Will Pence drive the agenda?

How long will Mike Pence be in the driver’s seat?
The answer to that question will speak volumes about the next governor of Indiana’s effectiveness in office.
Pence, who takes office next month, has a long record of both fiscal and social conservatism.
But during his campaign, he indicated that his top priorities would be fiscal, focusing on tax policies, spending policies, and ways to increase job growth and economic prosperity.
Trouble is, key leaders of his own party in the Indiana General Assembly have other ideas.
The last legislative session was marked by a number of divisive social issues — further restrictions on abortion, de-funding Planned Parenthood, and a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage — that haven’t gone away. And the champions of those ideas, Republican lawmakers in both the Indiana House and Senate, haven’t gone away either.
In fact, with a new governor settling into his chair, those lawmakers may well be emboldened to push their agenda forward aggressively. Should that happen, the new governor could find a host of legislation on his desk that reflects a very socially conservative point of view.
Having put those issues on the back burner during his campaign, Gov. Pence could very likely find them on his front burner by the end of February.
And that could prove to be a critical moment in his tenure as governor.
Our guess is that — despite his sincere social conservatism — Gov. Pence would prefer to advance his own agenda at his own pace.
Whether Republican lawmakers allow him that courtesy will let us know who is really in the driver’s seat in Indianapolis. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]