January 5, 2016

Pence Likely To Weigh In On LGBT Rights During State Of The State Address

Gov. Mike Pence, shown here delivering his 2014 State of the State Address, is expected to weigh in on the upcoming LGBT rights debate during this year's address. - AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Gov. Mike Pence, shown here delivering his 2014 State of the State Address, is expected to weigh in on the upcoming LGBT rights debate during this year's address.

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mike Pence Tuesday indicated he will likely weigh in on the upcoming debate over LGBT rights during his upcoming State of the State address. 

The governor maintains he is listening to all sides of the debate, though he’s rebuffed questions about his stance on LGBT rights for months – essentially since the last legislative session.  With his yearly State of the State address approaching, Pence says Hoosiers will soon know his position.

“It’s one of the best opportunities I have as governor to speak directly to the people of Indiana on a broad range of issues and we’ll likely take advantage of that next week,” he said

If Pence does weigh in soon, House Speaker Brian Bosma says that will have an effect on what lawmakers do.

“But the legislature and each of the House and Senate are independently-elected constitutional bodies and the governor is not the boss of them," Bosma said. "Everyone has their own opinions on these things and we’ll work, as we have in the past, through thorny issues trying to get to the right decision for all.”

The State of the State is scheduled for January 12.

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