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Republican Mike Pence/Democrat John Gregg - Indiana candidates for governor (September 18, 2012) |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence says marriage between one man and one woman is the best route for breaking children out of the cycle of poverty.
Pence said Tuesday he would seek "family impact statements" on new regulations as a way to combat poverty if elected governor in November. He also said he would seek to expand Indiana's school voucher program for adopted children and foster families by eliminating means testing in certain cases.
Pence has begun talking more about social issues as the governor's race enters its final weeks. Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg, who was in Goshen on Tuesday, criticized Pence for re-focusing on social issues instead of jobs.
"Why on earth are we talking about the state promoting marriage when unemployment is over 8%?," asked Gregg. "Hoosier families come in all shapes and sizes, and our next governor needs to be a governor for them all, not just those that fit in Congressman Pence's social agenda."
"If Congressman Pence was so concerned with childhood poverty, why did he vote against health insurance for children (HR 3963, HR 2) and call it 'middle class welfare?," Gregg continued.
But the Pence campaign argues that the "success equation" for breaking out of poverty includes being raised in a two-parent household.
