BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:icalendar-ruby CALSCALE:GREGORIAN X-WR-CALNAME:Gov. Holcomb Unveils 2021 Next Level Agenda X-WR-TIMEZONE:Indiana (East) BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260515T193521Z UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_35421396260459 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201217 DESCRIPTION:INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Eric J. Holcomb today announced his 2 021 Next Level Agenda\, which is focused on safely navigating out of the p andemic and emerging as a stronger Indiana.\n\n“The 2021 Next Level Agen da is focused on making sure Indiana remains a state of opportunity for al l\,” Gov. Holcomb said. “To do that\, we must manage our way through t he world’s worst pandemic in over a century.”\n\nThe 2021 Next Level A genda includes five pillars detailing both legislative and administrative priorities for the year ahead.\n\nCultivate a strong and diverse economy \ n\nTo continue our dedication to fiscal responsibility\, Gov. Holcomb’s 2021 agenda calls for passing the state’s ninth straight balanced budget . As the number one manufacturing state in the nation per capita\, the Gov ernor will seek to enhance our status by expanding our Manufacturing Readi ness Grants to enable companies to modernize their operations. The state w ill also stay on track to triple federal defense investment in Indiana by 2025.\n\nMaintain and build the state’s infrastructure\n\nThe 2021 agend a is designed to enhance the infrastructure we have and finish projects al ready underway. The Governor will grow his nation-leading Next Level Conne ctions Broadband Program with legislation to better reach additional areas of the state that are unserved or underserved with higher internet speeds . The state will continue projects including I-69 Section 6\, the West Lak e Corridor expansion and double tracking the South Shore Line Rail project s\, and the effort to plant one million trees across the state. Additional ly\, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority will create a comprehensive overview of our state’s housing supply.\n\nEducation\, tr aining and workforce development\n\nThe Governor remains committed to ensu ring that K-12 schools receive 100 percent of their funding for the second half of the school year. He will also work to increase K-12 funding in th e next biennial budget and at a minimum restore higher education funding c ut in the last fiscal year due to the impact of the pandemic.\n\nGov. Holc omb will continue to prioritize finding long-term sustainable solutions to improve teacher compensation. He will review and consider recommendations of the Next Level Teacher Compensation Report. Among the recommendations is a proposal to improve school corporation data accessibility and transpa rency by creating a website to allow for easy comparisons of school corpor ation financial\, expenditure\, and compensation metrics relative to other districts. The dashboard launched today and can be viewed here.\n\nThe 20 21 agenda also includes reviewing and reducing unfunded mandates on school s\, retaining more higher education graduates in Indiana\, and increasing minority teacher recruitment and minority participation in Workforce Ready and Employer Grant programs.\n\nPublic health\n\nThe Governor remains com mitted to the goal of becoming the best state in the Midwest for infant mo rtality by 2024 by protecting pregnant workers by providing more workplace accommodations. Using lessons learned in the pandemic\, the agenda calls for reforming long-term care services to be outcome and quality driven\, a nd for initiating a comprehensive assessment of local health departments a nd state delivery of public health services.\n\nDeliver great government s ervice\n\nThe 2021 agenda includes regulatory and statutory changes prompt ed by the state’s COVID-19 response\, including expanding telemedicine s ervices\, making virtual meeting options permanent and providing businesse s and schools with coronavirus liability protections. Additionally\, the a genda calls for removing barriers for Hoosiers to reinstate their driver ’s license. Having a driver’s license is essential to finding and keep ing a job\, and the suspensions have a bigger impact on low-income populat ions\, rural residents\, and ex-offenders. The agenda also calls for conti nuing to improve services and increase opportunity for the state’s minor ity populations.\n\n“Responding to a global pandemic has caused us to re think how we’ve done business and just as importantly\, how we do busine ss post-pandemic\,” Gov. Holcomb said. “COVID-19 has shifted our cours e\, but Indiana remains focused on what will make us stronger\, with pract ical and people-centered solutions based on a foundation of civility.”\n \nTo watch Gov. Holcomb’s agenda speech at Dentons Legislative Conferenc e and learn more about Gov. Holcomb’s 2021 Next Level Agenda\, visit htt p://www.in.gov/gov.\n\n -30- LOCATION: SUMMARY:Gov. Holcomb Unveils 2021 Next Level Agenda URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.in.gov/event/gov_holcomb_unveils_2021_next_lev el_agenda CATEGORIES:Press Releases END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR