In a visit with Ball State University students in Muncie on Wednesday night, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Owens says the current governor isn’t doing enough for education in the state.  IPR’s Christine Hatfield reports.

Owens responded to many of the points Governor Eric Holcomb made during Tuesday night’s State of the State speech, particularly on education. He says he’s fighting for education because of how it impacts every community across the state.  He says Holcomb isn’t doing enough for teachers and public education.

“We had 15,000-plus teachers show up to rally for better pay, better resources and more professional respect, and the governor is saying ‘Let’s wait until next year to actually get those things done.’”

But it’s not the only issue Owens is running on.  He is also advocating for a comprehensive hate crimes bill, and he wants to prioritize the state’s environment.

“We could have a state that is the center of innovation for climate change, but we need to make sure that it is the focus of what we’re actually trying to do.’”

Owens is running against Woody Myers in the Democratic primary, set for May 5.