Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today issued the following statement after signing House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1337:

“Throughout my public career, I have stood for the sanctity of life. HEA 1337 is a comprehensive pro-life measure that affirms the value of all human life, which is why I signed it into law today.

“I believe that a society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable—the aged, the infirm, the disabled and the unborn. HEA 1337 will ensure the dignified final treatment of the unborn and prohibits abortions that are based only on the unborn child’s sex, race, color, national origin, ancestry, or disability, including Down syndrome.

“Some of my most precious moments as Governor have been with families of children with disabilities, especially those raising children with Down syndrome. These Hoosiers never fail to inspire me with their compassion and these special children never fail to move me with their love and joy.

“By enacting this legislation, we take an important step in protecting the unborn, while still providing an exception for the life of the mother. I sign this legislation with a prayer that God would continue to bless these precious children, mothers and families.”

New CR-V production line will create 100 new jobs in Decatur County

Greensburg – Governor Mike Pence joined executives from Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) today as the company announced plans to invest $52 million in its Greensburg facility in order to enhance job training and add production of the Honda CR-V. The company will create up to 100 new jobs by the end of 2016 to support the new line.

“Honda has been a great partner to the state of Indiana from the moment the company announced plans to establish a facility in Greensburg in 2006,” said Governor Pence. “I have had the pleasure of meeting with the company’s leadership here in the United States and in Japan, and I am proud that they have once again chosen Indiana for growth. The automotive industry in Indiana supports more than 100,000 Hoosier jobs, and that number will continue to grow thanks to the commitment of companies like Honda.”

HMIN will invest approximately $40 million to enhance the manufacturing flexibility and production capabilities of its existing 1.3 million-square-foot plant in order to add production of the Honda CR-V in early 2017 while maintaining production of the Honda Civic Sedan. The CR-V is a perennial favorite of American car buyers and was Honda’s second-highest selling model in the United States in 2015.

In addition to the CR-V, HMIN will invest an additional $12.37 million toward its new 20,000-square-foot Associate Resource Center (ARC), which is a career development facility designed to promote the enhancement of HMIN associate manufacturing skills. HMIN will offer more than 1,000 self-guided e-learning classes that range from Honda-specific training to universal skills training.

“This new investment in our Indiana facility will enhance our manufacturing flexibility and better position Honda to meet customer demand for our lineup of fuel-efficient passenger cars and light trucks,” said Bob Nelson, president of HMIN. “Honda is committed to delivering products like the Civic and CR-V that provide outstanding quality and value to our customers, and our associates are key to this success. Our associates are our foundation and this new training facility will provide them with the opportunity to grow and develop their skills.”

HMIN, which began production of the Civic in 2008, is the Japanese automaker’s fourth auto plant in the United States. Since 2006, HMIN has invested more than $900 million in Indiana and now employs more than 2,300 Hoosier associates. Average salaries of new positions will be higher than the state’s average wage. Interested applicants can learn more by visiting the job opportunities link at www.indiana.honda.com.

“Today, I want to congratulate Honda’s outstanding recent achievements,” said Dan Manus, Mayor of Greensburg. “I also look forward to Greensburg and Decatur County governments and our local economic development corporation continuing to assist Honda’s success, so this excellent company will be able to prosper and provide high-paying jobs for our community.”

HMIN manufactures automobiles primarily for the U.S. market, and for export to markets outside of North America. The facility has the capacity to produce 250,000 vehicles and last year it sourced more than $2.4 billion in OEM parts from 57 suppliers, including 18 in Indiana. HMIN maintains one of the lowest environmental footprints of any automobile plant in Honda’s global production network.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered up to $860,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $140,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Greensburg supports the project at the request of the Greensburg Decatur County Economic Development Corporation.

Indiana’s automotive industry ranks No. 2 in the nation by gross domestic product and contributes more than $15 billion to the state’s economy each year. The Hoosier state is home to more than 500 automotive companies, including five OEM assembly plants, which together support more than 100,000 Hoosier jobs. Indiana ranks third in the United States for car and truck production, with more than 5.1 million vehicles produced here since 2010.

Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today vetoed House Enrolled Act 1022, which provides that certain records of a private university police department relating to arrests for criminal offenses are public records and that an educational institution, a governing board of an institution, a delegated office or governing board, or an individual employed by an educational institution as a police officer have the same immunities of the state or state police officers. The bill would have allowed private universities’ police departments to have different standards for public records than public police departments.

“Throughout my public career, I have long believed in the public’s right to know and a free and independent press. Limiting access to police records in a situation where private university police departments perform a government function is a disservice to the public and an unnecessary barrier to transparency.  While House Enrolled Act 1022 provides for limited disclosure of records from private university police departments, it would limit the application of the Access to Public Records Act following the Court of Appeals decision and result in less disclosure, therefore I have decided to veto the bill. Hoosiers may be assured that my administration will always be vigilant to preserve government accountability and the public’s right to know.” –Governor Mike Pence

On March 15, 2016, the Court of Appeals of Indiana ruled in ESPN v. University of Notre Dame that Notre Dame’s police department is a “public agency” not a private entity under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (APRA) and as such is subject to APRA requirements to produce certain documents unless otherwise protected from disclosure by APRA.