By Lesley Weidenbener      
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mike Pence is apparently thinking about a bid for president in 2016 – at least that’s what he told The Washington Post.
Back home in Indiana, he’s steered clear of any such talk. No surprise. He’s been governor less than 17 months, so a move to go on the road to run for national office might not be so popular.
But a look back at what he’s done in less than a year-and-a-half in office reveals that he’s been checking off a list of accomplishments that could look pretty darn good on a presidential resume – even if they’re either not making tremendous impact on Hoosiers or can’t wholly be attributed to his administration.
Check out these examples:
Resume: Common Core opponent
National perspective: Pence leads Indiana to become the first state to pull out of Common Core. The Post calls Pence “one of the loudest voices†attacking the standards.
Indiana perspective: Indiana’s new standards largely cut and paste from Common Core, with some additions and subtractions – changes that haven’t satisfied Common Core opponents. And conservative state lawmakers led the initial charge to drop Common Core.
Resume: Tax cutter
National perspective: Pence cut the inheritance tax, business property taxes, the corporate income tax and individual income taxes, while keeping the state’s budget in the black.
Indiana perspective: Pence’s tax cut proposals were largely scaled back or rejected outright by a Republican-dominated state legislature. Lawmakers were already cutting the inheritance tax. The Senate insisted on the corporate income tax cut, which Pence had not requested. The individual income tax cut, which is half of what Pence requested, has yet to take effect and will eventually slice the tax burden for the average household by only about $75. And no part of the business tax cut will occur unless local officials approve it. Plus, most of the financial hit for the state budget will come in future years.
Resume: Education reformer
National perspective: Pence is overseeing the broadest private school voucher program in the nation and working to expand it.
Indiana perspective: Daniels and GOP lawmakers are responsible for the voucher program, which was largely in place when Pence was elected. Pence tried to lift the program’s income restrictions, but the GOP-dominated legislature told him no – essentially leaving the program as it was.
Resume: Budget balancer
National perspective: Under Pence, Indiana has one of the healthiest budget surpluses in the nation.
Indiana perspective: Pence inherited a big budget surplus from Daniels and largely maintained it. But he’s also proposed tax cuts that will reduce revenue and new spending on roads and preschool that could reduce the surplus. And while Daniels paid for major highway expansions like Interstate 69 up front in cash, Pence has proposed spreading those payments out over decades.
Resume: Job creator
National perspective: Indiana’s unemployment rate has plummeted 2 percentage points in one year, the third largest decline in the nation. Private sector job growth has also been among the best in the country.
Indiana perspective: Most economic development deals promise jobs that will be created in the years ahead, meaning much of the job creation can probably be attributed to the Daniels administration.
Still, according to The Washington Post and others, Pence’s star is rising. The Republican primary field is jumbled, which creates an opening for Pence to swoop in and charm the conservative wing of the party.
“In the last few months, people have reached out,†Pence told The Washington Post. “I’m listening.â€
He’ll have to make a decision soon to put together the money and the political apparatus in the early primary states to make a bid viable. But the resume is ready – as long as the scrutiny isn’t too strong.
Lesley Weidenbener is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
