Mike Pence

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Mike Pence wasted little time before taking his first action as governor of Indiana on Monday.

Pence was sworn in during a morning inauguration ceremony on the steps of the Statehouse in Indianapolis. That afternoon in his newly bestowed office he signed 15 executive orders.

Nine of the orders were simply continuations of initiatives by previous governor Mitch Daniels, but six others were created by Pence.

One of the new executive orders requires some state agencies to prepare family impact statements when enacting any new regulations. The agencies affected are the Family and Social Services Administration, Department of Workforce Development, Department of Child Services, State Department of Health, Department of Correction, and Criminal Justice Institute.

“The Family Impact Statements are a tool agencies will use to ensure that new regulations do not discourage the formation and well-being of intact married families, ensuring that all families have a level playing field,” a statement from the governor’s office said.

Pence rescinded one executive order that had been put in place by Daniels. Executive Order 11-07 concerns the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board, which oversees issues relating to public school teacher collective bargaining, and who the board reports to. Daniels’ order had required the board to report to the Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, then Republican Tony Bennett.

In what many call a partisan move, Pence’s removal of the order reverts the board back to the previous practice of reporting to the governor. Democrat Glenda Ritz defeated Bennett in the November 2012 election for Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction.

One executive order signed by Pence Monday will require the state to develop a plan for making all state contracts electronically searchable on the portal. Another creates the Indiana Office of Energy Development. Yet another order seeks to promote job creation, economic development, and freedom by ordering a moratorium on regulations

Also Monday, the new governor held a bipartisan meeting with the leadership of both the House and Senate, citing his desire to work together for the good of all Hoosiers.

"As a former legislator, I have enormous respect for the legislature and the job they do," said Pence. "It was very important to me to meet with their leadership on our first day in office to talk about what Indiana needs right now and how we get the job done."

LINKS:

Mike Pence Delivers Inauguration Address

Pence Becomes 50th Governor Of Indiana Monday

Pence Says Strong Families Will Help Economy