Here are a few takeaways from Speaker Bosmas organizational day speech. So you know what kind of session he wants to have. And while we’ve cut employer taxes to spur job growth, we’re still one of the few states in the nation that taxes business personal property; investment by Hoosier employers is taxed in Indiana like not many other places. We have to ensure a bipartisan solution to some of the challenges in our education community right now and in the executive branch. And by the way, I’ve looked at the state constitution in the last 24 hours, and while there’s an argument over who’s in charge of education policy, our state’s constitution clearly gives that task to the elected legislative bodies in this chamber and in the Senate. We need to find a bipartisan solution to our A-F school accountability measures that are fair, transparent and applied in an equitable manner. We need to deal with the issue of state standards: who sets them and where, and from my perspective, they need to be the highest in the nation. They need to measure Indiana standards. We can only improve those things that we can measure, but they need to be our measurements and with our students. Hoosiers deserve it. We have to continue to discuss and debate the merit, and find the solutions to the problems of the Affordable Care Act that have now been handed to the states in great part. We must lead a discussion about what we do with our own Medicaid program. And yes, while it’s not high on the agenda, we all know we have to deal with whether Hoosiers should be entrusted with the important decision of the marriage amendment. From my own personal perspective, this decision shouldn’t be made in a corporate boardroom; it shouldn’t be made in a judicial chamber; it shouldn’t be made in a university president’s office; and quite frankly, it shouldn’t be made in a single legislative leader’s office. It needs to be made by this body, and we will make that decision together. So Andrew this morning quoted the Special Olympics motto as his opening statement, and I’m going to offer it this afternoon as my closing. “Let me win,” Andrew said, “but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” Let me win is Bosmas closing statement. Come Hell or high water, right or wrong let me be the victor. Now that is some call for partisanship.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 01:22:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015