Dr. Woody Myers Responds to State of the State Address

Indianapolis, IND – Indiana Candidate for Governor Dr. Woody Myers (D) issued the following statement in response to tonight’s State of the State address: 

“The state of our state presented tonight was a lot rosier than the one I’ve heard about from Hoosiers who struggle to make a living wage, access affordable health care and ensure their children receive a quality education. 

It took thousands of teachers rallying at the Statehouse saying, “Enough is enough” for the Governor to acknowledge that Indiana has failed our teachers and students. When adjusted for inflation, average Indiana teacher salaries have dropped 15 percent since 2000 and a third of new Indiana teachers leave their jobs within five years. One proud Hoosier teacher I met had to make the difficult decision to leave Indiana to teach in Kentucky so that she and her family could make a decent wage. As a state, we must do more this year to show these educated and well-trained professionals how much we value their contributions.  

When it comes to ILEARN scores, the Governor’s plan to hold schools harmless doesn’t go far enough. His approach doesn’t address major issues in the state’s school accountability system. It is time to act to restructure the system and find long-term solutions. 

Teachers are not the only ones struggling in our state. Like teachers, too many of our lower-income Hoosiers are forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. We’re also seeing mass layoffs in cities like Jeffersonville, where 260 people are losing their jobs. The state must do more to ensure Hoosiers can make a living wage and stand ready to help those displaced from their careers. 

As a physician, I agree that we must reduce distracted driving and raise the age to buy tobacco and e-cigarette products from 18 to 21. But, there is more we can do to make smoking less attractive to younger Hoosiers. That’s why I also support an increase in the Indiana cigarette tax to discourage teens from picking up the habit and encourage older Hoosiers to give it up.

There are real problems in our state and the Hoosiers I talk to say it is beyond time for real leadership.”