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What does the state need to do to boost Indiana’s per capita income, which continues to lag the nation’s?
There is no question that Bidenomics is having a devastating impact on families across the country. With record-high inflation, rapidly increasing interest rates, and multiple market bubbles on the edge of bursting, Hoosiers are looking for a proven conservative leader who will put the needs of Hoosier families first and ease the burden of Washington’s failed policies.
Since launching our campaign last year, we have been traversing Indiana, speaking directly to Hoosier business owners, families, farmers, and faith and community leaders, and listening to them about what they are seeing and feeling in their communities.
Indiana needs innovative ideas that are fiscally sound and attainable. No longer are Hoosiers willing to settle for campaign conservatives who promise conservative talking points to get elected but fail to deliver on them once in office.
They are eager to support fiscally responsible policies that can be achieved without putting the financial well-being of our state at risk. That is why our campaign and our “Pathway to Prosperity” plan are resonating with so many Hoosier voters.
Our plan will cut back on the tax burden so many Hoosier families and businesses are facing and will unleash our economic potential. This will boost Indiana’s per capita income and allow free enterprise to create more prosperous communities.
We will refuel Hoosier wallets and encourage interstate commerce to make it more affordable for Hoosier families to drive to work, school, church and Little League games by reducing the state gas tax back to pre-2018 levels, saving Hoosiers 16 cents per gallon every time they fill up.
We will reduce the tax burden on businesses by cutting the corporate income tax from 4.9% to 3.5% to encourage new businesses to invest in our state, which in turn will bring new jobs, better opportunities for hardworking Hoosiers, and a larger tax base to accommodate such a cut without hurting the fiscal stability of our state.
We will bring the Automatic Taxpayer Refund back down to the original reserves of 10% rather than the current 12.5%. With record-breaking surpluses and worsening economic conditions, the government does not need to be hoarding excess tax dollars paid by hardworking Hoosiers.
We will encourage young and old Hoosiers to remain in our state by eliminating the state income tax on retirement benefits for seniors and the income tax on young earners and entrepreneurs age 18-35 and implementing a flat sales tax of 3% for seniors.
Finally, we will implement a zero-based budgeting model that would start every department and agency at zero dollars and require them to justify every taxpayer dollar they want to spend. We shouldn’t be incentivizing spending; we should be incentivizing efficiency.
Our “Pathway to Prosperity” is fiscally sound, responsible and attainable. We will hold Indianapolis accountable for its reckless spending and let hardworking Hoosiers keep more of the money they earned.
Hoosiers are hungry for proven conservative leadership that will boost our per capita income while easing the burden on small businesses and Hoosier taxpayers.•
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Hill is a Republican and former state attorney general.
He previously served four terms as the Elkhart County prosecutor. Send comments on this column to ibjedit@ibj.com.
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