LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Tuesday, Indiana voters will choose their next governor.

Coming into the election, WDRB asked both candidates where they stand on several issues.

First, Indiana school vouchers have been a part of the state's educational landscape for close to a decade. The program is called the Indiana Choice scholarship program. 

The vouchers are income-based, and the general assembly changed the requirement to allow more people to use the program. 

Jennifer McCormick, the Democratic candidate, was the last elected superintendent of public instruction. She was elected to the office as a Republican, and switched parties after leaving office.   

“We are now at $1.6 billion that has gone away from our traditional public schools that 90% of our families choose into a very small percentage of our kids," said McCormick. "And I’m a firm believer that kids need to attend school where they feel safe, and they are challenged and they have a good environment. 

"But public dollars should go to public schools, as our constitution has laid out and is very clear on, and making sure that we are holding everyone accountable for those dollars."

According to the Indiana Department of Education, for this school year 70,095 students use Choice scholarship money, that is $439,000,000 going to private schools.  

Republican candidate Mike Braun told WDRB he and his children went to public schools, and supports keeping the vouchers in place to give parents options.

"Places like Indianapolis, and Gary, and Muncie school districts had to be taken over by the state," Braun said. "Pike county, the little county next to us, due to mismanagement had a grade school shut down. They didn’t have the option of doing something other than the public schools' system, it would have been a bad result.”   

The maximum amount awarded is $4,800 per student per year.

So far, the Indiana General Assembly has not heard or even considered any serious marijuana legislation.

Another issue that is expected to cross the next governor’s desk is cannabis or marijuana. Indiana is surrounded by states that have adopted some form of legalized cannabis. According to a number of studies, Indiana is losing out on an estimated $30-$40 million dollars a year in tax revenue. 

The Indiana General Assembly has not heard or even considered any serious marijuana legislation. Due, in part, to current Gov. Eric Holcomb, who has said many times that as long as the federal government considers pot illegal, Indiana will follow suit. After a campaign stop in southern Indiana, WDRB asked Braun how he would handle marijuana.  

"The fact that we are surrounded. You are right, medical marijuana is going to be a big discussion whether we get it across the finish line this year. I think there is an appetite to do so," he said. "When it comes to the recreational side, I will be taking my cue from law enforcement, because they will be the ones that have to put up with the consequences of it if we don’t get it right. I think you will see a big discussion on medical use of marijuana in our state and I will be ready to discuss it.”  

Meanwhile, McCormick is considering a special commission,

"It starts out with a commission that would get a well-regulated industry for medical use first, and then go into adult use and making sure we are taking advantage of the estimated conservative $170 million dollars in the first year of revenue but also to the hundreds or the thousands of jobs that could come with legalizing cannabis," she said. 

In order for cannabis to be legal in any form in Indiana, the general assembly will have to pass legislation. And as of right now, no official legislation has been filed.  

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