KICKING OFF A NEW SEASON & A NEW SESSION – Straight From The Senate

November is the beginning of the holiday season and it also marks the ceremonial start of Indiana’s next legislative session. On Tuesday November 18, lawmakers convened at the Statehouse for “Organization Day,” the official first day of the 2015 General Assembly.

On Organization Day, Indiana’s newly elected Senators and Representatives are officially sworn into office. The day also provides legislators an opportunity to meet with fellow lawmakers and staff, bring their families to the capitol, and begin preparatory work for the 2015 Session. After Organization Day, the General Assembly recesses until January 6, when the session begins in earnest.

This year’s Organization Day was particularly exciting as we welcomed eight new faces to the Indiana Senate Majority Caucus. These new Senators will bring fresh ideas and perspectives with them that represent viewpoints from all parts of our State. They are a talented group of individuals, and I look forward to working with them.

It’s important to remember that this time of year is also the chance to gather with loved ones and family to give thanks for all we have. We are lucky to live in a place where hard work and time-honored values still mean something. Hoosiers are a special group of people, and I believe our state government reflects this in how we conduct our business.

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Our commitment to keeping taxes low for individuals and employers has garnered national attention, prompting the Tax Foundation to rank Indiana’s tax climate the best in the Midwest and eighth best in the nation.

Indiana leads the nation in manufacturing growth, with more than 25,000 manufacturing jobs added in the past year. Our state also reported an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent in September, marking the ninth consecutive month Indiana’s rate has been below the national average.

While all of this good news is encouraging, we cannot afford to rest on past accomplishments. Because of that, the legislature will approach the 2015 session with a keen focus upon job growth, improving educational opportunities for Hoosier children, strengthening our state and local economies, and protecting taxpayers.

As always, please contact me with your questions and concerns by email at Senator.Long@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.