Conservative Gov. Mike Braun announced an executive order directing the state to eliminate marriage penalties within the state tax system.
(LifeSiteNews) -- Indiana's Republican governor declared his support for marriage and championed its role in a strong economy during a recent executive order announcement.
"Marriage is the fundamental cornerstone of strong families and strong communities, and we need to make sure Indiana’s tax and benefits systems aren’t penalizing Hoosiers for getting married," Gov. Mike Braun announced on Monday. Today, April 15, is Tax Day for American taxpayers.
The conservative governor announced an executive order directing the state to eliminate marriage penalties within the state tax system.
Marriage penalties occur when married filers have to pay more than they would as two single individuals. "For example, a single filer can deduct up to $3,000 in rent, but a married couple filing jointly also gets only $3,000 – not double," the governor's office noted.
"Signed in time for Tax Day, this executive order will make sure Indiana’s policies are providing an incentive for Hoosiers to build strong families, rather than getting in the way," Braun stated in his news release.
"Marriage is the foundation of families and communities and has clear economic benefits as well: married people earn more over their lifetime, and data analytics research has found that the top predictor of upward mobility for children was the number of intact families around them," the governor's office stated further.
Braun, as Senator, has previously shown his support for the importance of marriage, voting against the misnamed "Respect for Marriage Act."
The bill, signed by President Joe Biden in 2022, requires the federal government to recognize two men or two women as a "marriage." On the other hand, Braun's fellow Republican Senator Todd Young voted to redefine marriage and ignoring longstanding tradition that recognizes marriage is only between one man and one woman.
Since taking office in January, Braun has regularly championed support for traditional values while opposing destructive "diversity, equity, and inclusion" programming.
For example, he ordered the state to fully enforce its laws against abortion, including providing the full "terminated pregnancy reports" (TPRs) which provide valuable information. His predecessor, moderate Republican Governor Eric Holcomb, did not allow for the full release of the reports.
The order directs state agencies to “ensure that the State of Indiana’s abortion laws are fully and faithfully executed, including, but not limited to, the submission of TPRs,” and to “fully cooperate with the Office of the Attorney General in the investigation and enforcement of” abortion laws, as LifeSiteNews reported at the time.
