Here’s what the governor leaves out in his message. Our state government needs to stand up for every single Hoosier. We have folks who have been working in essential jobs since the pandemic began and they still can’t make a living wage. We have Hoosiers who are facing eviction because they lost their jobs during this economic downturn. Teachers are being told to figure out how to creatively teach our kids with little to no support from the state, and they have done so without hesitation. Yet, once again, promised pay raises for our educators are left out of the discussion. Our state’s minority communities are crying out for reform and yet I still haven’t seen a real commitment to discussing change and listening to the suggestions from the leaders of these communities. We have a chance this year to really help lift up Hoosiers who are struggling. Our state touted billions of dollars in our rainy day fund. Well, that rainy day has clearly arrived, so I hope we put that surplus to good use: back into the hands of people in every corner of the state.