Mitch Daniels, Year Two…
In the nearly year and a half that I have come to know Mitch Daniels one thing I can say is that although he may be from Indiana, he sure doesn’t act like it. In his second State of the State address the Governor outlined a road map for Indiana that continues it in the fast lane toward change, however I have to wonder if some of his passengers may be getting a little car sick. Daniels wants more money for schools and more money from cigarettes, just to start. Here’s a better rundown…
Schools
The Governor wants to take more than $150 million from the $255 million in tax amnesty and put it towards schools. Daniels says the state has a duty to pay its back bills with any new money and schools are owed quite a bit. In addition, Daniels says Indiana schools should have the authority to opt out burdensome regulations that don’t add to instruction in the classroom. He told lawmakers he plans to send them a bill that will help free schools from many regulations. He also wants to give schools more power to pool their resources and purchase items in bulk to save money.
Cigarettes
With administration officials saying cigarettes cost the taxpayers $500 million in health care costs, Daniels called for a 25-cent increase in the tax on cigarettes. The increase would not be for revenue, but to deter youth from smoking.
Township Government
In his second State of the State address to Hoosiers, Governor Mitch Daniels called for the elimination of township assessor offices. Daniels said Indiana suffers from redundant and antiquated government that makes property taxes too high. Daniels says the township assessors’ functions should be transferred to a single county assessor. More will be unveiled Thursday in a morning press conference.
Roads and Phones
He also called for the passage of “Major Moves” his transportation plan which he says would create thousands of jobs and includes toll roads. He also wants to revamp Indiana’s telecommunication laws.
Pretty bold for someone who’s been in office a little more than 365 days. It will be interesting to see how Indiana lawmakers take all this once they see the details.
