s decreased by nearly half and a business climate ranked by some as tops in the Midwest.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.