The Indiana Chamber sees opportunity for collaboration with state lawmakers and the Governor, urging continued momentum and passage of impactful legislation over the next two months.
“It may be a short session, but there will be opportunities for legislators to move the state further ahead and to increase its competitiveness. Doing so will enable Indiana to rise even higher on the list of best states to do business and be a place where more people want to live, work and come visit,” offers Indiana Chamber President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders.
“The Indiana Chamber looks forward to working with the Governor and state leaders to advance bills that fulfill those two goals while also defending against legislation that hinders economic growth and free enterprise.”
She notes the organization will be championing policies that fall under the six pillars of its recently released visioning plan for the state, Indiana Prosperity 2035. Of particular emphasis will be a trio of goals around education and workforce: 1) increase accessible and affordable childcare; 2) address the reading literacy problem; and 3) strengthen work-based learning and the talent pipeline.
“Last year was a great step towards more affordable and accessible childcare. To maintain that momentum, we’re urging further actions this session to streamline state childcare regulations, expand support for childcare workers and hard-to-serve areas, and provide greater data transparency on the state’s early learning investments. Doing so will help us move the needle faster and help more individuals and employers,” offers Jason Bearce, Indiana Chamber vice president of education and workforce development.
The Indiana Chamber was happy, Bearce notes, to partner with the state to engage employers and local chambers about the new employer childcare grant program that was established during the 2023 General Assembly with $25 million in seed funding for employers and community partners to expand employer-subsidized childcare options.
Reading and literacy are the foundation of a highly skilled workforce. That’s why it’s so troubling – especially in today’s talent-driven economy – that nearly one out of every five Hoosier adults lack basic literacy proficiency and thousands of Indiana students struggle to read by the end of third grade. If these challenges persist to adulthood, individuals face numerous barriers just navigating daily life, let alone securing stable, living-wage employment.
Bearce asserts, “There’s such a domino effect when a student falls behind in reading, and we need policies in place to better identify and address reading difficulties sooner with early interventions and targeted supports.”
Last year’s career-connected learning legislation (House Enrolled Act 1002) holds significant promise for promoting a more relevant secondary education that better prepares Hoosier students for success after high school. This year the Chamber is working closely with lawmakers to finetune and build upon that legislation with bills aimed at expanding opportunities for students to engage in work-and-learn experiences and earn industry-recognized credentials during high school.
Sinders also stresses other policy areas, including health care. “The Indiana Chamber and our Wellness Council of Indiana are big believers that health is wealth. The investment the state has made in its public health infrastructure through Health First Indiana will lead to a healthier Indiana and ultimately support the state’s ability to attract and retain business.”
Another Chamber-backed effort could do the same.
“One way to improve Indiana’s lagging public health metrics is by increasing the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack. Lowering the smoking rate and increasing public health outcomes are key goals of the Chamber’s long-term plan, Indiana Prosperity 2035. An additional $2 per pack on cigarettes would help improve this metric,” says Ashton Eller, Indiana Chamber vice president of health care policy and employment law.
“When Hoosiers get healthier, employer’s health care costs will go down. Enacting this additional cigarette tax has the two-fold benefit of improving public health metrics and putting downward pressure on health care costs through decreased demand for provider services.”
While no tax increases will occur in a non-budget year, Eller emphasizes how important it is to keep beating the drum: “More and more lawmakers are warming up to the idea of a cigarette tax increase, so we need to keep being a vocal champion for it.”
