INDIANAPOLIS–On Organization Day, Senate Democratic Leader Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis) released the following statement on Senate Democratic Caucus priorities heading into the 2023 Budget Session:

“Hoosiers have lived under one-party Republican rule for over a decade. During that time, our education outcomes have declined. Our going-to-college rate has declined. The rate of high school and college students remaining in school and earning their degrees has declined.

“On the other hand, healthcare costs, housing and utility costs—the cost of food, gas, childcare—all have risen. All while our supermajority has remained opposed to increasing our minimum wage above the federal rate of $7.25.

“Poverty is rising and violent crime is up. Our jails are overcrowded. Good-paying jobs are in scarce supply. We have a shortage of doctors, nurses, counselors, teachers and so on. 

“Under one-party Republican rule, our state and economy are crumbling. That’s why my caucus is heading into the Budget Session with the goal of promoting an economy that supports families, futures and freedoms in Indiana.

“That means directing adequate funding to traditional K-12 education and investing in post-secondary opportunities that attract higher-paying jobs to Indiana. That means passing a budget that invests in Hoosier priorities like affordable housing, childcare, assistance programs and so on with the same vigor that Indiana invests in our business community. That also means protecting Hoosiers from bad policies and big government overreach that threaten their freedoms. 

“Across the state and nation, freedoms have been under attack and I think Hoosiers deserve to tell us exactly what they want when it comes to policies that will govern their lives. That’s why I will also be pushing to amend our constitution to allow ballot measures in Indiana so our residents can have a say in their laws. As we fight to promote an economy that works for every one of Indiana’s residents—an economy that prioritizes the families, future and freedoms of our state—we must be receptive and responsive to what Hoosiers are telling us they want, and I will be fighting with my caucus to give them that voice this session.