Indiana governor pushes big spending plan in annual address

By TOM DAVIES
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb urged skeptical state legislators to support funding for several big-ticket spending plans, arguing that the state needed to take action on multiple fronts. Holcomb used the annual State of the State address Tuesday to seek the support of the General Assembly dominated by his fellow Republicans for his proposals that would significantly increase funding for schools and public health programs. Holcomb said the state had the “financial wherewithal” to pay for the proposals and still have an annual budget surplus. Some top Republican legislators, however, are worried about the costs of those plans amid an expected slowdown in the growth of state tax collections.