By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – A Senate committee voted Thursday to give Republican Gov. Mike Pence just half the road funding he wants – $200 million that could be used to pay for key improvements to interstates.

The move is a partial blow to one of the governor’s key legislative goals: Freeing up $400 million that had previously been set aside in a transportation trust fund for spending now.

But Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, said declining state revenues mean saving some of the money is a good idea. “We’re running a little bit behind” on state revenues, he said.

“The other $200 million will be held and then when we have our budget discussions next year, if we want to keep it in the fund or roll it to maintenance, we’ll have the opportunity to decide that,” Kenley said.

The General Assembly voted last year to put $400 million into the Major Moves 2020 Trust Fund to save for projects that included widening Interstates 69, 65 and 70.

But Pence and the Republican-controlled House made spending the $400 million sooner a top priority, saying the money is needed now and inflation will make the money worth less later.

The House approved legislation to transfer the $400 million out of the trust fund and into the state’s general highway account. House Bill 1002 also allocated $25 million to a grant program for local road projects – money the Senate stripped out of the legislation.

House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said Thursday that grant program is especially important given the cold, snowy winter.

“Locals have a lot of challenges especially with the amount they’ve spent on salt – record amounts – and other maintenance and snow removal,” Bosma said.

Democrats on the Appropriations Committee were similarly frustrated by the amendment to eliminate the grant program.

“I saw some real benefit to that in communities around the state,” said Democratic Sen. Tim Skinner of Terre Haute.

However, Kenley said the money had originally been earmarked for major projects and should stay that way.

Actually, Kenley had been a skeptic of spending the trust fund money at all. He was the driver behind creating the Major Moves 2020 Trust Fund and advocated saving the cash for the state’s most expensive projects.

But on Thursday, the senator said the Indiana Department of Transportation “made a good case that some of the money would go to the Major Moves type of areas that it was intended for originally.”

INDOT officials have testified that several interstate projects will be ready to go soon and will cost more if they are delayed.

Still, some Appropriations Committee members were concerned about the state’s overall financial picture. Tax receipts are running behind projections and the state is facing some unexpected expenses.

That led the committee to vote Thursday to delay spending the additional $200 million. Kenley said lawmakers should decide next year – when they’re drafting the next two-year budget – whether to spend the money.

Pence’s office released a statement: ”Gov. Pence is encouraged by the passing of a key agenda item out of Senate Appropriations and looks forward to continuing to work with the House and Senate to ensure that we have the best tools and infrastructure to enhance Indiana’s position as an economic engine.”

Bosma said Thursday legislative leaders would continue to talk about the road funding issue through mid-March, when the session is scheduled to end.

“We may not spring all the Major Moves 2020 fund,” Bosma said. “But I think we’re going to come to a reasonable conclusion and compromise on that as well.”

By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS — The Senate Education Committee on Wednesday stripped a state-funded, pre-kindergarten program out of a bill passed by the House and endorsed by Republican Gov. Mike Pence after lawmakers said they wanted more time to consider the issue.

The Republican-controlled committee voted unanimously to create a study commission instead that would look at ways to fund preschool, including the flexibility of using existing federal funds for the program as well as dollars from foundations and charitable organizations.

The move is a blow to a key part of Pence’s legislative agenda. He has proposed state-funded preschool for all low-income children. The House passed a more modest plan in House Bill 1004, which creates a five-county pilot program.

On Wednesday morning, Pence met for several hours with legislative leaders to talk about his agenda and other legislative issues. Later, his office issued a statement that said Pence “looks forward to continuing to work with members of the General Assembly” to create a pre-kindergarten program.

“Gov. Pence believes every child deserves to start school ready to learn and he believes now is the time for a voluntary pre-K program to help Indiana’s low-income kids,” the statement said.

But key senators have been concerned about the cost of state-funded preschool, even if it’s reserved for the state’s poorer children. Although House leaders have emphasized their proposal only creates a pilot program, Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley has said it could cost as much as $270 million annually if it was eventually implemented statewide.

“Indiana and the federal government currently spend approximately $277 million per year on early childhood development programs in our state,” said Kenley, who also serves on the education committee.

He said that last year, the General Assembly approved a pilot preschool program that offered $4 million in grants.

“Before we enact a new program, I believe it’s necessary to review our current resources and reach a decision that’s realistic for our state,” Kenley said.

Also, Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, said Wednesday that senators want to study ways to take a more comprehensive approach to preparing kids succeed in school. He said that could mean doing more to educate parents, get books into children’s homes and provide other necessary services, possibly through privately funded programs.

The study approved by the Senate would also include a look at the economic impact and benefits of a pre-kindergarten program, other states’ standards for a similar program and the income guidelines that should be used to determine eligibility.

The commission members would include lawmakers, educators, business leaders, child development specialists and social services officials.

TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – A Republican-backed bill could allow Hoosiers attending virtual charter schools to participate in sports in their local districts.

House Bill 1047 – authored by Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour – passed the House and was heard in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. The committee did not vote.

The bill only applies to students attending virtual charter schools, which are generally web-based with limited in-person interaction.

The bill would also restrict students to playing for schools in their residential districts.

Sen. Carlin Yoder, R-Middlebury, said the bill simply allows virtual charter school students to try out for their local district’s sports teams.

Stacy Wyatt, a mother of two Indiana Connections Academy Students, said choosing a virtual school was a decision she made for her kids academically; her children focus better with online virtual schools because of their attention deficit disorder.

Both her children plan to participate in high school sports, in soccer and swimming.

But Brent Decay, principal of Brownsburg High School, said there are plenty of programs that high schools offer to help all students academically.

Decay also said that if kids want to play sports they should be under the same restrictions – grade stipulation, school rules, curriculum – as the other students participating in that sport.

“Families make a choice when they go to a virtual charter. They know the services available to them and know the consequences,” said Roni Embry, a lobbyist for the Indiana State Teachers Association. “Public schools students do not have the choice to go shopping around and it sends the wrong message.”

Lucas said the bill should “not be this difficult.”

“All this bill does is gives these children the opportunity to try out for a local sports teams. If they don’t meet any requirements that the coach asks for them…these kids can be kicked off,” said Lucas. “Try out and give them the opportunity to play by the rules of every other child.”

Paige Clark is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.