Indiana Democratic Party 1-19-19 Weekly Radio Address Podcast

Chairman John Zody with the 1-19-19 Indiana Democratic Party Weekly Radio Address:

TRANSCRIPT:

This is Chairman John Zody bringing you the weekly podcast for the Indiana Democratic Party.

This week, Governor Eric Holcomb gave his third State of the State address to Hoosiers. Unfortunately, the speech once again lacked a bold vision for our state.

By only funding public education at the rate of inflation over the next two years, schools across Indiana will once again be forced to make tough choices. And while he is proposing an idea to raise teacher pay – the buck is passed to local school boards to make decisions that still may not be able to give teachers the long-term pay increase they deserve.

And while we’re talking about education – you what wasn’t mentioned at all…not even once in the governor’s speech? Pre-K. For StatehouseRepublicans to kick the can down the road again and not expand this program is a disservice to the 75,000 four-year olds in Indiana. How many more chances will they have to get access to an early start to their education? How many more times are they going to be four years old? It’s simple – they aren’t – and another generation of young Hoosiers stands to miss an opportunity because the Republican supermajorities can’t get their priorities straight.

Some at the Statehouse are pushing for Indiana to no longer be one of the five states without a hate crimes law. We agree…but it must be fully inclusive to protect everyone equally, and it remains to be seen whether Republicans in the House and Senate will agree.

As Hoosier Democrats – we have to continue fighting and standing for what we are for – livable wages – strong public and early childhood education, access to affordable healthcare, safety and equality, and fairer elections.

As we celebrate service and the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this weekend, it is important to remember that the fight for justice and equality continues. To use of his well-known quotes – “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” – let’s remember that as Indiana Democrats, we must continue to fight for these things not just for other Democrats – but for every single Hoosier.

Please follow the IDP on Facebook and Twitter. Simply search INDems – that’s I-N-D-E-M-S on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us to get the latest news about our candidates and what we’re doing to hold our counterparts at the Statehouse and in Washington accountable.

Thank you for listening.