Over the past several months, Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch has been holding agriculture roundtables around the state to hear from farmers and agribusiness owners. She recently concluded that ag roundtable tour in Crawfordsville.
The discussions have ranged from conservation to budget requests at the statehouse to mental health.
“The number one theme I’m hearing is the importance of broadband and the importance of being connected to our ag communities,” Crouch told Hoosier Ag Today.
Crouch says that Indiana has been out in front of this issue compared to other states.
“We have invested so far today $268 million to connect Hoosiers throughout Indiana. When that’s fully deployed, that will connect 75,000 Hoosier families and businesses. And so, we are moving forward, but we know we still have a lot of work to do, and rural Indiana depends upon it. It’s the key to unlocking economic opportunity in Indiana.”
Agriculture contributes over $31 billion to Indiana’s economy, and Crouch knows that providing connectivity for rural communities will only grow that number.
“We will continue to invest in connecting those Hoosiers and we won’t stop until every Hoosier is connected to the last mile.”
Crouch is also concerned about mental health across the state. It’s unusual for a Lt. Gov. to testify in support of a bill, but she did just that in support of Senate Bill 1 that focuses on mental health. She told Hoosier Ag Today that mental health and addiction is a very personal subject for her.
“My mother struggled with depression. My sister Nancy, who was 18 months younger, died by suicide. My brother Larry was two years older than me. We buried him in November. He was an alcoholic. So, those Hoosiers that have really struggled, through no fault of their own, it’s because they inherit genes that predispose them to these conditions, they deserve an opportunity to be successful and happy and healthy.”
Crouch is pleased that Senate Bill 1 is moving forward. It was passed unanimously in the Senate and will now be heard in the House where it also looks to have great support.
